WANT TO BE AN ACC FOSTER?
ACC relies heavily on our network of foster parents to help decrease our on-site population and work with the amazing pets we have at our three full-service shelter locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Get involved today and find yourself a furry friend to share your home with!
Take your first steps with the ACC Foster Team by signing up for one of our Virtual Foster Orientations! If you’re interested in fostering a cat, click here. If you’re interested in fostering a dog, click here. At this time we DO offer a specific orientation for rabbits or guinea pigs – please email accfosters@nycacc.org if this is what you’re interested in.
We look forward to working with you soon!
FOSTER TEAM
Meet the Staff
GABRIELLA RODRIGUEZ | SHE/ HER
Foster Program Coordinator
Gabby joined the ACC team in October 2023 and is passionate about helping furry friends find their forever homes. She loves working alongside her dedicated colleagues to make a positive impact on animals in need. Outside of work, Gabby volunteers as a Friendly Visitor for the NYC Department of Aging, and is also a part-time student. She’s excited to continue learning more about our incredible foster network.
HEENA PATEL | SHE/ HER
Foster Program Coordinator
Heena has been working at the ACC since 2021 and has been an ACC foster since 2017. She has fostered dogs, cats, and kittens through the program. She started as an Adoptions Counselor and is currently the full-time Foster Coordinator at the Queens location. Heena has a Masters in psychology and previously worked as a behavior therapist & EMT. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, baking, and going to the park with her foster-fail pup, Zelda.
AUTUMN HUG | SHE/HER
Foster Program Coordinator
Autumn joined ACC in 2022 and worked as a New Hope Coordinator for two years before joining the Foster Program. She has a background in veterinary medicine and is an animal rights advocate. Autumn's family and friends all say that their favorite thing about her is her love and compassion for animals. In her free time, you'll find her taking her dogs Snoofy and Barkley on adventures around the city, or to Starbucks to get them puppuccinos (they were both
paw-ristas for Halloween this past year). Autumn loves being a part of ending animal homelessness in NYC and dreams to one day start her own dog rescue, so she can continue to save as many lives
as paw-ssible!
KENIA BARBECHO | SHE/HER
Foster Program Coordinator
Kenia has been working at the ACC since June of 2021. She enjoys being able to be work with fosters and colleagues who all have the same goal of helping animals find their forever homes!
SABRINA WILSON | SHE/HER
Foster Program Manager
Sabrina got her start dog walking for 2 years in the big city. She realized she wanted to do more to help the animal community in NYC so she joined ACC as an Adoption Counselor and is now the Foster Program Supervisor. In her free time you can find her exploring different parks or cuddling with her cat Phil (pictured).
DEMI CABALLERO | SHE/HER
Foster Adoption Liaison
Hi, I'm Demi! I joined the ACC team in 2022. I've been around animals since I was born. Growing up as a teen, I volunteered in animals shelters in the Bronx walking and feeding Dogs . I've always knew I wanted to pursue a career working with animals, as they naturally gravitate towards me. I was a dog volunteer for about 4 years but I wanted to do more, so I joined ACC as an Adoption Counselor. Now I have transitioned to the Foster Adoption Liaison role in Oct 2024. In my free time, I like to travel to different countries and each visit I make sure to volunteer or donate at the local shelters. Overall, I enjoy being a part of making sure animals find their forever family
STELLA SALIARIS | SHE/HER
Foster Triage Nurse
Hey, it’s Stella! I am the Foster Triage Nurse. I have been a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 2008, and now as part of the Foster Team I am here to help with medical concerns you encounter with your foster pet. I love working with all of our amazing foster parents to help you- help us- help pets!
Our foster parents are our window into how our pets are feeling, both mentally and physically. The love, caring, and attentiveness these animals receive while in foster surpasses my expectations every day!
Please always feel comfortable contacting us. There is no such thing as a question not worth asking, or a concern not worth mentioning. In fact, we usually reply by asking more questions and mentioning more concerns to watch out for! And if we can’t help you, we know someone who can!
Thank you to all of our foster parents, and to all of my teammates!
KATHERINE REEVES | SHE/HER
Community Kids Coordinator
Katherine has been with ACC for 3 years as the Community Kids Coordinator, working with anyone under 18 who is interested in learning about ACC, animal body language and behavior, bite prevention, and how young people can help animals in our shelters, our communities, and our homes. Katherine supports the Foster Team by leading orientations and helping to answer questions from foster parents via email.
In addition to working for ACC, Katherine has over 15 years of experience in education - having worked in museums, libraries, cultural centers, after schools, summer camps, and as a NYC tour guide. She currently lives on Staten Island with her cat Baba Yaga.
STEPHANIE FELICIANO SHE/HER
Senior Manager, Foster & Adoption
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, her passion to help animals began in college when she would feed stray cats before heading to class. Stephanie Feliciano graduated with a BA from John Jay College in 2016. Following her passion to help animals, she joined ACC in January 2017 as a Client Care Representative, were she helped reunite lost pets with their owners. Stephanie also enjoyed seeing all of the other animals leave with their newly adopted families and learned more about ACC's open adoptions process. Soon after, she was promoted to work as an Adoption Counselor, Adoptions Supervisor, Adoptions Manager and then Senior Manager of Foster and Adoptions. During the pandemic, Stephanie developed a deep appreciation for the foster department. Our foster parents were heroes during the height the pandemic by opening up their hearts and homes to our NYC Boroughbreds.
SARAH HOLLARS | SHE/HER
Community Cat Manager
Sarah Hollars focuses on advanced felines including Tiny Tigers and Spirit Cats. Watching shy cats blossom in foster homes and getting to know the amazing fosters who make these transformations possible is priceless to her. She grew up in Southeastern Oregon earning a BA from the University of Washington, Seattle; BFA from the University of Oregon, Eugene; and an MFA from Hunter College. Sarah taught and advised at the college level for six years before coming to work at the ACC.
JESSICA VACCARO | SHE/HER
Director of Placement
Jessica has been working at ACC for over eight years and has over a decade of Animal Welfare experience. Prior to working at ACC, Jessica was the Adoption and Intake Manager at Anjellicle Cats Rescue. As the Director of Placement, she leads ACC’s Adoption, Foster and New Hope programs and has spearheaded many lifesaving initiatives with the goal of ending animal homelessness in NYC. In her tenure at ACC, she’s fostered approximately three dozen dogs only to finally foster fail and adopt one her first ACC foster cats, Eloise. In their spare time, Jessica and Eloise can usually be found curled up reading or practicing yoga together.
