Our Commitment to Socially Conscious Sheltering
The MSPCA proudly supports the tenets of Socially Conscious Sheltering. We are focused on providing the best outcomes for all animals.
Our Responsibilities:
- Ensure every pet has a safe place to go for shelter and care. We are committed to supporting each animals’ access to the Five Freedoms.
- Place every healthy and safe animal. MSPCA assesses the needs of each animal on an individual basis, providing behavioral support, medical care, foster services, transfer opportunities, and more. We do not euthanize animals due to time or space.
- Assess the medical and behavioral needs of animals and ensure their needs are thoughtfully met. Our expert staff teams of medical, behavioral, and sheltering staff support the unique and individualized needs of each animal in our care, and collaborate to ensure they receive the best possible care.
- Alleviate suffering and make appropriate euthanasia decisions. The MSPCA works together to consider the best possible outcomes for each pet, including euthanasia for animals who are suffering behavioral or medical challenges that cannot be managed, treated, prevent companionship, or are irrecoverably painful. We are also committed to keeping the pets and people of our community safe.
- Align policy with the needs of our community. The MSPCA works alongside our communities, as well as neighboring animal welfare organizations to identify service gaps and support local animals, in addition to our consideration of regional and national transfer partners.
- Consider the health and wellness of each animal and each community when transferring animals. Our robust transfer program makes thoughtful choices to support our neighbors and our partners. We seek to build efficiency in transfer decisions and minimize the stress and impact of transfer on the animals.
- Enhance the connections humans and animals share through thoughtful placement and post-adoption support. MSPCA works hard to find great matches for people and pets and offers supportive care when needed for animals adopted from the MSPCA.
- Foster a culture of transparency, ethical decision making, mutual respect, continual learning, and collaboration. Our teams work across departments, organizations, and communities to ensure questions, and concerns are addressed openly and honestly, accurate information is shared, learning is encouraged, and we evolve to meet the emerging needs of the animals and our community. We openly report all statistics and reporting, including participation in Shelter Animals Count.
For more information visit: scsheltering.org
The MSPCA is a partner member of Shelter Animals Count – a collaborative national animal welfare community committed to the sharing and streamlining of shelter data and promotion of the importance of data evaluation.
Founded in 2011, Shelter Animals Count is enabling a greater understanding of the animal welfare movement’s progress in saving companion animals’ lives and preventing pet homelessness. The Shelter Animals Count database collects shelter data for accurate counting of animals entering and leaving shelters on state, regional, and national levels. Through the use of their robust database, Shelter Animals Count has created standardized reporting and definitions for shelter statistics including, intakes, adoptions, return-to-owner, transfers, and euthanasia. The transparent reporting of this information allows organizations, like MSPCA, to compare data with that of other organizations, regions, as well as national trends, and develop strategies and innovative solutions based upon data analytics and collaborative efforts.
The MSPCA provides monthly statistics to the Shelter Animals Count database, reviews trends, and develops sustainable strategies through data evaluation. Through our participation and membership of Shelter Animals Count, MSPCA is able to expand our collaborative work to identify more ways to save more animals’ lives.