Animal Care and Control

The MSPCA-Angell believes that comprehensive, forward-thinking, and community-centered animal care and control programs protect and assist both animals and the public. Effective animal care and control programs use preventative measures that reduce the number of animals entering shelters, provide and coordinate pet care resources for families, and facilitate the return of lost animals to owners. Animal control programs provide or coordinate assistance for farmed animals and injured or orphaned wildlife. In addition, effective animal care and control programs improve public health and safety by reducing the frequency of animal bites and curtailing the spread of rabies and other diseases. The MSPCA-Angell further believes that state and/or local governments must establish and adequately fund animal control programs.

Additionally, effective animal care and control programs must include

1. community engagement and collaboration that ensures essential pet services are available to all owners, with an understanding of the financial, geographic, and other barriers that may present challenges in accessing services;
2. a robust return-to-owner program, with protocols for prioritizing reunifications regardless of an owner’s ability to pay fines;
3. proper sheltering facilities within the municipality or through collaboration with others. These facilities should provide housing that meets the needs of lost and abandoned animals, including provisions of enrichment, sanitary conditions, proper nutrition, and veterinary care;
4. disease control protocols, including but not limited to quarantines, immunization requirements, and the dissemination of public information about disease prevention;
5. protocols for engaging with law enforcement agencies and investigating animal cruelty, where authorized;
6. humane protocols for addressing wildlife with a focus on education and long-term solutions that mitigate conflicts rather than removing animals;
7. appropriate and humane methods to address domestic animals who pose a threat to other animals or people, including an effective, fair, and consistently enforced dangerous dog law and hearing process;
8. the use of Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (TNVR) protocols when managing free-roaming cats;
9. information on animal-related laws and regulations and pet care that meets a community’s language and accessibility needs;
10. ongoing personnel training that includes humane animal care; euthanasia; capture and restraint methods; animal control and animal cruelty laws and regulations; emergency and disaster planning; culturally competent communication skills; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles; crisis management; and recordkeeping;
11. the development of productive relationships with the local animal sheltering and veterinary communities;
12. effective methods for gathering, tracking, and reviewing data on caseloads and outcomes; and
13. funding to ensure that veterinary care, outdoor shelters, grooming, and other services and resources are available to families with pets who need them.

Therefore, the MSPCA-Angell will seek to support effective animal care and control programs by

• advocating for appropriate funding; and
• working collaboratively with animal care and control professionals to offer guidance, assistance, and strategic partnerships.