I have a question about pets.

[tavernier]

We all have seen the advertisement on TV that show an animal behind a fence with no food or water or available shade in hot weather. We all feel very badly because the pictures that they show are of animals that don’t appear very healthy or happy. So, of course, we are asked for a donation to help them. But this is my question. With our donation, do they knock on the door of the owner and ask to purchase the pet so they can be placed in a better home, or do they provide the owner with a better food supplies? If the pet is released, do our donations go to a shelter where the animal is taken? Or, perhaps the donations go to attorneys if they have to sue the owner for neglect? I’ve always wondered about this and thought that someone on DU might have the answer.

[Ocelot II]

1. The ASPCA is a highly-rated charity.

Information about its expenditures here: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/131623829

[tavernier]

3. Don't misunderstand, I don't doubt their legitimacy.

I just wonder how successful they are when attempting to tell owners how to treat their pets. It’s probably more complicated in some cases than dealing with parents of human children.

[Ocelot II]

4. I think more of their work is related to supporting shelters and rescues

than contacts with or education for individual pet owners.

[Polly Hennessey]

2. I can't bear to watch those ads. I do give to the ASPCA

when there is an emergency such as our wildfires here in Northern California. Mainly, I give to local charities such as Foothills Dog Rescue, Sierra Wildlife Rescue, and Angel Donkey 🫏 Rescue. The only large group I give to on a regular basis is the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).