I contacted Empty Cages Collective when I finally felt I was ready to get a dog. I found Larry (the Lhasa Apso) on line and contacted them. I was highly impressed by their love for their animals. They wanted me to meet Larry first to make sure we liked each other. Larry can be a bit of a grumpy to start, and Empty Cages Collective saved him from a kill shelter after he was deemed "aggressive" and un-rescuable (is that a word?). After we met, we arranged for a two week foster which impressed me even more. Most agencies let you just adopt the dog, but Empty Cages wanted to make sure I wouldn't adopt him, take him home and then change my mind. Larry and I had a 2 week trial run and have been together ever since. There were some difficulties getting Larry to me, but really who's to complain? They offered to bring him to my apt instead of me getting a cab and picking him up. (They also offered to pay for his grooming expenses while I was fostering him). I had to wait a few days because they had a few animal emergencies, and knowing all-volunteer organizations, they are usually short staffed and the people are working for their love of animals, they are not getting paid. Larry is fantastic, hardly the grump he was when I first met, although still with loads of personality. He is in no way aggressive, he's super loving, and my whole neighborhood loves him! It's only because Empty Cages Collective love animals and took a chance with an "aggressive" Larry that I have him. They get 5 stars because even 6 months after adopting Larry they continue to check up on him. Recently they found another Lhasa Apso who looked just like Larry in a shelter and they called me worried that I had changed me mind and abandoned him. That's dedication. Larry of course was safely at home, but hopefully they were able to save Larry's twin. Maybe I'll sound like a crazy dog lady but I can't remember what life was like before Larry. I recommend Empty Cages Collective to anyone looking for an pet. read more

We adopted our 2 bunny siblings from Empty Cages Collective in August. ECC rescued them all the way from Indiana in a breeder abuse case where 400 bunnies were seized. They were cared for very well, already spayed/neutered and in good health, and PJ made it easy for us to come meet them. Everyone we met from ECC that day was lovely, and you can tell how much they love animals. ECC makes sure that adoption applicants will provide good homes through their screening/application process. It's not easy work when dealing with people who don't understand the care involved with bunnies and that they are not meant to live in small cages. I applaud them for their patience when dealing with difficult and unknowledgeable potential adopters. Even though our bunnies were siblings, PJ didn't pressure us to take both, understanding that it would be better for one of them to get placed rather than neither. They were kept together the whole time since their rescue and were adorable pals together, so we gladly took both. I find it hard to believe these other reviews about the adoption fee. Even though we took 2 bunnies, PJ said that our suggested adoption fee was $100. We decided we wanted to give more because of the wonderful work this organization does, and because of the cost of exotic veterinary care. I would give this organization my highest recommendation and encourage anyone to adopt from here, and if you can, donate to help these guys continue to help animals. read more

Empty Cages rocks!!! Some dipshit from my neighborhood moved away and left Emma, an extremely friendly cat, to fend for herself on the mean streets of Brooklyn. Thanks to PJ and Empty Cages she got fully vetted and on her way to a home i thought i had lined up... Well, turns out she's FELV-positive, and the home was no more. With my 5 cats and a small apartment, i couldn't risk letting her out of the carrier, and couldn't really keep her in there for long... i reached out to everybody i know and asked for help. And, again, PJ stepped up. He found Emma a home and even arranged transportation to there. While in the car i couldn't help but overhear the phone conversation with Tara B. (the woman who's complaining about the adoption fee). I also heard a male voice (assuming it's her boyfriend) screaming out insults to PJ. Honestly, i have no idea how he did it, but he remained cool, he explained the situation (while getting interrupted by her, not the other way around), and then explained it again and again. I got to the conclusion that Tara B. doesn't understand and is confused because she has problems hearing what is being said to her. I would highly recommend ECC to anybody who's thinking of adopting or is just interested in supporting a great animal rescue and rehabilitation organization. These people set the bar in how to care, treat, love and advocate for animals. read more

I recently adopted a three-month-old kitten from Empty Cages Collective. Before this experience I'd have said that my only expectation was that my kitten would be healthy. But now I'm spoiled. My new fur baby is, of course, healthy, spayed and up to date on her shots. Empty Cages Collective provided her medical records. She is also beautifully socialized and trusting of humans and other cats--no doubt because she was fostered with great care. Her seven-year-old brother is a little shy and recently lost his 12-year-old companion to cancer. "Baby sister" is very young and very silly, but knew exactly how to handle him and as a result they became fast friends very quickly. Empty Cages Collective also treats humans with great respect. I got an immediate response to my initial inquiry. It included an adoption application and I was advised what the process involved and how long it would take. Along the way I had questions and always got an immediate response. I was never left wondering what was going on. Everything happened when it was supposed to. I had a sad back story to the adoption and I am sure many others do too. It means a lot to have stress and uncertainty removed from the process. It was a joyful experience! read more

If I could give Empty Cages Collective a 1,000 star rating I would. We recently adopted a cat who had been hit by a car. She was in very critical condition, languishing at the NYC ACC. She had two broken legs that needed pins, plates and screws, as well as she had a very painful collapsed lung. I contacted one of the Empty Cages Collective volunteers during working hours within a short timeframe of when the cat was to be euthanized. The volunteer took herself away from her busy practice to pull the cat from the NYC ACC and ensured that the cat got right to emergency care. After emergency care, the cat was brought to good health at the veterinarian's office while she was being treated. Empty Cages Collective is filled to the brim with caring, compassionate volunteers. They keep communication open and also ensure that when a cat is turned over to their new owner, that they are in pristine condition. We live in Maine. A volunteer even woke up at the very early hours of the morning to get the cat to the airport to meet me so I could bring her home. Thank you Empty Cages Collective for doing so much so right! read more

Empty Cages Collective is a fantastic organization. They work hard and they save so many innocent animals that without them would be killed by Animal Care and Control ( I am not sure where the "Care" piece comes into place...). My husband and I bumped into one of Empty Cages' adoption events in Williamsburg and we fell in love with a wonderful Kitty that only had one eye. His name was Joshua, but to us, he immediately became One-Eyed-Willie . Willie was going to be killed by Animal Care and Control and Empty Cages had saved him. Before we adopted Willie they neutered him and had his eye-cavity sawn shut. Before we brought Willie home they made sure that we were going to be respectful and loving parents by getting recommendations from 3 people. They came to the house to make sure that the place was cat-safe and gave us helpful advice on how to introduce Willie to our 2 other cats. It worked out greatly, Willie grew into a beautiful, strong and super-sweet cat with a unique personality!!!!! Please go with them if you decide to adopt a cat.. you'll save a wonderful animal that otherwise might be on death row!! read more

My friend in Queens was in a park one day and saw an injured squirrel. Not knowing what to do he called me knowing that I love animals. I really had no idea who, if anyone saved wild life, but I put the post out there on FB. Within 5 minutes one of my friends referred me to Empty Cages Collective. I reached out to PJ and he immediately responded. Within an hour he was out at the park to rescue this poor little squirrel that we called "Squishy". The squirrel apparently was hit by a car, had a broken leg and I believe some internal injuries. ECC took the little guy and immediately gave him pain meds and started him on his road to recovery. At first they didn't have high hopes that he'd make it because he was pretty bad. ECC kept and cared for "Squishy" for nearly 5 months and then we finally got word that the squirrel was as recovered as he is going to be. He was able to jump and climb again and letting him take his chances is what he would want, so they finally had released him back into the wild. ECC is an amazing organization that works tirelessly to save animals. Their compassion and dedication is enormous. read more

Empty Cages Collective does the most amazing job at rescuing animals. PJ, the owner, not only rescues domestic animals that have been abandoned or found stray, but is also a wildlife rehabilitator who saves babies that have been orphaned or wildlife that has been hurt by other animals or vehicles. Furthermore, this group saves cats and dogs that are one day away from their death wish on the Animal Care and Control euthanasia list. PJ saves some of the sweetest cats I have ever met. Recently, ECC saved many lab animals that were being severely mistreated and inhumanely tested on by a college. Many of these lab animals have been medically treated and adopted to happy homes. Please help this group by donating money, food, unused medicines, carriers, or blankets, or volunteering to foster some of these animals that Empty Cages Collective gather. We as humans must provide shelter, food, water, medical care, and love to animals that deserve the same chance at a happy life than any other animal that's already owned. If anyone deserves your attention more, it's Empty Cages Collective. read more

Empty Cages Collective gave me two extensions to my family. I adopted two cats from their organization. My friend, Kenia, who is a volunteer at ECC made a suggestion of the cats that would be best for me. Violin, who was rescued from the animal control kill list, is now a healthy, affectionate, and sweet companion. The second cat, Devo, was at ECC for a while till I adopted him. He was a bit wild and untrusting of people, but has been slowly warming up to us. The volunteers have a real love for animals and go out of their way to do whatever it takes to make shelter life for these animals as best they can. When my friend told me about both of the cats she invited me to come visit and meet them. I saw that ECC is clean and well kept. PJ, who oversees the facility, gives much of his time making sure that everything runs smoothly. It is difficult in this tough economy to get funding for an organization such as ECC. If it was not for this organization, and its many dedicated volunteers, these cats and other animals would not have had a second chance at life. read more

If it weren't for Empty Cages Collective and PJ, we would not have our beautiful little kitten Oscar. I've never met such a great tempered, playful little guy, and it really reflects the place in which he came from. We did hit a little speed bump early on, as it turned out shortly after we had him that we had to take him to the emergency vet as he had stopped eating. After a night there, it was found that he needed immediate intervention by the vet and I immediately turned to PJ for help. ECC paid for all of the costs, and a week later, Oscar is back to running around and being the silly, smart little kitten he was when we got him. PJ will truly do anything to help an animal. Our Vet even recommended we put Oscar down and we were heartbroken. Instead, PJ made it his priority to arrange plans to get Oscar to a new vet with full treatment. He even picked him up himself to have him transferred as we had to work that day. ECC is an amazing organization, run by amazing people, and I would highly recommend anyone looking to adopt an animal to do it through them. read more

My wife and I could not be happier with ECC, and specifically, Natalia. This was our first time adopting a pet, and the process was incredibly smooth and wonderful. It has long been my wife and I's dream to adopt a pet, and Natalia made our dreams come true by setting us up with our baby kitty, Dany! Although Dany was only 3.5 weeks old when we first spoke with Natalia (and thus, too young to take home at that time), Natalia welcomed us into her home to meet Dany and let her get to know us. In addition, she would periodically send us photos and videos of Dany to help the wait time go easier. These extra little things - which Natalia was not required to do at all - made everything all the more special, and really made us feel like we knew Dany before even taking her home. It's amazing Natalia was able to even match us up with a kitty who seems to fit our personalities so well. Again, we could not be more thrilled and highly recommend adopting through ECC if you have the opportunity to do so. Paul + Becky read more

My neighbor found a pigeon with what looked like a broken leg last summer. I had in the past been able to have injured pigeons transported to a vet and sanctuary through someone in my area of the city, but the people running that sanctuary have recently died. I was so relieved when Empty Cages was able to connect me immediately to a vet who took the pigeon right away. I asked if I could possibly follow up with someone to find out how the pigeon is doing later on. The vet's office told me to call PJ. I was so impressed that PJ let me know promptly in detail the bird's condition and the treatment he was receiving (for dehydration and mites, his legs weren't broken but weak as he had suffered some kind of head trauma and might have been hit by a car). He also explained that if the bird did not fully recover, for example was a little dull or unable to fly, he would be sent to a sanctuary instead of being released. I am very impressed with their dedication and professionalism and am so grateful for their work! read more

A few years ago i rescued a young cat off the street. About a week later i realized she was pregnant. I wasn't sure what to do and started asking around to friends for advice. Time went by and my new kitty became a momma. There was no way i was going to find homes for them without getting them spayed or neutered first. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive to get four cats spayed or neutered. Right about that time, Empty Cages Collective was recommended to me by a good friend who had helped them with some rescues in the past. I called up and told them my situation and they were happy to help out. They took care of the procedures and returned my cat and her litter to me. Free of charge. It was a huge relief. I offered to volunteer cleaning cages as a thank you and got to meet many other beautiful and wonderful cats looking for homes. I'm writing this because they do good things and people should know about them. read more

I adopted a lovely calico named Eve a little under a year ago from ECC. Not only that, but I've been volunteering for them just about as long! I was very inspired to see all the hard work they put into taking cats off the ACC kill list... rescuing cats from the street who are very sweet and sociable... and working overtime to find them permanent homes. They are one of very few shelters who even take in Leukemia and FIV+ cats... who can still live happy, healthy lives, but who are often put down without question at other shelters. The hard work that is done at Empty Cages can only continue with the help of individuals who can donate time and money, so if you are considering donating or volunteering for any animal shelter, make ECC the one! If you are looking to adopt a feline friend, ECC's cats are some of the sweetest and most well-adjusted I had seen when I was searching. I highly recommend them. read more

This organization is great! There is a small colony of feral cats living in the alleyway behind my house in Astoria. I have already rescued and found homes for two litters of kittens, but there seems to be an endless supply. My neighbors are getting fed up with all the prowling, fighting, and yowling. I have been afraid they will call Animal Control, who will come in and trap them and do god-knows-what with them. I have contacted various rescue organizations, but no one has gotten in touch with me---except PJ. PJ has been helping me to catch the kitties and have them spayed and neutered at the Humane Society. I could not do this without him! PJ / Empty Cages provided the cages, made the appointments and paid for these expenses. I am hopeful that by the end of the summer the whole colony will be spayed or neutered---and the neighbors will stop complaining! read more

We adopted our beautiful bunny from ECC. They have a wonderful foster program where our bun was living in quite the extravagant bunny-proofed home! This rabbit was originally in a shelter where she wasn't getting adopted because her personality couldn't shine behind cage doors. ECC took it upon themselves to foster her until she could find her forever home as they knew having her in a home would make her more comfortable and happy. And they were right! It's all volunteer based and we really do cherish all the hard work they do in re-homing various types of animals. Furthermore, we were given tons of advice on bonding our rabbits and also allowed us to contact them during the entire process. We could not have bonded our buns without them! Thank you, ECC, for continuing to do excellent work in fostering and giving animals a second (even third) chance. read more

Our home would have been incomplete without the two lovely and rambunctious furballs we adopted from ECC. The work done by ECC is invaluable not just because they keep the feral population low in a humane and compassionate way, but they also give so many wonderful cats and kittens a chance to find a home that needs their love. They also take care of many Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficient cats in their shelter space. These cats are also available for adoption, and even though they may need some additional medical care from time to time, they are well worth it as they are some of the sweetest and most loving cats and kittens I have ever seen. Tell your friends who are looking for that special companion in their lives to call ECC to adopt or volunteer at their shelter space! read more

I contacted ECC in 2008. I needed help trapping abandoned cats in Fort Greene. ECC sent a helper right away and we rescued 11 cats. Shortly after, I became TNR certified and since 2008 must have brought them at least 20 more cats to be neutered/spayed. A few were lucky enough to stay at ECC for adoption. I sleep better at night when one of my abandoned cats is soundly sleeping at the ECC shelter... although they might be kept up all night by the roosters, doves, hens, seagulls that live there, not to mention the very active squirrels and rats!!.... It is a very good thing when an animal ends up at ECC. They will be well taken care of, treated with decency and love, no matter their shape, size or health status. I highly recommend ECC. read more

I recently adopted a pair of (charming and very social) gerbils from ECC. The process was comfortable and PJ was extremely helpful. I emailed them one morning, he got back to me within hours, and I was able to meet several prospective pets that same afternoon! I filled out the application, played with the darlings, and got plenty of advice on how to best prepare the environment needed for them as soon as my application was approved. I feel secure, being able to text PJ if I ever need any help or advice on animal/eco-friendly products for any of my pets. This is a wonderful cause. They rescue all sorts of animals and are devoted in soul to this organization. Thank you so much for existing and keep up the great work! read more