The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in 1866 and is the first animal welfare organisation in North America. Working across the United States, it rescues, protects and improves the lives of animals through direct services, grants, training, research and advocacy. Its direct work - veterinary care and hands-on assistance - reaches hundreds of thousands of animals each year, with millions more affected by longer-term measures.
The organisation's activities span several technical domains: veterinary care; disaster response and emergency animal rescue; adoption and behavioural rehabilitation; animal welfare research; and the training of law enforcement and shelter professionals. It runs pioneering adoption and rehabilitation programmes and conducts research intended to advance welfare practice. Rather than operating its own shelter network, it collaborates with and supports local agencies; hundreds of such agencies have been trained and supported.
A grant-making programme, running since 2001, has distributed more than $200 million to over 4,000 recipients, including animal shelters, municipal agencies, rescue groups, universities and other welfare organisations. The ASPCA also advocates for more effective laws to protect animals. Staffing levels are not disclosed.
