Is the legal hold period for stray animals three days or six days?

Can you count the day of impoundment?

What if the shelter isn’t open that day?

If you have questions like these, you’re not alone. Knowing which animals should enter the shelter and how long they must stay is crucial to prioritizing intake of the animals who truly need to be at your shelter; it’s just as crucial to minimizing length of stay and getting those animals to their right outcome as quickly as possible. For clarity around intake and holding periods, check out the newest Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge Learniverse SPOT mod (self-paced online training module), Animal Intake Requirements and Holding Periods – Legal Considerations, developed in collaboration with San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter Policy and Legal Services (Shelter PALS).

Shelter PALS Lead Counsel Bruce Wagman reviews the laws that shape intake and holding periods for animals in shelters in the state of California, but the basic concepts and discussion points will apply to all states. You’ll learn the California-specific state mandates and requirements surrounding intake, exceptions surrounding holding periods, and how to determine holding periods in various situations. And if you’re not in California, you can use this information to guide you in what to research in your own state.

This course was adapted from a webinar by Bruce Wagman, Lead Counsel for the San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter Policy and Legal Services (Shelter PALS) program and hosted by the California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals). The country’s first and only legal aid organization dedicated exclusively to the needs of animal shelters, Shelter PALS leverages the expertise of the best minds in animal welfare and channels significant legal aid to animal shelters.

The specific information in this course is applicable to and based on considerations of California state law, subject to modifications necessitated by state or local laws. Shelters in other states are encouraged to check their state, county, city, and local laws to determine intake and holding procedures.

This short course has been approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and by National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA), as well as 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.

Learn more about the Maddie’s®️ Million Pet Challenge Learniverse, an interactive, online learning community found at the intersection of Knowing and Doing. Hosted by a team of animal welfare’s leading experts, it is a space to question, test, and implement innovations in the pursuit of continuous discovery and improvement in animal sheltering. #ThankstoMaddie, Animal Intake Requirements and Holding Periods and other SPOT mods, along with cohort-style, coach-led Bootcamps, are available at no cost.