Environmental Control

Babylon Animal Shelter is located at 80 New Highway, Amityville.

Directions: 

Sunrise Hwy. to north on New Hwy/County Rd 28, bus company is on the corner. Go a half mile to the shelter on your right. You will pass Cassata Dr. on the left just before the shelter.

Eastbound Southern State Pkwy to exit 33. Right on New Hwy. * Pass New Horizons Blvd on the left and the shelter will be on the left.

Westbound Southern State Pkwy to exit 34. Left on New Hwy. see *above 

Eastbound LIE exit 49S, go one mile on the service road and make a right on Pinelawn Rd. *** Go 5 miles, cross the RxR tracks and make a right on New Horizons Blvd. Make a left on New Hwy/County Rd 28 and next left at the shelter.

Westbound LIE exit 49N, go to next light on the service road and make a left on Pinelawn Rd. see *** above 

Adoption hours : Monday-Friday 10am-3:30pm  and Saturday 10am-2:30pm. You need to be at the shelter a half hour before closing in order to have enough time to meet with our adoption staff and pets. 

Shelter office hours: Monday-Friday 8am-3:30pm and Saturday 10am-2:30pm 

The shelter is closed on Sundays and Holidays.

The adoption process: 

• Consult with one of our adoption staff members either by phone or in person at the shelter, prior to meeting the pet for a history of the pet.
• Complete an Adoption Application and provide a photo ID.
• Return with all household members prior to adoption day to meet the pet you are interested in. Some shelter pets may require more than one visit with the pet.
• If you have a dog, a dog-to-dog "meet and greet" is required at the shelter prior to adoption day. 
• Some pets may not be ready for immediate release to adopt. Our strays are held 5 days by law and then they will have their medical process completed. Only once that is complete, can they be picked up for adoption. The medical process may take 1-3 weeks before a pet is ready for adoption.
• If a dog is not yet ready for adoption, the potential adopter will follow the same process as above and be given a hold slip for the dog that has been applied for. The shelter will take up to 4 applications on a dog. We do not give out a hold slip if a dog is available and ready for adoption. 
• The shelter does not take applications on cats or rabbits before they are ready to leave the shelter for adoption. 

Adoption fees are CASH ONLY:

• Cat/Kitten $65, adopters over 60 years old $35
• Dog/Puppy Babylon Town Resident $91.50, adopters over 60 years old $51.50 
• Dog/Puppy Non-Resident $85, adopters over 60 years old $45
• Rabbits $35 

The Babylon Animal Shelter takes volunteers to help take care of the animals. Please see the flyer  below for information and for contact info to let us know you are interested in volunteering at the Town of Babylon Animal Shelter.

The first step to becoming a volunteer is to complete a volunteer application. Upon completion and submission of the volunteer application, it will be processed and then you will be contacted to discuss any questions you may have. 

Once accepted into the Volunteer Program, new volunteers will be assigned a senior volunteer mentor who will train and assist you with volunteer and shelter protocols. All new volunteers must sign the Volunteer Acknowledgement, Service Agreement and Release of Liability. 

The Shelter does not provide boarding services. 

The Shelter does have a veterinarian and a veterinarian technician is also on staff. They evaluate and treat Shelter pets only.

Currently, the Shelter does not have a clinic that provides low cost rabies vaccinations or spay and neuter services on premises. However, the Town has a low cost Trap/Neuter/Return program for feral cats - contact the Shelter for details at (631) 643-9270. Additional information about such services can be found through P.A.W.S. at (631) 539-2014.

The Shelter cares for all breeds of dogs and cats, as well as rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs. Generally, these animals have either been abandoned or have become lost.

The Commack Animal Emergency Hospital and the Veterinary Medical Group are both local organizations open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Sundays and Holidays, and serve on an emergency basis.

New York Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center

2233 Broadhollow Road

Farmingdale, NY 11735

(631) 694-3400

Commack Animal Emergency Hospital

3095 East Jericho Turnpike

East Northport, NY 11731

(631) 499-6622

Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island

75 Sunrise Highway

West Islip, NY 11795

(631) 587-0800

The shelter does assist Town residents with stray animal concerns and should be contacted at (631) 643-9270 for assistance.

Dogs: You may contact the Animal Shelter at 631-643-9270 for a deceased stray dog in the roadway. The dog will be scanned for a microchip and all attempts will be made to locate the owner. 

Cats & Wildlife: 

• Town roadways please call 3-1-1 or 631-957-7474
• State Roadways please call 631-420-4270 (Deer Park Ave. (North of Southern State Pkwy), Conklin St., Sunrise Hwy, Montauk Hwy., Route109, Route 110.)
• County roadways please call 631-852-4010 (Great Neck Rd., Wellwood Ave., Bay Shore Rd., Oak St., Straight path., Commack Rd., Deer Park Ave. (South of Southern State Pkwy). 
• Amityville Village roadways 631-264-6000 
• Babylon Village roadways 631-669-4878
• Lindenhurst Village roadways 631-957-7500 

Euthanasia service is available Monday-Friday, providing a technician is available. Please call at 8am on the day that you would like the procedure, so that arrangements can be made for when you will come in.

• You may spend time with your pet immediately before and after the procedure, but you will not be able to stay with your pet during the procedure. Proof of residence in the Town of Babylon and photo ID is required. 
  • Dogs - There is a $65 fee, $35 for senior citizens. All fees are cash only. 
  • Cats - There is a $35 fee, $15 for senior citizens. All fees are cash only.
• This service is for a group cremation only. If you would like a private cremation with return of your pet’s ashes, you will need to make arrangements directly before coming at your appointment time. Please call either: 
  • Regency Pet Crematory 631-345-0600 
  • Legacy Pet Crematory 631-800-7387

The term "No Kill" is most often associated with private shelters. Private shelters carefully screen animals before they are accepted for adoption. Any animals with medical or behavioral issues are not accepted. An owner of such an animal would need to look elsewhere for placement, usually a municipal shelter. BAARC is a humane municipal animal shelter and accepts all stray canines found within the Town's geographic borders. All animals that are adoptable or have medical conditions that are treatable, will stay at the animal shelter until they are adopted as long as there is room. The shelters save rate is about 88% for dogs and 96% for cats. This rate is calculated on the total intake of dogs and cats regardless of age, condition or temperament.

In the State of New York, cats are considered free roaming animals and, as such, are not labeled as "stray" animals. As a result, the Shelter does not pick up stray cats. The Town does not set a limit to the number of cats a household can own. The Shelter acknowledges and supports Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) programs. Currently, there is a low cost TNR program for town residents and businesses caring for feral cats. For more information, call the Animal Shelter at (631) 643-9270.

Feral cats are an international problem as well as a local problem. Understanding and solving the feral cat problem on a local level here in Babylon involves several key factors: Cats: Feral cats are the offspring of domestic cats that have not been socialized or domesticated. Cats in general are highly territorial and they will not roam very far from where they were born. Community: Feral cats are a community problem and likely occur because of neglect and miscommunication. When cats who are not spayed or neutered are allowed to be outdoors for long periods of time roaming a community, the likelihood of feral cats increases. The Town of Babylon's Department of Animal Control provides its community with several resources to curtail the feral cat population: • Supplies residents and caregivers state of the art traps for the TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) of the feral cats • Supplies low cost $35 TNR vouchers so there is no cost to the residents and caregivers • Hosts regular seminars on the TNR program Circumstances: Each colony of feral cats is unique, as are the dynamics and circumstances of the location. Feral cats also generally don't leave a community because of lack of food, on the contrary removing the food source will force the cats to roam further for food, cause them stress, and make them quite unhealthy. Communication: Civil communication between parties affected by feral cats is a key factor in resolving the inevitable differences caused by the presence of feral cats. The caregiver cannot assume that everyone has the same devotion to cats as they do. It helps in the longterm to acknowledge the caregivers right to provide proper care for the cats as well as understanding that some neighbors to not share the same devotion. If all neighbors communicate and share a common plan to solve the feral cat problem, results will be swifter and tangible. Cooperation: All people in a neighborhood are affected by feral cats; if the entire community works together to control the problem, results can be that much more swifter and tangible. Time: It takes time to control a feral cat problem in a neighborhood. Please be patient as the community and TOB representatives work together towards a common solution.

Town code states that no household should have more than four (4) dogs residing in the home at the same time. New York State law dictates that all dogs must be licensed, be current on their rabies vaccinations and leashed when off of their property. The Shelter recommends all dogs and cats be spayed/neutered.

Victims of dog bites are urged to contact the Suffolk County Police Department to file a police report, if warranted. Their direct number is (631) 854-8100. Otherwise, for health concerns related to a dog bite, questions should be directed to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at (631) 843-0421. Reports of dog bites should also be referred to the Suffolk County Board of Health at (631) 852-5900 as well as the Animal Shelter at (631) 643-9270.

An affidavit must be filed for all barking dog complaints. Residents are encouraged to call the Animal Shelter at (631) 643-9270 and a representative will walk them through the process.

The Shelter accepts all breeds of dogs.

For full details, contact the Animal Shelter at (631) 643-9270. All dangerous dog incidents should be recorded with contact information, addresses and phone numbers. If police reports and witness reports exist, those should accompany the complaint to the Animal Shelter. Witness reports and neighbor statements should be notarized. Dangerous dog complaints are heard at the Second District Court located at 30 East Hoffman Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY. The phone number is (631) 854-1121. There is a filing fee for all complaints brought to the Court.

If an animal violation is not witnessed by an Animal Control Officer, all complaints need to be filed through an affidavit and submitted to the Animal Shelter. Affidavits are available for pick up at the Shelter or can be mailed when requested. Call (631) 643-9270 for details.

Most wildlife concerns are governed and handled by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources. The animal shelter will only pick up injured wildlife for humane purposes. Residents are encouraged to call the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at (877) 457-5680 or (631) 444-0250 in Stony Brook with any issues and concerns regarding wildlife. In most cases, a licensed wildlife handler will need to be called out to your property to remove any wildlife that are roaming, trapped, threatening or injured on or near your property. Babylon Animal Shelter will assist Town residents with injured wildlife concerns if it poses a threat or of an immediate concern.

Licensed trappers are qualified to assist residents with concerns involving raccoons, opossums, and squirrels. Contact information for licensed trappers can be found listed in the Yellow Pages under either "pests", "trappers", or "wildlife specialists." For additional information, you can contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at (631) 444-0310.

Residents are encouraged to call Volunteers for Wildlife at (631) 423-0928 or the Star Foundation at (631) 736-8270 for concerns involving birds, ducks, geese and other fowl wildlife.