ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center & Learning Lab

The ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC) is dedicated to rehabilitating fearful, undersocialized dogs, such as those confiscated from puppy mills and hoarding situations.

The facility in Weaverville, N.C. treats dogs from ASPCA cruelty cases as well as dogs from other animal welfare organizations.

Dogs are provided with an intensive program designed to reduce their anxiety, improve their well-being and ready them for adoptive homes.

From there, the dogs are transferred to partner shelters for placement.

The center’s team has documented its protocols and procedures as part of a formal research study, and those findings will be shared with shelters and rescue groups around the country.

Learning Lab

The Learning Lab at the BRC offers online behavior training to shelter staff and volunteers looking for tools to encourage good behavior and enrich the lives of dogs in their shelter. The Learning Lab team also offers a limited number of interactive learning retreats that challenge leadership teams from high-functioning shelters to more deeply infuse behavioral & psychological support for their animals into their entire sheltering operation.

Shelters participating in retreats join a robust professional network to share ideas & engage in discussion about cutting-edge shelter behavior topics, maximizing our collective impact and increasing national capacity to care for the behavioral needs of shelter animals.