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Why be Accredited?

There are three accrediting associations in the United States: the American Sanctuary Association (ASA), The Association Of Sanctuaries (TAOS), and Animal Centers of Excellence (ACE). Each was formed for the purpose of creating a support framework for sanctuaries, helping to facilitate rescues, and to establish standards for animal care that legitimize true sanctuaries, distinguishing them from the 'pseudo-sanctuaries'. The only way to be certain of an animal sanctuary's credibility, short of spending several days or weeks on-site, is to check its accreditation. Some of the best facilities have accreditations from more than one association.

Like all organizations, accrediting associations have their political overtones; for some sanctuaries, this has been cited as a reason not to join. Others claim they don't want to be told how to do their work. However, we feel it is worth the occasional headache to reap the benefits of accreditation, not the least of which is being tapped into a network of experienced animal rescuers. In our experience, facilities lack accreditation for one reason - they can't get it, due to substandard conditions and breaches of ethics. We believe that all, legitimate sanctuaries in the United States should be accredited by ASA, TAOS, or ACE. ACE also accredits facilities in other countries, and organizations like the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) can lend them credibility as well.

Posted on July 12, 2006