Asilomar Accords Shelter Statistics
In August 2004, a group of animal welfare industry leaders from across the nation convened at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California for the purpose of building bridges across varying philosophies, developing relationships and creating goals focused on significantly reducing the euthanasia of healthy and treatable companion animals in the United States.
The outcome of this historic meeting was the development of a system to identify the condition of shelter animals and therefore, better understand pet overpopulation and euthanasia statistics nation wide. Through hard work, lively discussion and brainstorming, a common vision for the future was adopted. The Capital Area Humane Society, in an effort to collaborate with other animal welfare agencies, has embraced the Asilomar Accords.
These statistics are made available to the public to share with our community the challenges and successes of animal welfare. It is our vision to end the needless euthanasia of adoptable animals and eliminate pet over population. These statistics create a solid reference and enable us to set goals to accomplish this vision.
Definitions for the Asilomar Accords are as follows:
Healthy: The term "healthy" means and includes all dogs and cats eight weeks of age or older that, at or subsequent to the time the animal is taken into possession, have manifested no sign of a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, a congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future.
Treatable: The term "treatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are "rehabilitatable" and all dogs and cats who are "manageable." Rehabilitatable: The term "rehabilitatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are not "healthy," but who are likely to become "healthy," if given medical, foster, behavioral, or other care equivalent to the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community.
Manageable: The term "manageable" means and includes all dogs and cats who are not "healthy" and who are not likely to become "healthy," regardless of the care provided; but who would likely maintain a satisfactory quality of life, if given medical, foster, behavioral, or other care, including long-term care, equivalent to the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring owners/guardians in the community; provided however, that the term “manageable” does not include any dog or cat who is determined to pose a significant risk to human health or safety of other animals.
Unhealthy and Untreatable: The term "unhealthy and untreatable" means and includes all dogs and cats who, at or subsequent to the time they are taken into possession, 1) have a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that poses a health or safety risk or otherwise makes the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet and are not likely to become "healthy" or "treatable" even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community; or 2) are suffering from a disease, injury or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the animal's health or is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future and are not likely to become "healthy" or "treatable" even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community; or 3) are under the age of eight weeks and not likely to become “healthy” or “treatable” even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet owners/guardians in the community.