Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters
The ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters were originally released in 2010 to serve as a pivotal resource for the care of shelter animals in the US and around the world. The second edition of the Guidelines, published in December 2022, incorporates advances in shelter medicine knowledge to expand on the previous document.
Like the original, the Second Edition is written for all personnel caring for shelter animals in a variety of settings, including foster-based organizations, nonprofit humane societies and SPCAs, municipal animal services facilities, and sanctuaries. The Guidelines are also applicable to any other organization that routinely cares for populations of companion animals. For more information about the history and content of the Guidelines, please see the History of the Document.