Look at where the animal has been living, ask for its medical and behavior record, and ask what happens if the adoption does not work out. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians has written down what good looks like on all three. The check is yours to make, because the ASPCA says many places have little or no meaningful oversight of shelters.
Shelter Animals Count says there are 4,915 animal shelters and 9,514 animal rescues in the United States. These four kinds follow its definitions and those of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.
The nearest thing is the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, which the Association of Shelter Veterinarians published in a second edition in December 2022. They apply to foster-based rescues, humane societies, SPCAs and municipal shelters alike, and say housing in a foster home should meet or exceed the shelter standard. Their key statements are each marked unacceptable, must, should or ideal.
The Guidelines are not a legal document, and the association says it cannot confirm whether a shelter follows them. What binds a shelter is state and local law, which differs. In New York, for example, shelters and rescues have needed a state license since December 15, 2025, face unannounced inspections and appear on a public list. The New York page with the list is here.
| Area | What the Guidelines ask for |
|---|---|
| Housing | Each animal must be able to stand, walk several steps, sit and lie at full length, and to eat and sleep away from where it relieves itself. Cats must have a place to hide. |
| Cleaning | A kennel or cage must be fully cleaned and disinfected before a different animal moves in, and spraying it with the animal inside is unacceptable. |
| Medical care | A veterinarian must oversee the care. Adults must get the core vaccines on arrival or before, and puppies and kittens from 4 weeks old. Trained staff must look at every animal at least once every 24 hours. |
| Behavior | Dogs must get time out of the kennel every day unless that would be unsafe, and physical force as punishment is unacceptable. |
| Transport | An animal moved between shelters must be examined within 24 hours before travel, and its health and behavior records must go with it. |
| Records | Each animal must have its own number or name and its own record, and animals in foster homes must have the same records. |
A long application or a home visit is not a mark of quality. The Guidelines call strict requirements for adopters, such as landlord checks and home visits, discriminatory, and Humane World for Animals promotes a conversational approach instead. The Guidelines also no longer recommend a formal behavior test for every animal, because such tests fail to reliably predict future behavior.
The Guidelines say a record of the medical care and of every known bite must go home with the animal, and a behavior record should.
Print this checklistHumane World for Animals lists what an adoption fee includes: vaccinations, the spay or neuter surgery, a microchip, flea and tick treatment and worm treatment. Take the record to your own vet before you pay for any of these a second time.
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians supports spaying or neutering dogs and cats at 6 to 16 weeks old, and strongly recommends that shelter animals have the surgery before sexual maturity. So a puppy or kitten may come home with it already done. Its statement notes that some studies suggest a link with joint disease and cancer in large-breed dogs, and that none has been documented in small dogs or cats. For an owned pet it says the decision rests on guidelines, the vet's advice, the owner's wishes and the animal's health. The studies are on when to spay or neuter.
The association also opposes blanket policies that forbid bringing an animal back, discourage it, or bar the person from adopting again.
The ASPCA lists signs that a rescue group or shelter may involve hoarding or the mistreatment of animals.
A closed room for sick animals is normal, and the Guidelines ask for it.
The Federal Trade Commission's alert on fake pet ads adds the money signs: pressure to act fast, and a demand to pay up front or by gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency or wire transfer. Do not pay to hold an animal you have not seen. A rescue that says it is a tax-exempt charity can be looked up with the Internal Revenue Service. The Tax Exempt Organization Search is here.
If something worries you, Humane World for Animals advises talking to the organization first, then to its board or, for a municipal shelter, to the agency that oversees it.
The American Animal Hospital Association says to take a new dog to the veterinarian within one week and to bring any medical history you have.
If something here is out of date, tell us at hello@petipedia.io and we fix it the same day.
Sources read on 2 October 2026. The Guidelines are open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. This page puts them, and every other source, in its own words.