Animal Welfare & Pet Care Guide

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) works to save animals from dogfighting, puppy mills, hoarding and other cruelty situations. They provide animals medical care and behavioral rehabilitation, and help thousands of animals find loving homes every year. They respond to emergencies when disaster strikes, and fight for stronger laws to protect animals.

FDA regulates the food, food additives, drugs and certain biologics given to animals, including both our pets and the animals raised for human consumption. Read these Consumer Updates to learn more.

They strive to protect the health and welfare of people and animals in St. Louis County. This is accomplished by controlling populations of stray and feral animals, enforcing County ordinances, and providing exemplary care for animals housed at the shelter. They are a public resource, guiding and protecting people and animals to live in a safe, healthy, and humane community.

Animal Ethics promotes respect for nonhuman animals through outreach, research, and education. They support and research interventions to improve the lives of animals in the wild, such as vaccinations and helping animals in natural disasters. They explore how future technologies will enable us to avoid catastrophic risks and ways technology can be used to help wild animals on a large scale. Their vision is a world where all sentient beings are given moral consideration.

Animal House is a safe, loving place for rescued cats to live while they find forever homes.

Through pet adoption, wellness, and education programs, they strive to deepen the bonds between humans and their pets. It’s an ongoing commitment that mirrors the commitment of their donors, volunteers, staff, and adoptive families.

From the Library of Congress, view Animal Law: A Beginner's Guide, Animals - Law and legislation, Animal welfare - Law and legislation, Animal rights, Dogs - Law and legislation.

Through engagement with policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public, AWI seeks to: Improve the housing and handling of animals in research, and encouraging the development and implementation of alternatives to experimentation on live animals; Abolish factory farms, supporting high-welfare family farms, and eliminating inhumane methods used to slaughter animals raised for food; Prevent injury and death of animals caused by harsh transport conditions; End the use of steel-jaw leghold traps and reforming other brutal methods of capturing and killing wildlife; Preserve species threatened with extinction, and protecting wildlife from harmful exploitation and destruction of critical habitat;Protect companion animals from cruelty and violence, including suffering associated with inhumane conditions in the pet industry.

Founded in 1984 in Utah, Best Friends believes that every pet has a story, and that each one is worth saving. Today, nearly four decades after they broke ground for a sanctuary in a remote region of the Southwest, achieving no-kill across the entire country is within reach.

Quick reference information on hundreds of animals.

The Saint Louis Metropolitan Spay Neuter and Wellness Clinic began in August 2010 as a 501(c)3 non-profit for the purpose of establishing programs and policies that will decrease the number of unwanted dogs and cats euthanized in Saint Louis each year. Because of the proven effectiveness of low-cost spay/neuter clinics in other cities, it is their goal to reduce the number of adoptable pets euthanized or eliminate euthanasia entirely as a solution to the problem.

Four Paws International is the global animal welfare organization for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Their vision is a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.

Four Paws in US is part of Four Paws International - the global animal welfare organization for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Their vision is a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.

For twenty years, they have been leading the animal welfare industry by investing in people and communities to end the cycle of animal homelessness. By building capacity for animal advocates, they increase animal well-being across the East Side Pet District and beyond! They are located in East St. Louis, joining an already robust community of pet lovers. They remove barriers to foster and adoption, and provide an infusion of resources such as affordable, quality veterinary care and pet supplies.

They are on the ground fighting the horrific dog meat trade and protecting all animals facing extreme cruelty.

Since 1870, the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO) has been dedicated to the welfare and well-being of animals.

From the Illinois Ornithological Society, it contains an extensive list of birding websites: general, identification, Illinois and Midwestern birding, along with other helpful sites.

The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.

Soi Dog Foundation was established in 2003 in Phuket, Thailand to help the street dogs and cats who had no-one else to care for them. Over 70,000 strays roamed the island. Soi Dog was created to provide a humane and sustainable solution to managing the stray population and to address their medical needs.

They seek out and take in the animals who no other organization will help or would simply euthanize because they are too expensive to heal. They rescue the abandoned, beaten, bred, fought, injured, terrified, defeated and betrayed. The minute they enter their doors, they look in their eyes and promise them ALL the second chance they deserve for health, home, commitment and love, no matter the time or cost.

Giving cats the lives they deserve. At Tenth Life, they believe that every cat, regardless of emotional or physical limitations, deserves the chance at a fulfilling and happy life. They provide veterinary care, foster homes, and adoptive placement to stray cats and kittens, prioritizing those with special needs. They work to end unnecessary euthanasia and cat homelessness through educational outreach, community programs, and collaborative partnerships.

Known as World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) for 30 years, they changed their name in 2014 to align their brand with their mission. The name World Animal Protection seeks to end animal cruelty and suffering. Forever.

Key dates:
1950 The World Federation for the Protection of Animals (WFPA) is formed.
1959 The International Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPA) is formed.
1981 WFPA and ISPA merge to become WSPA – the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
2014 The name is changed to World Animal Protection.

World Vegan Day:
November 1st is World Vegan Day, which is a day to raise awareness and celebrate the vegan lifestyle and how it can benefit you, the animals, and the environment. Whether you are a vegan or not, you can learn more about this day and why it is celebrated.