CASPCA is dedicated to providing crucial animal welfare services to residents of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and surrounding areas. Our commitment is rooted in safe, socially conscious principles to ensure public safety and health. We strive to place all healthy, behaviorally sound animals into homes and actively support partners in achieving their life-saving initiatives. We prioritize partnerships with our community, local shelters, and rescue organizations, aiming to maximize our impact not only locally but within the broader animal welfare community.

CASPCA serves as a refuge for animals in our community who are lost, sick, injured, and in danger as a result of abuse or neglect. It’s essential to recognize that animal shelters, CASPCA included, are designed as temporary refuges, and have physical and resource limitations in providing extended sanctuary to behaviorally compromised animals. We maintain a commitment to the safety of people and other animals by not reintroducing animals with aggressive behaviors into our community.

CASPCA, contracted by the City and County, provides public animal sheltering services. Our goal is to reduce the time pets spend in shelters and minimize companion animal entries into Virginia shelters. Services include spay/neuter and wellness care, return-to-owner services, owner-to-owner rehoming, affordable veterinary care, TNR, lifesaving transportation, adoption, and mentorship. We trust pet guardians and shelter partners to make informed decisions for animals in their care and will continue to provide them with our support.

CASPCA has adopted a judgment free approach to surrender, returns, and adoptions as outlined in HSUS’s Adopters Welcome Manual. It’s crucial to emphasize that we refrain from criticizing or shaming individuals for prioritizing the safety of their pets, themselves, and their loved ones over the life of a shelter pet. CASPCA wants what’s best for the animal and the people involved and recognizes the inherent difficulty in such decisions. We do this knowing full well there are some members of the community that do not extend us the same courtesy, and in fact condemns us when we prioritize the public, our staff, and our volunteers’ safety. Staff are entitled to a physically and psychologically safe workplace, and the management team will continue to work hard to minimize risk as much as possible.

CASPCA refrains from shaming owners, victims, or euthanasia decision-makers. Our staff is entitled to a physically and psychologically safe workplace. It’s important to recognize the emotional toll these decisions take on our team. They weigh heavily, and your understanding and compassion are crucial. The industry faces severe consequences when condemnation is visceral, affecting professionals’ mental health and, at times, leading to depression and suicide. Your understanding and support can contribute significantly to maintaining a positive work environment and encouraging the team to persevere in the face of challenging circumstances.

Please visit https://www.nomv.org/ for more information.

CASPCA is dedicated to breaking down barriers and enhancing accessibility to services, resources, and information for pet owners. Our unwavering commitment extends to actively pursuing racial equity within the realm of animal welfare. Acknowledging historical and systemic disparities, we strive to rectify inequities that impact both animals and the communities we serve. Our pledge is to guarantee equal access to our services, resources, and educational opportunities for all community members, dismantling barriers to pet ownership and promoting access to pet care universally. Recognizing the ongoing nature of addressing racial inequities, we are committed to self-reflection and continuous improvement. Regular assessments of our practices, policies, and programs will identify and rectify any unintended biases or disparities. We express gratitude for your unwavering support and partnership in fostering a community where every individual, regardless of their background, is embraced, empowered, and uplifted

Please visit https://careawo.org/rd/ for more information.

CASPCA values animal life, and prioritizes ensuring an animal’s quality of life remains enriched and good while in our care. When an animal is actively in distress and no changes to environment, medical care, and behavioral care are successful, science shows that prolonged states of distress are more likely to result in permanent and lasting behavioral changes. We believe that if no remedy is available euthanasia, as a last resort, is the most humane outcome.

Our decision-making process involves thorough evaluation, considering the animal’s behavior, environment, opportunities for enrichment, and pathways to positive outcomes. We adhere to best practices outlined by our industry’s most reputable organizations. When gaps in our expertise are found, we contract out to certified experts, and reach out to other organizations and research institutions for counsel. This dedication of precious resources underscores our commitment to making informed, compassionate choices. When all else fails, a panel of staff and management reviews cases, ensuring the most compassionate and timely decisions.

We understand community members desire to provide sanctuary for animals displaying significant aggressive behaviors. Practical challenges, including years-long wait lists for placements, present hurdles. It’s essential to recognize that animal shelters, CASPCA included, are designed as temporary refuges, and have physical and resource limitations in providing extended sanctuary to behaviorally compromised animals.

It’s important to recognize the emotional toll these decisions take on our team. These decisions weigh heavily, and your understanding and compassion are crucial. Your understanding and support can contribute significantly to maintaining a positive work environment and encouraging the team to persevere in the face of challenging circumstances. Our team feels each and every one of our losses intimately and continue to show up for those they can save.

Respecting various viewpoints, CASPCA bases every decision on a commitment to animal welfare and industry best practices. We welcome discussions that foster understanding and seek common ground. Our unwavering commitment is to avoid placing dangerous animals back into the community. We acknowledge differing perspectives on sheltering and encourage those who disagree to support organizations aligning with their beliefs. While diverse views are valued for innovation, it is crucial to treat our staff and volunteers with respect. Any public rhetoric inciting threats, bullying, or harm to our team, clients, or volunteers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The CASPCA team faces verbal, emotional, and physical challenges daily, and deserve acknowledgment, praise, kudos and every accolade for their unwavering dedication. As their leader, it’s crucial to emphasize that, while your support is vital, it cannot overshadow the well-being of our team.

CASPCA looks ahead as a united team, focusing on progress rather than demanding perfection. We encourage further discussion about our future plans and welcome clarifying questions on our decision- making processes. However, we won’t yield to demands for justification as our policies align with animal sheltering and behavior best practices, alongside compliance with legal and regulatory standards.

Please visit https://humanepro.org/page/humane-discourse-and-conduct-within-animal-welfare-pledge for more information.

The term “no-kill” refers to an animal shelter or rescue organization that does not euthanize healthy or treatable animals. The definition can vary, and different organizations might have slightly different criteria for achieving and maintaining “no-kill” status. However, some common elements often associated with “no-kill” shelters include:

1. Save Rate: A key criterion for a “no-kill” shelter is often a high save rate. This rate is calculated by dividing the number of live animal outcomes (adoptions, returns to owners, and transfers to other organizations) by the total number of animals brought into the shelter.

2. Euthanasia Policies: “No-kill” shelters typically have strict policies against euthanizing animals for reasons such as lack of space or time. They only euthanize animals in cases of severe illness or untreatable aggression, focusing on providing medical care and behavior rehabilitation when possible.

3. Limited Euthanasia: Some “no-kill” shelters may still euthanize animals, but only in exceptional circumstances where an animal’s suffering is deemed untreatable, and quality of life is severely compromised.

4. Community Engagement: “No-kill” shelters often engage with the community to encourage adoption, responsible pet ownership, and spaying/neutering programs. This community involvement aims to reduce the number of animals entering the shelter system.

It’s important to note that achieving and maintaining “no-kill” status is a complex and ongoing process. Shelters may face challenges such as limited resources, overpopulation, and the presence of animals with medical or behavioral issues. The term itself doesn’t necessarily indicate that no euthanasia ever occurs but rather that it is limited to situations where an animal’s quality of life cannot be improved.

Different organizations and regions might have their own definitions and criteria for “no-kill” status, and the term is often used to convey a commitment to minimizing euthanasia and maximizing live outcomes for animals in their care.

We understand that the well-being of animals is a shared passion among our community. Join us in being an advocate for animal welfare, by addressing issues such as housing/insurance discrimination, breed restrictions, the allocation of more resources to local shelters, and legislation to curb irresponsible breeding. Directing that passion towards these causes can lead to lasting positive change.

For more information, Please visit:

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/humane-policy-volunteer-leader-program

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-hsus-ally

https://www.aspca.org/get-involved/advocacy-center?province=VA