ASPCA
Preventing cruelty to animals through rescue, legislation, and community programs
Our editorial assessment
The ASPCA is the oldest animal welfare organisation in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1866, and remains one of the most recognised animal charity brands in the United States. Their work spans direct animal rescue (80,000+ animals per year), anti-cruelty enforcement, sheltering, public education, and the Animal Poison Control Center (200,000+ calls per year). The ASPCA has faced criticism for its significant fundraising spending (17% of budget) and for the perception gap between their national brand awareness and the amount of direct animal care they provide. Their programme spending ratio of 74% is below the sector average. However, their Poison Control Center alone provides a unique and valuable public service, and their anti-cruelty investigators respond to large-scale cruelty cases that local agencies cannot handle.
The problem they're solving
Animal cruelty remains widespread in the United States, from large-scale puppy mills to individual cases of neglect and abuse. The ASPCA's enforcement capability, combined with their national reach and Poison Control Center, provides services that no other animal welfare organisation can fully replicate.
About ASPCA
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA rescues 80,000+ animals annually and operates the Animal Poison Control Center.
Where your dollar goes
What your donation could do
Your $100 ≈ 1 spay/neuter surgery for a dog or cat
Illustrative estimate based on figures this organisation publishes about its own programs — not a statement from the charity itself. Actual impact varies by program and year.
What donors say about ASPCA
Donors signed in with Google can rate ASPCA from one to five stars and share a short review of their experience — whether as a donor, volunteer, or beneficiary. Community ratings are displayed as their own criterion alongside our editorial metrics; they never alter the editorial 0–100 score.
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How this score was produced
The Charity Ranking score is our own editorial assessment, produced with a weighted rubric covering program spending, transparency and governance, evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and leadership. It draws on publicly available reports from independent evaluators such as GiveWell, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch, but it is not a rating issued or endorsed by any of those organisations. The community rating shown above is a separate signal contributed by signed-in donors; it is displayed alongside our criteria but never feeds into the editorial score. Read the full methodology →