ACO Care Animals (priority)
Providing free vouchers for animals in ACO care is priority #1.
To apply for vouchers, ACOs must provide completed and accurate ACO Assistance Request Forms and Animal Intake Forms.
| Eligible ACO Animals | Ineligible ACO Animals |
|---|---|
| Unclaimed stray dogs and cats that are housed in a municipal shelter/ holding facility. | Dogs and cats that have been voluntarily surrendered to a municipal animal control facility for the purpose of rehoming. |
| Return to owner (RTO) dogs and cats that are housed in a municipal shelter/holding facility, the owner is claiming the animal and qualifies as a low-income resident of Massachusetts. | Dogs and cats whose custody has been transferred to a private shelter, rescue, or foster group. |
| Dogs and cats that are being housed in a municipal shelter/ holding facility as part of a law enforcement case and custody has been relinquished. | Return to owner (RTO) dogs and cats that are being housed in a municipal shelter/holding facility, the owner does not meet eligibility requirements. |
| Dogs and cats that are being housed in a municipal shelter/holding facility due to an involuntary abandonment and remain unclaimed after claim time frame (official notice must have been given). | Part I and Part II of the voucher is not completely filled out prior to dropping off the animal for surgery. |
| Part I and Part II of the voucher is completely filled out prior to dropping off the animal for surgery. |
Owned Animals (waitlist, unless priority is indicated)
To apply for voucher assistance, owners of animals must submit a completed and accurate Owned Animal Assistance Form to their local animal control officer.
Please keep in mind, animal eligibility does not equal voucher availability. Applications may be denied due to funding, surgery capacity, and current focus efforts.
Due to the limited availability of owned animal vouchers, we encourage owners to explore low -cost spay neuter services first whenever possible.
| Eligible Owned Animals | Ineligible Owned Animals |
|---|---|
| Dogs and cats that are owned by low-income Massachusetts residents. To determine low-income eligibility, we recommend that the animal control officer verify enrollment in a state or federal assistance program, such as TAFDC, SSI, VS, SNAP, WIC, Section 8, etc. | Dogs and cats owned by Massachusetts residents who do not meet income eligibility requirements. |
| Part I and Part II of the voucher is completely filled out prior to dropping off the animal for surgery. | Dogs and cats owned by non-Massachusetts residents. |
| Part I and Part II of the voucher is not completely filled out prior to dropping off the animal for surgery. |
Community/Feral Cats (currently restricted to special cases)
We are currently only taking feral cat voucher applications from animal control officers for disease response and emergency cases. ACOs may apply by submitting a completed and accurate At-Large Cat assistance Request Form.
| Eligible Feral Cats | Ineligible Feral Cats |
|---|---|
| Cats that are homeless, un-owned, free-roaming, unsocialized, and appear healthy. These cats must be released back into its home colony, which will be managed, and must receive a 3/8” ear tip at the time of surgery. | Cats that are owned or possibly owned, or those that will be adopted out or are in foster care awaiting possible placement. Socialized cats being evaluated for placement, and cats that do not appear healthy. |
| Part I and Part II of the voucher is completely filled out prior to dropping off the animal for surgery. | Part I and Part II of the voucher is not completely filled out prior to dropping off the animal for surgery. |