The Bronx’s only no-kill animal shelter is in danger of closing if the city or donors don’t bail it out, its administrator told NBC 4 New York.
New Beginnings Animal Rescue founder Pedro Rosario said that the shelter on Newbold Avenue is on its “last leg” and that without some sort of intervention the shelter will be shut down within two months.
“We are in dire need,” Rosario said.
Rosario has been running the 5,000-square-foot shelter on private donations and his own life savings for the last six years and has adopted out thousands of animals in that time.
He said Friday that if the shelter closes, many of the animals would have to be taken to other rescue groups.
Some that can’t find new shelters or homes could make their way to city shelters, which euthanized more than 4,000 of the 29,211 dogs and cats taken in in 2015.
“Odds are they’ll get 48 hours and they’ll join the chamber,” said volunteer Danielle Benbrahim.
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Rosario said that he doesn’t want that to happen, but knows he might have to go it alone. The city said that his shelter is not part of the city’s system, so there's not much they can do to help.
"So many nights I go to sleep thinking, ‘What’s going to happen tomorrow?,’” he said.
