My Rescue Dog Bella

Pet adoption usually refers to the process of taking guardianship of and responsibility for a pet that a previous owner has abandoned or otherwise abdicated responsibility for. Common sources for adoptable pets are

*Animal shelters, in the case of dogs also known as dog pounds

*Rescue groups

*Pets which are found out of captivity without identification, and which remain unclaimed by any owner

*Advertisements placed by individuals who are trying to find a new home for their pet

*Pets that have been a...

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is any of a number of animal welfare organizations whose operations include protecting and providing shelter to animals in danger. The SPCAs are non-profit organizations that campaign for animal welfare and take in abused or abandoned animals, and help them to get adopted.The S.P.C.A. is a group that helps protect sick and injured stray animals and animals in danger.See:

;Canada

* Canadian Federation of Humane Societies

* Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

;Oceania and Asia

* Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

* Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Australia

* Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals[http://www.spca.org.sg/]

* Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong)

* Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [http://www.spca.org.tw]

* Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Selangor, Malaysia

* Thai Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals

* Visakha Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Visakhapatnam, India) [http://visakhaspca.org/]

;Europe

* Société protectrice des animaux (France)[http://www.spa.asso.fr/]

;Africa

* Category: Animal Cops - : South Africa|Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

* Zimbabwe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

;United Kingdom

* Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) ? England and Wales

* Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ? Scotland

* Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ? Northern Ireland

* Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

;United States

In the United States, all organizations using the name SPCA are independent organizations. There is no umbrella organization. The following is not a complete list, because many cities and states have SPCA organizations that do not have their own articles.

* American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

* New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

* Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Monterey County, California

* San Francisco SPCA

* Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - one of the original featured SPCA's on the Animal Planet Network show Category: Animal_Cops - :_Houston|Animal Cops, Houston [http://www.houstonspca.org/site/PageNavigator/cruelty_and_rescue_investigations_team]. HSPCA, Retrieved on December 21, 2009

;International

* Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International[http://www.spca.com/]

A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCAs). In the United Kingdom, it may also be a society that provides a waterways rescue, prevention, and recovery service, or that gives awards for the saving of human life.

[thumb|right|175px|MSPCA-Angell in Boston, Massachusetts was founded in 1868 and is the second oldest humane society in the United States[http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aboutus_About_the_MSPCA&abouthomelink About the MSPCA-Angell ]]