About Us

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What is it trying to accomplish? How should it operate/be implemented? just the broad ideas of this.

About Us:

The Orleans Parish Animal Welfare Advisory Committee is a broad coalition of non-profit animal welfare organizations, who provide the majority of direct services to companion animals in Orleans Parish, and share a commitment to collaboration to facilitate better lives for both animals in the community, and the people connected to them.

Their efforts are supported by a variety of community partners including: private businesses (including veterinary clinics), community service providers, public officials, and individual citizens.

Goals:

1)  The primary purpose of the Committee is to improve communication and collaboration about animal welfare partners, who are often working toward common goals but without coordination. 

Specific additional goals include:

2)  Improve access and availability of free and low-cost spay/neuter services in Orleans Parish.

Improving access to spay/neuter services for dogs and cats is the most basic and proven step to reducing overpopulation in our community.

Jefferson Parish provides a great model for this. Through a parish ordinance, and partnerships between the Jeferson SPCA and local veterinary clinics, spay/neuter services for dogs and cats are available at no or minimal cost to parish residents. This is funded by rabies tag licensing fees, which not only covers veterinary services, but actually returns a surplus of funds to the parish.

3)  Proactively reduce surrenders to local shelters and rescue organizations.

It is much easier to help a pet with an owner that one in the shelter. Many people don’t want to surrender their pet, but feel compelled due to a specific issue or circumstance the feel helpless to control. This often includes a lack of suitable housing, unexpected veterinary costs, and behavioral issues, among others. Sometimes, people are kind enough to help a stray dog, but are then confused or feel helpless about next steps. 

The Committee is eager to connect these people with community resources to help them keep their pet, or foster that pet without financial commitment, and will work to identify community partners (i.e. landlords, clinics, behaviorists, fence builders, etc..) that can contribute to this effort.

4)  Educate the public about animal welfare issues and resources in Orleans Parish

Orleans Parish is in the midst of an overpopulation crisis. Shelters and rescues are completely full, and friendly healthy dogs are sadly euthanized as a result.

The Committee works to educate the public about this crisis, while also identifying ways in which individuals can help combat it, and the current resources available to animal welfare partner organizations.

5)  Engage the leadership of New Orleans’ government and city agencies to promote and improve animal welfare initiatives.

Responding the to the needs of animals, and/or people affected by them, affects every neighborhood in the parish, and is evidenced by the city’s expenditure of $### million in public funds for animal control.

Maximizing the limited resources in Orleans Parish to help animals requires communication and collaboration between individuals, welfare organizers, and city service providers. This includes the New Orleans Police Department, Emergency Medical Services, Orleans Parish Communications District, New Orleans Municipal Court, and the LASPCA (organization contracted by the city to perform animal control services), among others.

The Committee invites representatives from all of these agencies to attend and contribute to all meetings and reports and has asked the City Council to create a formal subcommittee to compel their engagement.

Membership

Who are current members of the Council?

The Council was initiated by a group of organizations that are passionate about both animal welfare, and community collaboration. 

Becoming a partner requires zero commitments beyond sharing that ideal.

If you would like your organization or business listed, or to be added as an individual, please email _____________. (or fill out a form?)

Current members include:

Animal Welfare Partners:

Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO)

The Inner Pup

Take Paws Rescue

Trampled Rose Rescue

New Orleans Bulldog Rescue

Zeus Place

Community Partners:

Meetings

The NOAWC is committed to transparency. The public is welcome to attend all meetings, and summaries will be posted here when available. The next meeting will be held Thursday January 18th at 6pm via Zoom. Please contact us for the link.

I found a dog in Orleans Parish. Now what?