LA/SPCA Animal Services Mission Statement

To balance the health, public safety, and welfare needs of people and animals in Orleans Parish by responsibly and humanely enforcing animal-related laws; providing nourishment and a safe environment for unwanted, stray, abused, and impounded animals; educating the public about responsible companion animal ownership; investigating cases where animal care is questionable; and finding new loving homes for homeless animals at our shelter.

Values

• We are committed to the highest performance standards, ethical conduct, truthfulness, and moral behavior in our work with people and animals.

• We take pride in our professional level of service and hold ourselves accountable for our actions.

• We demonstrate the principles of respect, understanding, compassion, empathy, fairness and service in our role as Animal Control Officers for Orleans Parish.

• We handle animals humanely and use restraint only as required and trained.

• We investigate cruelty cases thoughtfully and carefully, noting all details. We understand the connection between animal cruelty and human abuse, and we support vigorous prosecution when are local, state and federal animal related legislation is breached.

Beliefs

• We believe that we are a part of the humane solution, not the problem of animal overpopulation. We are dedicated to animal welfare 365 days a year despite the sadness that we feel and the cruelty we see.

• We understand that warehousing animals for the sake of saving them from humane euthanasia is not in the animal’s best interest. We know it is not possible to save all animals in Orleans Parish due to animal overpopulation.

• We believe that spaying and neutering of all pets is the solution to overpopulation.

• We believe that education is central to addressing animal cruelty, neglect, and overpopulation.

• We believe we make a difference in the lives of our community’s animals.

Services

• Bite case and aggressive animal management  (e.g. a person or animal
  is bitten and/or attacked)

• Rabies quarantine and control

• Cruelty and neglect investigations; respond to calls from residents

• Stray and unlicensed animal collection via trapping and or “sweeps” of neighborhood

• Response to calls about animals in distress 24/7 (e.g. animals hit by cars, trapped)

• Support to NOPD, EMS, NOFD and other city agencies

• Enforcement of city animal ordinances

• Revision of ordinances that address animal issues

• Disaster response; Homeland Security’s lead agency for animals in disaster issues

• Animal education, information and referral

• Adoption of animals into new homes

• Sheltering of homeless, bite, dangerous, and cruelty case animals