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
MSPCA Adoption Philosophy
The MSPCA believes the human-animal bond is important to promote and preserve. We seek to help potential adopters form new bonds that bring the joy and comfort of companionship for both pet and human guardian.
Our adoption program is designed to be welcoming, nonjudgmental, and free of lengthy applications. We strive to engage all prospective adopters in a conversation aimed at matching an adopter’s lifestyle, interests and home environment with an animal’s personality, medical and behavioral needs. Adopting an animal is an extraordinary opportunity to choose your newest family member. At the MSPCA it is a great privilege for our staff and volunteers to guide that journey for adopters and animals.
As we help to build life-long relationships between adopters and the animals in our care, we also hope to build a life-long relationship between adopters and the MSPCA. We consider our adopters to be a part of the MSPCA Family; our staff is available to offer guidance and suggestions during the pet’s transition to his or her new home and throughout the pet’s lifetime.
