Some of Our Reports

The purpose of this study is to better understand the challenges animal welfare organizations face around access to veterinary care and how these challenges impact the animals in their care.

Research questions guiding this study were “How are pet adoptions procedures and practices impacting different racial and ethnic groups within a community?” and “What differences exist in how different racial and ethnic groups within a community are impacted by policies and procedures of animal control agencies and animal welfare organizations?”

AlignCare is more than a system; it is a movement toward family health equity, endeavoring to eliminate disparities in care.

With a geographic focus on California, the study was designed to answer three key questions: 

1) Do animal shelters in California indicate that they are experiencing a lack of access to veterinary care? 

2) What types of care can or cannot be provided? 

3) What are the effects of the shelters’ lack of access to veterinary care? 

Through a generous grant from Maddie’s Fund®, the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition (AVCC) commissioned this national population study to better understand the barriers to veterinary care experienced by pet owners across the socioeconomic spectrum. The study also sought to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices veterinarians have regarding access to veterinary care.