ABOUT THE AMERICAN SANCTUARY ASSOCIATION (ASA)
The ASA exists to assure the humane and compassionate care for these animals by setting standards for their care, accrediting sanctuaries that meet these standards, networking with member sanctuaries, assisting in the rescue and placement of homeless animals, supporting legislation that protects animals, educating the public, and reaching out to other segments of the rescue community.
Nationally, there are hundreds of animal sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers that assist, rescue, and provide refuge and humane care for animals. Offering an alternative to euthanasia, or a lifetime of suffering, all these groups have one thing in common: They are all struggling each year to accept into their sanctuary thousands of homeless domestic and wild animals with no place to go.
This is a unique period in the history of the sanctuary movement. Building on the need to differentiate between true sanctuaries that do not breed, buy, sell, trade or use animals commercially, from those that exploit animals, it is important that the public knows where we stand. Foundations and other grantors often look to ASA for certification that sanctuaries do meet those standards.