The Louisiana SPCA, chartered in 1888, is the oldest animal welfare organization in the state and the contracted animal-control agency for the City of New Orleans. It runs a New Orleans campus, a Plaquemines Parish campus, and a low-cost community clinic, and it led one of the largest animal rescues in U.S. history after Hurricane Katrina. Here is how adoption, surrender, and its services work.
The Louisiana SPCA is open-admission and does not market itself as no-kill. In its own words, it accepts every animal that needs help and works for the best and most humane outcome for each one. It explains that no-kill means at least a 90 percent live release rate, and rather than claim the label it states that euthanasia is sometimes an unavoidable reality.
It holds the City of New Orleans contract for animal control in Orleans Parish, which includes 24/7 emergency response coordinated with the city's 911 and 311 systems. Its cruelty investigators are not limited by parish lines, and the organization was a founding member of the national Canine CODIS DNA program used in dog-fighting cases.
Adoption fees are published, and every dog and cat goes home spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, microchipped, and heartworm tested, along with a bag of food, a dog-training discount, and a month of pet insurance. Ten dollars of each cat and dog adoption covers the legally required rabies tag.
| Animal | Adoption fee |
|---|---|
| Puppies and small dogs | $210 |
| Large dogs | $90 |
| Kittens | $100 |
| Cats | $90 |
| Rabbits | $35 |
| Guinea pigs | $35 |
| Ferrets | $50 |
| Hamster or gerbil | $10 |
| Horses | $800 |
Adoption is first-come, first-served with no holds. For $25 you can take a pet home on a 72-hour sleepover trial, and there is a two-week return window at no extra cost.
Owner surrender is by appointment and takes 30 to 45 minutes. The fee is $30 at the New Orleans campus, or $50 for an animal from outside the parish; the Plaquemines campus charges $10 for the first animal and $5 for each additional one. Staff also point owners to rehoming resources and a pet food pantry.
The on-site Community Clinic offers low-cost wellness exams, vaccines, spay and neuter, heartworm prevention and treatment, dental work, and end-of-life care, with an on-site pharmacy. Appointments can be booked online or by phone.
Disaster response is part of this organization's history. Before Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, it evacuated its shelter animals, then helped run the Lamar-Dixon operation that is remembered as the largest animal rescue in U.S. history, an effort that reshaped how the country plans for animals in disasters.
Volunteers can start at age 12 with guardian consent, and animal handling is not required for many roles. Fostering runs in three tracks, socialization, adoption-ready, and medical, and the organization covers the medical care of foster animals.
The wish list includes unopened dog and cat food, kitten and puppy milk, blankets and towels, cat litter, and puppy pads, with an Amazon list that ships to the Algiers campus. The Louisiana SPCA holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator with a 100 percent score, and its EIN is 72-0471368.
Dogs, cats, small mammals, and occasionally horses at two campuses.
Orleans Parish field services and 24/7 emergency response under city contract.
Low-cost wellness, spay/neuter, heartworm care, dental, and end-of-life services.
Statewide reach; a founding member of the Canine CODIS DNA program.
A Katrina-era evacuation protocol and a national disaster-planning legacy.
Socialization, adoption-ready, and medical foster tracks with vet care covered.
Sources: Louisiana SPCA (louisianaspca.org) adoption, surrender, clinic, humane-law, and Katrina history pages; the City of New Orleans contract; Charity Navigator (EIN 72-0471368). Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Louisiana SPCA and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More animal shelters and donation guides