ACCT Philly

Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia or ACCT Philly is a non-profit organization headquartered in Philadelphia. The city government contracts with ACCT Philly for animal control and animal shelter services.

The ACCT Philly facility is in Hunting Park in North Philadelphia. The building was previously a warehouse.

History

ACCT Philly was created in 2012. The City of Philadelphia previously contracted with the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA), an organization created in 2002, and the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA).

Sue Cosby was the first executive director. She was previously the president of the PSPCA; she resigned in December 2011 and joined ACCT Philly upon its 2012 formation.

In 2017 Stu Bykofsky of the Philadelphia Inquirer stated that ACCT Philly and predecessor organizations "[had] been underfunded for decades."

Aurora Velasquez for a period was the executive director; in November 2019 she joined the organization. She resigned in 2021. Sarah Barnett became the acting executive director, then formally was designated such on January 1, 2023.

Circa 2013 the animal shelter live release rate, referring to how many animals were adopted or sent to rescue organizations instead of being euthanized or otherwise dying in custody, was 62%. In 2017 this rate was 80%, characterized by Bykofsky as "good". In January 2021, the live release rate went up to 92%, the highest at the time.

References

  1. 1 2 Worden, Amy (2012-02-17). "Cosby named to run new Philly Animal Care and Control Team". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2021-08-08. Retrieved 2026-11-01.
  2. 1 2 3 Bykofsky, Stu (2017-04-25). "Comedy, tragedy: Does Philly's city-funded animal shelter deserve more money?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2026-11-01.
  3. 1 2 Moran, Robert (2021-09-29). "After revolving leadership and chronic underfunding, what's next for Philly's beleaguered animal shelter?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2026-11-01.
  4. ↑ Moran, Robert (2021-09-29). "Head of nonprofit ACCT Philly, the city's contracted animal shelter, resigns". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2026-11-01.
  5. ↑ Moran, Robert (2022-12-30). "Acting executive director of ACCT Philly will become officially in charge of the nonprofit animal shelter". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2026-11-01.
  6. ↑ Farr, Stephanie (2021-02-26). "ACCT Philly saved 92% of its animals in January, a record for the shelter". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2026-11-01.