Amid the city’s affordability crisis, pets can suffer just as much as humans do. But the nonprofit Bronx Dog Haven, run by Hydia Cohen of Morrisania, is stepping in to help people keep their pets happy, healthy and safe.
Cohen, known affectionately as “The Dog Lady,” has been running pet pantries and other resources as an official nonprofit since 2024. Most pantry visitors come from the Bronx, but some commute from the other boroughs and even Long Island, showing the great need for low-cost and free pet supplies.
More than 720 families have already registered for an upcoming Bronx distribution.
The pantries include pet food, including options for those with allergies, as well as winter gear, blankets, toys, leashes and more, plus donations of clothing for humans.
“We have a lot of human pantries. Why not dogs, and why not cats? It’s hard for them, just like everybody else,” Cohen told the Bronx Times.
She said people deeply love their pets, but while many struggle to afford the basic necessities, “Just imagine having an extra mouth to feed, whether it’s a child or a dog.”
Cohen never set out to start a nonprofit organization, but her social work background and experience as a pet owner flowed naturally into Bronx Dog Haven, “like riding a wave,” she said.
Cohen started with a dog socialization group in Melrose with people who saw her and her dog, Geronimo, and wanted tips on training and interacting with their own. She said she realized that many owners needed support but were unaware of resources, including free vaccine clinics, spay and neuter services, pantries, affordable vet care options and even grants.
People also struggled with the lack of pet stores in the Bronx, and the fact that many supermarkets “hike the prices” of pet supplies in response, Cohen said.
She said people also worried about being judged for not knowing how to handle their pet’s behavior or condition. Cohen has gone to great lengths to help people avoid bringing their animal to one of the city’s already-crowded shelters. She’s tracked down the owners of abandoned dogs, convinced backyard breeders to spay or neuter, and adopted animals that otherwise would’ve been surrendered or euthanized.
Overall, Cohen said her mission is to teach people how to make it work as a low-income pet owner — a largely educational mission. “Sometimes, to create a better dog or cat owner, they’re taught,” she said.
‘What keeps me going is the need’
Not surprisingly, Cohen’s own home is full of animals, including several challenging cases. She currently lives with seven dogs, six snakes and four cats, plus her partner and their six-month-old son.
Most people want to adopt a pet that’s friendly and outgoing from day one, but many animals need extra patience, Cohen said.
For instance, one of her dogs suffered third-degree burns from a previous owner who poured boiling water on her. Cohen said the dog is very affectionate but tries to eat anything in sight, including trash, boxed foods or items left out on the counter —not a behavior that many owners are equipped to deal with, Cohen said.
Another dog of hers was a “product of bad breeding,” resulting in intellectual challenges. The dog can’t retain any training from day to day and isn’t fully potty trained as a result.
With her pantries, Cohen said she seeks to create a community of pet lovers that is inclusive and supportive, no matter what people are going through. But she also spaces the events out every other month, which gives owners “a little bit of peace to carry on to the next check” while also accomplishing her mission: “We still want the owners to be responsible for the animal they decided to take in.”
Drawing people in with distributions is the first step, but Cohen often tries to lead them into deeper education from there.
“I think people are very much more perceptive with coming to a place where they know they’re not gonna be judged,” she said.
To reach a wide range of pet owners, including the elderly and those living on the streets, Cohen said she relies not only on social media and word of mouth but also on flyers hung up wherever she can. “There’s no bulletin board like back in the day,” she said.
And although Cohen’s organization is called Bronx Dog Haven, she also welcomes cat lovers into the fold, with an emphasis on spay-and-neuter services that prevent overpopulation and reduce unwanted behaviors, such as spraying to mark territory. New cat owners may not realize that that happens and may want to relinquish their pet once it does, Cohen said.
Over the years, taking Bronx Dog Haven from a street effort to an established nonprofit has allowed more resources to flow in, Cohen said. The city has also acknowledged the need for pet affordability assistance, as the newly passed city budget for the first time includes $1.5 million for free- and low-cost spay-and-neuter services and pet food pantries.
For Cohen, establishing Bronx Dog Haven while working full-time, caring for her own pets and raising a baby has been a labor of love. “It was something I needed to do for the community,” she said.
She said she needs ongoing help from fosters and volunteers, but the organization is expanding its reach and securing more and more partnerships and donations, Cohen said. Her first pantry events hosted less than 30 people but now serve 500 or more each time, she said.
“We’re expanding day by day,” Cohen said. “What keeps me going is the need. I’m going to keep doing this till hopefully I don’t need to.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
