Since BVSPCA started to provide animal control services in January, DC no longer has 24/7 animal control to help residents and animals in need. Residents in crisis repeatedly report unanswered emergency calls, ignored voicemails, and outright refusal to pick up stray or injured animals.
This lack of responsiveness is putting animals and people at risk and forcing residents to do the work that BVSPCA is being paid nearly $10 million a year to perform.
Even more troubling, BVSPCA’s contract does not require them to accept owner-surrendered animals. That means DC residents who can no longer care for their pets—because of financial hardship, illness, eviction, or other life crises—have no place to turn to for help.
DC is now paying nearly twice as much for animal control than before but receiving substandard service. DC residents and animals deserve reliable, humane, and compassionate care.
We are calling on local leadership (the Mayor’s Office, DC Council, and Department of Health) to:
(1) Hold BVSPCA accountable for providing standard Animal Care and Control services, including: (a) A reliable and responsive 24/7 dispatch service; and
(b) Intake and care for all stray animals, including capture in the field
(2) Amend or replace the current contract to require the acceptance of owner-surrendered animals for DC residents.
Join us in demanding accountability from the District’s contractors and true compassion for DC’s animals and their families. Sign the petition or send a letter directly to your council member (template in the petition).