One lucky three-legged dog will be spending New Year’s in the Bronx with her new owner after she was saved from the side of the road in upstate New York earlier this month.
“I was driving in the countryside, and as I passed her, she turned around,” Soundview resident Sham Ganesh recalled. “I looked in the rearview mirror, and she was actually looking back at me. I went, I spun a U-turn, and I saw that she was hurt. I threw her in the car and then I brought her home.”
What You Need To Know
- Located in Ridgewood, Queens, the city's newest shelter has a kitten nursery, outdoor dog play yards, several rooms where cats can roam freely, an area designated for sick animals, and private counseling rooms for owners needing assistance with their pets
- The shelter was named for late City Councilmember Paul Vallone, who served as deputy commissioner for external affairs at the Department of Veterans Services and was an advocate for animal welfare
- Animal Care Centers was awarded the 2024 Big Apple Brownfield Award for Innovative Purpose for their cleanup of the site
Ganesh brought the dog to a city animal shelter — called Animal Care Centers — in Queens on Christmas Eve. Then, the ASPCA provided medical care, which included the amputation of the dog's right hind leg.
“With all of the pain, because I’m sure she was in a lot of pain, she didn't show it one bit. She was just like a champ. She was just loving,” Ganesh said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the ASPCA said that the dog “was already accustomed to supporting her weight on three legs and was mobile right away, recovering without any issues.”
Once the dog — now named Bella — had recovered for several days, Ganesh decided to bring her home. NY1 was on hand for their reunion and toured the 50,000-square-foot shelter in Ridgewood, which opened earlier this year.
Animal Care Centers currently has three shelters open for adoptions. The other ones are in Manhattan and on Staten Island. A Bronx shelter is expected to open next year, and renovations at the Brooklyn location are slated to be finished in 2026.
“When we opened the Queens shelter, we actually simultaneously were closing the Brooklyn shelter for a complete renovation, which is great. However, we had to transfer all of those animals into the Queens shelter. So basically, from day one, we were over capacity,” said Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications for Animal Care Centers.
In Queens, there is space for about 80 dogs, but the shelter now has about 140 in its care. It’s so crowded at the moment that some are kept in kennels in a meet-and-greet room. The shelter is at capacity for cats, with about 120. There is also room for rabbits, guinea pigs and other “exotic” animals that are brought there.
“Now that we are really cemented into the community, 2025 is going to be great. Part of what we do is not just about adoptions. It’s about keeping pets with their families,” Hansen said. “A lot of people are struggling right now in keeping their pets. They are financially insecure. They can’t afford vet treatment, for instance.”
Thanks to a grant from the ASPCA, Animal Care Centers helps these pet owners. Last year, it provided vet care worth more than $143,000 for 241 animals, and there are three full-time staff members to work with New Yorkers.
“What is so great about being here in this great 50,000-square-foot shelter is that we are open to the community, and we want the community to come in and get assistance to keep their pets. Or to find a pet if they are looking to adopt one,” Hansen said.
Shelter staff are also not expecting an influx of animals in January, thanks to a new state law banning the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores. In past years, animals purchased for the holidays were sometimes dropped off at the shelters in the new year by people unable to care for them. The new law went into effect on Dec. 15 and helps eliminate impulse buys, advocates say.
“The best part of the new law is that it makes people think before they bring a pet into their home,” Hansen said. “Of course, we encourage adoptions. The silver lining of having a lot of animals is that we have a lot of different kinds of animals, so you’re bound to find one that fits your lifestyle.”
Meanwhile, Ganesh planned to spend a quiet New Year’s at home with Bella and his parrot, Buddy.
“It’s going to be nice for her too, that she is going to get to spend another new year,” he said.