Frequently Asked Questions
How many animals does Companion Animal Alliance take in each year?
Since 2021, post-Covid-19, we’ve taken in more than 9,000 animals each year. The animals we take in are found as strays in EBR, surrendered by residents of EBR who can no longer care for them, and/or seized by East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control.
What types of animals does CAA accept?
While the majority of the animals we take in are cats and dogs, we also take in other exotic house-pets such as guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, ferrets, reptiles, and various species of birds. We are responsible for housing and caring for stray or seized livestock such as horses, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, etc. We are also responsible for sick or injured wildlife found in EBR.
What are CAA’s criteria for admission?
As the legally designated open-intake animal shelter for our parish, we are contractually obligated to accept animals in East Baton Rouge Parish. We accept found/stray animals found in EBR, and we accept surrenders from owners who are residents of EBR. Animals can be brought to our facility for admission by appointment only. Please email intake@caabr.org for more information regarding admission availability.
Does CAA pick up animals?
No. Though we are responsible for housing animals, we do not pick up animals. Animals can be brought to our facility for admission by appointment only. Please email intake@caabr.org for more information regarding admission availability.
Is CAA also Animal Control?
No. CAA is the open-intake animal shelter for East Baton Rouge Parish. East Baton Rouge Parish is the entity responsible for the enforcement of EBR City-Parish Code of Ordinances Title 14.
Where do my donations go?
Donations aid directly to the care of our animals.
Is CAA a no-kill Rescue organization?
No. To be considered a “no-kill,” an animal welfare organization must have a minimum 90% save rate. Since 2020, we have maintained a save rate greater than 80%. We do our best to find positive outcomes for all of the animals that enter our care, however, that is not always the case given our incredibly high intake volume.
How long do animals have to be adopted?
The animals that enter our care do not have an “expiration date,” per se. Animals that enter our care can stay in our care as long as possible. However, the longer an animal is in the shelter environment, the more likely they are to experience feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress. Prolonged periods of these feelings result in a compromised quality of life, which results in the ultimate decision to move forward with humane euthanasia to end, or prevent, their suffering.
Does CAA euthanize animals for space?
Nationally, animal welfare organizations are facing an overpopulation crisis. CAA has been no exception. Due to our perpetual capacity crisis, we have to make euthanasia decisions for space. The decisions are not easy to make and they are not taken lightly. We do the best we can for all of our animals, but sadly sometimes our best is not enough to save them all.
Why can’t you just find them homes?
Well, it’s simply not that easy. Nationally, shelters throughout the country have seen a decline in adoptions since the end of the pandemic. The underlying issues are much bigger than us and need to be addressed at a macro level--i.e. economic concerns such as the housing crisis, cost of living, inflation, etc., and various sociological factors such as poverty, education, access to resources, etc.
Does CAA transport other animals to other states? If so, why?
Yes. We partner with other animal welfare organizations outside of Louisiana to find placement for some of our animals. Millions of pets are transported from organizations across the southern states to places in the Northeast and Midwest that have fewer adoptable animals. The rescue organizations that we partner with have more resources available. They have far fewer available pets and an eager community waiting to adopt–a perfect opportunity to ensure that dogs are placed into adoptive homes.
We do this so that we can alleviate space in our facility for the neverending influx of animals entering our care. All positive placement opportunities are vital and sending animals to other organizations is critical to our lifesaving efforts here at CAA. Without these transports, we would be facing even more euthanasia decisions. However, we will always have plenty of animals available for adoption despite these alternative placement options!
Learn more about our adoption process here.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities here.
Learn more about our foster program here.
Animal Control Related FAQs
What do I do if I see an animal in distress?
Contact EBR Animal Control. They can be reached at 225-774-7700 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. If it is after hours please dial 311 or contact police dispatch at 225-389-2070.
What do I do if I find a stray animal?
We ask that you do your best to locate this animal’s owner. Click here to see what you can do to maximize your effort to find this pet’s owner. If you are unsuccessful in doing so, we accept found animal drop-offs Tuesday through Friday mornings from 8:30 to 9:30 am. If these times do not work for you please email intake@caabr.org. If this is an emergency, please contact Animal Control.
Does my dog have to be on a leash?
Yes, there is a leash law in EBR. Any animal “at large” may be seized by Animal Control and the owner will be required to pay applicable fees and fines to reclaim their animal.
“At large” is defined as any dog that is not within the confines of its owner’s home, yard, dog pen/primary enclosure, not on a chain, tether, or leash; and any cat that is not within the confines of its owner’s home, yard, primary enclosure, or owner’s physical possession–with the exception for community cats.
What is a community cat?
Community cats are feral and/or free-roaming cats that are not owned. Community cats may be cared for by any person in the community. Community cats are ear-tipped to signify their sterilization. Read more about community cats and our TNR program here.
What happens to stray animals that are picked up by Animal Control?
CAA is responsible for housing all lost or abandoned animals in EBR. Any animal picked up by Animal Control is brought to CAA.
Does CAA hold animals?
Animals that enter our care as strays are held for a predetermined period of either 3 or 5 days depending on whether or not they come in with owner indication. Owner indication is anything signifying ownership, such as a collar or microchip. Dogs that come in without owner indication are held for a 3-day stray-hold period. Only cats with traceable owner indication–ID tag or microchip–are held for a 5-day owner-hold period. Once an animal's hold period expires, they are legally the property of CAA.
What do I do if I am missing my pet?
To find out if your pet is at CAA, you will need to come to our facility to do a lost-pet walk-through. We get animals in all day, every day, throughout the day, so we are unable to confirm via phone or email whether or not your missing pet is in our care. If you do not find your pet at CAA, we recommend coming back to do another lost-pet walk-through as often as you can (ideally every other day). If your pet went missing outside of EBR, please check the local animal shelter for the area in which your pet went missing.
How do I reclaim my pet if they are at CAA?
We have staff available for owner redemptions every day of the week, with exceptions for major holidays including Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving. If your pet is in our care, you will need to provide proof of ownership such as vaccination records, pet registration paperwork, or photos of the pet in your care.
There are fees associated with pet/owner redemptions. Fees are entirely dependent on the circumstances in which the animal entered our care, how long they have been in our care, and the veterinary care they have received from us. You will need to provide proof of rabies vaccination status–animals in EBR must be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Without proof of their vaccination status, or if they are not up-to-date on their rabies vaccination, there will be additional fees owed, and the animal will receive a rabies vaccination prior to leaving CAA. Please email intake@caabr.org to further discuss the details of reclaiming your pet.
