ASPCA Launches Moving Animals Places (MAP) Program

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced the launch of the Moving Animals Places (MAP) program, an interactive and free Web-based map application that will help connect animal shelters across the country. Developed in collaboration with Fujitsu and using technology courtesy of salesforce.com, MAP is the first resource of its kind that allows participating shelters with surplus animals (sources) to find and partner with shelters that have available space and a higher demand for adoptable animals (destinations). The one time or reoccurring animal transport process can help more animals find loving homes.

“Our goal is for this centralized database to allow animal welfare groups to facilitate an increased number of efficient, humane and safe transports and ultimately to save more lives,” said Sandy Monterose, senior director of community outreach for the ASPCA. “MAP will also provide the animal sheltering community with a broad picture of the state of animal transport nationally, including trends within the national network.”

MAP can be accessed on ASPCAPro.org, the ASPCA’s Web portal that provides tools and resources for animal welfare professionals and advocates, including public and private animal protection organizations and rescue groups, veterinarians, law enforcement agencies and emergency responders. MAP and ASPCAPro also offer users a library of resources to help implement best practices for transporting animals. Included in this resource library are sample forms such as a departure checklist and vehicle supply list, as well as how-tos and tips. MAP’s member-only rating system also will help organizations give feedback about their experiences with each other.

“We are excited to collaborate with the ASPCA in helping build a custom Web tool for shelters that register as MAP members because of the need to safely relocate and transfer animals,” said Alex Attal, executive vice president, business and application services at Fujitsu. “Our company is happy to work with organizations such as the ASPCA that want to educate individuals or communities about how technology can make a difference in their lives.”

"The Salesforce.com Foundation is proud to continue to support the ASPCA," added Suzanne DiBianca, president, Salesforce.com Foundation. "The MAP app demonstrates the role that technology can play in advancing the ASPCA's mission and quickly finding homes for animals."

“We’ve often noticed that connections between organizations occur by coincidence, not accounting for practical logistics,” adds Sandy Monterose. “Because of this, many animals are traveling farther than necessary to a destination shelter. The real-time updates from MAP members will allow shelters to find partners in a smaller geographic range, hopefully cutting down on stressful travel time for the animals, as well as unnecessary expenses for the shelters.”

Leveraging the Salesforce Platform, Fujitsu built the MAP application to scale nationwide. To date, there are 175 approved MAP members in 41 states. MAP provides a central hub for shelters to find, communicate and facilitate the transfer of animals to shelters with availability. Users can search geographically via Google Maps API integrations.

The MAP program is open to 501(c)(3) organizations and municipal agencies. Organizations that meet the criteria can begin the registration process by visiting www.aspcapro.org/map.