(January 2, 2024) — The Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP) is updating how it reports animals. New reports will match the Shelter Animals Count (SAC) national database, the modernized industry standard for animal welfare organizations. Having the same format will help compare numbers with other shelters nationwide.
ASAP is a working coalition of Portland / Vancouver animal shelters and organizations, counting the number of animals they care for together. ASAP reports numbers of animals brought to shelters, why they come in and how they leave. Sharing data helps the coalition understand what is happening with the shared animal population in the community. By working together, ASAP has saved more pets’ lives in area animal shelters.
Since 2006, ASAP has used reports based on the Asilomar Accords, developed by Maddie’s Fund to help measure success. Maddie’s Fund now encourages animal shelters to report using the Shelter Animals Count format, which is the leading data-gathering and measurement tool for animal sheltering.
The report format used by SAC simplifies intakes and outcomes. SAC is based on “what kind of data is most useful to collect [to]… capture the lifesaving data… in our communities.”
Each year, ASAP will report on intakes and outcomes at each member shelter, and all together. This data will also be available on shelteranimalscount.org, and can be compared with other regions and shelters using data tables and dashboards to see trends in animal sheltering.
About the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP)
Founded in 2006, the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP) is a working coalition composed of the following Portland/Vancouver-area animal shelters and organizations:
- Cat Adoption Team
- Clackamas County Dog Services
- Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon
- Humane Society for Southwest Washington
- Multnomah County Animal Services
- Oregon Humane Society
- Portland Veterinary Medical Association
- Washington County Animal Services
ASAP envisions a community that values, protects and cares for animals and provides a safety net for homeless and at-risk cats and dogs. Working together, ASAP develops and sustains metro-wide programs and services that reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs, and save the lives of all shelter pets that can be humanely and responsibly rehomed. For further information, please visit asapmetro.org.
About Shelter Animals Count (SAC)
SAC is a collaborative, industry-led nonprofit organization formed by a diverse group of animal welfare agencies to create and share The National Database of sheltered animal statistics, providing facts and enabling insights that will improve animal welfare throughout the country. shelteranimalscount.org.
