Answers to Some of Your Most Asked Questions.

The Placer SPCA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of companion animals and supporting the human-animal bond.

No. The Placer SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) organization and is not affiliated with any other entity including the ASPCA, which is an animal welfare organization based in New York. It is commonly misunderstood that all SPCAs are affiliated and operate under a national umbrella organization. The Placer SPCA is also not affiliated with any other city, county or state municipal organizations including Placer County Animal Services, which has a sheltering facility in Auburn and is funded by tax dollars. However, the Placer SPCA does work cooperatively and collaboratively with animal welfare organizations to best serve vulnerable animals in need.

We currently operate six facilities: the Adoption & Education Center (Roseville), Veterinary & Foster Care Center (Roseville), Intake Center (Roseville), Pet Adoption and Resource Center (Auburn), Pet Food Express Cat Adoption Center at the Fountains (Roseville), and Thrift Store (Roseville). View all our locations here.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Placer SPCA is primarily funded through private contributions, grants, and bequests. The Placer SPCA also receives funding through fees for services such as adoptions and veterinary care, as well as revenue generated through the Thrift Store. The Placer SPCA does not receive donations through the ASPCA and does not receive government funding beyond contracted services in partnership with the City of Roseville.

The Placer SPCA receives animals in a few different ways. Some of the animals in our shelter have been surrendered by residents of Placer County who are no longer able to care for them.

In addition, we receive stray animals from the City of Roseville and, occasionally, animals that have been removed from unsafe situations involving cruelty or neglect. We also collaborate with many area shelters and animal control agencies through a shelter transfer program, helping to relieve their overcrowding by bringing animals to our shelter when space allows.

Please note:

We are not legally able to accept any stray or lost animal from outside the City of Roseville. If you find a stray animal in Placer County, but it is outside of the City of Roseville, please contact Placer County Animal Services.

Before welcoming a new furry family member, we invite you to read “Is This the Best Time to Adopt?” in the Adopt section of our website. It offers helpful guidance to make sure you, and everyone in your household, are ready for the joy and responsibility of pet adoption. Caring for a pet takes time, financial resources, and long-term commitment, so taking a little extra time to find the right match will help set both you and your new companion up for success.

When you’re ready to take the next step, we hope you’ll visit the Placer SPCA and give a homeless animal a second chance at love. You’re welcome to stop by our Adoption & Education Center to meet our animals in person or browse many of our adoptable pets anytime in the “Adopt” section of our website. You’ll also find current adoption fees and helpful information there to guide you through the process.

Our criteria for determining adoptability parallels that of the Asilomar Accords. We are proud of our ability to keep animals available for adoption over longer periods of time as we have programs in place that reduce stress, provide socialization and exercise, and focus on specific training needs. We also treat all medically treatable and otherwise adoptable animals, providing they are not suffering, and their health and behavior status pose no significant threat to other shelter animals and the people that care for them.

We take a compassionate, whole-animal approach to understanding behavior in every dog and cat in our care. Instead of relying on a single test, we look at each animal’s history and observe how they behave in different settings and with different members of our team. This helps us get to know each pet as an individual, recognize any extra support they may need, and make thoughtful decisions about their next steps, including finding the safest, best-fit home where they can truly thrive.

Adoptable animals are kept until they find a permanent home, providing they remain behaviorally and physically healthy.

The Placer SPCA is a lifesaving organization committed to compassionate care and preventing suffering. We do not euthanize animals due to space or length of stay. Euthanasia is only considered when an animal is experiencing severe medical suffering that cannot be relieved, has a consistently poor quality of life with no reasonable options for improvement, or presents a serious safety concern.

Contact your local animal control agency to report abuse/neglect of an animal.