The Brooklyn Papers / Gregory Cross

Love fur sale: At Brooklyn Animal Care and Control's "Winter Pet-stravaganza," Christine Fields, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, adopted a 2-year-old silky terrier.

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"If you’ve tried and tried and just can’t have one of your own, adopt."

A large poster with that slogan takes up most of a mint-green wall in a narrow corridor where uniformed staff and medical personnel are squeezing past a throng of visitors going in and out of sparse but sanitary rooms.

The friendly employees are trying their best, running back and forth on a cold Saturday afternoon, to help potential "parents" pick and choose a "baby" that best suits their individual lifestyle. Age, gender, personality, size and even color are all taken into consideration. But here, parents don’t have to wait months or even years to take home the bundle of joy of their choice.

"It’s just so amazing when people who did not consider adoption come in, because they are curious," said manager Joyce Clemmons, 47. "We can find a perfect match for them here." All it takes is for people to walk in, Clemmons told GO Brooklyn.

So, what in the world are we talking about? Here’s a hint: The hospital-like facility is an East New York shelter, where rooms are filled with row upon row of cages in place of beds - and the "babies" come with fur.

"I don’t call them animals here," said Clemmons, manager of the Brooklyn Animal Care & Control Adoption Center. "I call them my babies," she said, adding that she does not have children of her own.

In order to keep the adoption rate high during the cold months, when many people are less likely to leave their homes, Animal Care & Control offers special winter discounts that make adopting a pet "the best deal in all of New York," said Ed Boks, executive director of New York City Animal Care & Control, which runs one shelter in each borough.

"February was cold and the [adoption] numbers were low, so we had to offer specials," said Richard Gentles, 41, director of operations for city Animal Care & Control. "We set prices to encourage people to adopt."

From now through March 31, AC&C has lowered the cost of adoption to what Gentles calls "life-saving prices": $30 for cats and $75 for dogs. And a great deal it is, when you bear in mind that the usual adoption fee can be as high as $150. The special fee includes spaying/neutering, vaccination and one free veterinary visit. A microchip that can help track lost or stolen pets can be purchased and implanted in your adopted pet at AC&C’s shelters for an additional $20.

Most people who came to the Brooklyn AC&C shelter on a recent Saturday were not aware of the deal they were getting.

"Last year it was $145 for a dog and $135 for a cat," said Najiyyah Ali, 26, assistant office manager at the shelter in East New York. "If people knew that, they would appreciate [our low prices this year] even more."

They might not know of the winter special, but many adopting families are familiar with AC&C’s Web site, www.nycacc.org, where the non-profit organization posts photographs of many of the adoptable animals.

Edward Ling, 5, of Bensonhurst, came with his aunt and father, Saeng and Fu Ling, to adopt a 5-month-old German shepherd mix, whose picture he saw online. The Lings beat the Lerners, who rushed to East New York from Brighton Beach for the same puppy.

"We saw him online and we came out here," said Gloria Lerner, pointing toward the golden brown puppy Edward was holding by the leash. "But they snatched him."

Thanks to the wide selection of animals at the shelter, Lerner, who came with her 16-year-old daughter, wasn’t disappointed for too long. Before she knew it, she fell in love with a 7-month-old German shepherd mix and she could not wait to take him home.

"I think that it’s better to rescue a dog than buy one from the store," said Robert Maciaszek, 14, of Greenpoint.

Robert and his mother, Agatha, decided on a 3-year-old cocker spaniel. "I think I’ll name him Caesar," Robert said.

Adoption rate lags

Boks came to New York in January 2004 from Arizona’s Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, known as the country’s pioneer in "no-kill" shelters, where he also served as executive director. One of the reasons New York turned to him to improve the city’s animal care, he said, was because he had a successful experience with the implementation of the "no-kill" policy in Arizona’s shelters.

"New York had a reputation as the worst city in the country in the way it treated [stray] animals," said Boks.

AC&C’s statistics show that within the past year in New York there has been a 101 percent increase in adoptions and a 17 percent decrease in euthanasia.

"Fewer animals died in New York in 2004 than in any other year in New York history," Boks said.

Boks said AC&C is the largest pet rescue organization in New York, rescuing more than 42,000 lost and homeless animals and close to 3,000 farm, wild and exotic animals each year. With the recent increase, the annual number of adoptions amounts to 18,000.

Despite all the improvements, the adoption rate still lags behind the number of lost and homeless animals that enter shelters daily. Although in decline and used as a last resort, the humane killing of animals is sometimes the only option.

"We get between 50 and 100 animals a day," said Ali, sitting in a small, shared office at the Brooklyn AC&C shelter, whose 430 cages are filled to capacity.

"We have to take the animals," Ali said. The shelter employees try to discourage owners from giving up their pets, she said, explaining what might happen to them. But in the end, the shelter is required to take in all the animals that pass through its doors.

All stray animals are automatically kept in the shelter for 72 hours, after which the adoptable ones remain in the shelter, where on a good day there are between 10 and 20 adoptions.

"Sometimes we do have to do euthanasia," said Ali, who has worked at the Brooklyn shelter since 2000. Animals whose behavior is considered dangerous to the public and those who are sick are generally kill candidates, but sometimes space limitations are the reason for putting animals to sleep.

The AC&C’s goal for 2005 is to reduce pet euthanasia by another 15 percent. The key to reaching that goal, said Boks, is to spread the word and encourage more individuals to adopt. In addition to giving their animal shelters exposure through media outlets, AC&C also takes a more direct approach by bringing the animals to the people.

"We take the animals into the community," he said. "We take them into the parks, churches, synagogues, anywhere we can get a venue."

Clemmons, who has worked at the Brooklyn shelter since it first opened, on Feb. 1, 1995, said she has noticed many positive changes within the past few years, including the recent renovation of the shelter and the increase in adoption rates.

Loneliness cure

People who decide to adopt an animal do so for different reasons. While the Lings, Lerners and Maciaszeks fulfilled their children’s wishes for a pet, others simply don’t want to be lonely.

"I’m retired now, and I want company," said Ann Thompson, 62, of Brownsville, who adopted a fluffy little Pomeranian dog from the Brooklyn shelter.

Theresa and Donald Honey, of Bensonhurst, came to adopt because their dog Roxie had died three weeks earlier. They chose a year-old female black Labrador retriever mix.

Theresa Honey, 68, said that she had to have a pet because she loves animals and wants companionship.

"I’m working and [my wife] is home alone," said Donald Honey, 72.

That Saturday, the Brooklyn Animal Care & Control center had a good day. The total of 25 adoptions - 15 cats and 10 dogs - surpassed its daily average.

Boks attributes the Brooklyn shelter’s success to the kindness of its employees. But Clemmons thinks it’s more than that.

"People and animals belong together," she said.

The Brooklyn Animal Care & Control Adoption Center is located at 2336 Linden Blvd. between Essex Street and Shepherd Avenue in East New York. Adoption hours are noon to 7 pm, daily. Effective now through March 31, AC&C has lowered the cost of adoption to $30 for cats and $75 for dogs. For more information visit www.nycacc.org on the Web or call (212) 788-4000.

©2005 The Brooklyn Paper