What is “quality-of-life” care?

At spcaLA, we focus on the quality of life of our shelter pets.  These animals may be lost, homeless, victims of abuse, or the pets of domestic violence survivors and others in crisis. Thanks to the support of our donors, we provide extensive veterinary and behavioral support for spcaLA animals.

Our volunteers and staff provide a personalized plan of care for each animal, which includes veterinary care, training, and enrichment activities. We work hard to reduce stress and boredom, which can exacerbate medical and behavioral issues.

We also transfer animals to credible rescue partners who may be better equipped to address certain medical, behavioral, or breed-specific concerns.


How long do pets stay at spcaLA?
Most adoptable animals find new families in a few weeks, though all shelter pets are different. Animal abuse victims may be with spcaLA for years as their cases move through the court system, while pets in the Animal Safety Net (ASN)™ program are typically spcaLA guests for about 60 days.

For animals who require an extended stay, dedicated spcaLA foster volunteers often provide safe, loving temporary homes.


Is spcaLA “no kill”?

Put simply, all animal shelters are no kill. No agency wishes to euthanize healthy, adoptable, and rehabilitatable pets.

While “no kill” was a popular phrase in the animal welfare environment, we do not find its use responsible and discourage use of the term.

At spcaLA, we feel it is reckless to imply we would place dangerous animals in our community, or that we would leave an animal to suffer from an illness or injury that is beyond care.

Further, because of the collaborative spirit and mutual respect that exists between shelters in our community, spcaLA does not use the phrase “no kill” to separate ourselves from public shelters who may have significant space and/or time constraints.


Does spcaLA euthanize?
Euthanasia is an action of last resort. The decision to euthanize is not made lightly, and takes into account the animal’s quality of life, that of other shelter pets, as well as the well-being of spcaLA volunteers, staff, and our community.