California SPCA, Inc. Opposes the 2004 Asilomar Accords

California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Inc. (California SPCA) is dedicated to achieving the highest standards of humane care, transparency, and life-saving practices in animal shelters. We firmly oppose the 2004 Asilomar Accords as a framework for guiding shelter operations and reporting outcomes. The Asilomar Accords are inherently flawed, and do not align with modern Zero-kill principles. California SPCA believes in a more progressive and life-saving approach that fully respects the lives and well-being of every community animal.

1. Flawed Definitions That Facilitate Killing
   The Asilomar Accords introduced new and inaccurate definitions for words such as "Healthy", "Unhealthy",  "Treatable", "Untreatable", “Adoptable,” and “Unadoptable,” which have allowed shelters to categorize animals in ways that justify and obscure killing. These vague and subjective terms and their newly assigned definitions give shelters the ability to label animals as “unadoptable” or “untreatable” based on space, resources, or arbitrary and unscientific behavioral assessments rather than focusing on individual needs and potential for rehabilitation. This framework fundamentally conflicts with the ZERO-kill philosophy, which asserts that only animals suffering from irremediable conditions should be euthanized.
2. Lack of Transparency and Standardization
   The Asilomar Accords offer limited and inconsistent guidelines for categorizing animal outcomes, resulting in significant discrepancies in how shelters report and interpret their statistics. This lack of transparency undermines public trust and makes it difficult for communities to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of their local shelters. California SPCA advocates for comprehensive, transparent, and standardized reporting that accurately reflects shelter outcomes and life-saving efforts, allowing communities to hold organizations accountable.
3. Failure to Embrace Zero-Kill Principles
   By establishing categories that condone the killing of treatable and adoptable animals, the Asilomar Accords fall short of the modern ZERO-kill movement’s core values. ZERO-kill shelters commit to saving all non-irremediably suffering animals focusing only on euthanasia for animals experiencing irremediable suffering. The Asilomar Accords lack this focus, instead reinforcing practices that ultimately result in more lives lost.
4. Inflexibility in Addressing Behavioral and Medical Needs
   The Asilomar framework allows shelters to deem animals unadoptable based on medical or behavioral issues without investing in the resources or programs needed to address those needs. California SPCA believes in the potential for animals to heal, improve, and thrive through targeted rehabilitation, foster care, medical treatment, and behavioral intervention programs. Categorizing animals as “untreatable” without exhausting every avenue for support fails to meet the standards of compassionate, life-saving sheltering.
5. Disincentives for Progressive Change
   By setting limited goals that allow for the killing of treatable animals, the Asilomar Accords create a culture that is complacent with unnecessary killing, which most humans would likely agree is cruel and inhumane. In contrast, progressive, ZERO-kill practices promote community engagement, volunteer support, and larger foster networks to expand shelter resources and provide better outcomes for animals. The Asilomar framework does not incentivize shelters to strive for true ZERO-kill policies and innovations, leaving many animals without the life-saving opportunities they deserve and have a right to.

California SPCA believes in a shelter framework based on compassion, accountability, and the unwavering commitment to save every animal. Our approach emphasizes the following principles:

• Life-Saving Transparency: On a quarterly and an annual basis, shelters should publicly report comprehensive, standardized statistics that reflect each animal’s outcome and the shelter’s commitment to saving lives. This transparency builds public trust and empowers communities to support shelters in achieving ZERO-kill goals.
• ZERO-Kill Commitment: Shelters must be committed to focusing on euthanasia only in cases of scientifically defined irremediable suffering. By working to rehabilitate and rehome animals with treatable medical or behavioral issues, shelters fulfill their ethical duty to save every possible life.
• Individualized Care and Rehabilitation Programs: Every animal has unique needs, and shelters must invest in resources, medical care, foster programs, and professional behavioral training to give every animal a fair chance. California SPCA advocates for comprehensive care programs that focus on addressing the specific needs of animals, rather than labeling them based on inaccurate, generalized criteria.
• Community Engagement and Support Networks: The ZERO-kill movement relies on community support, from foster families and volunteers to rescue partnerships and financial donations. Shelters that embrace progressive practices attract more public support, helping to build larger and sustainable networks and expand life-saving capabilities.

The California SPCA opposes the 2004 Asilomar Accords as they do not reflect the ethical, humane, and progressive practices necessary to meet the expectations of taxpayers and donors for animal sheltering standards. We call on all shelters to abandon the Asilomar framework in favor of a true ZERO-kill model focused on saving every animal not experiencing irremediable suffering. By prioritizing individualized care, transparency, and community involvement, shelters can adopt life-saving missions and build a future where every animal is valued, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive.

It is time for shelters to move beyond the limitations of the Asilomar Accords and adopt a humane, Zero-kill philosophy that respects the lives of all animals. California SPCA is committed to supporting shelters in this journey, fostering compassionate communities, and advocating for practices that truly honor the dignity and value of every life.