True animal welfare is the same as human, especially child, welfare. Just because the word animal is placed in front of welfare does not change the meaning of the word welfare.

Here is a list of "Does" and Does not" that any organization or agency that claims to do welfare of any kind must adhere to or it is not really a homeless welfare agency.

True welfare does not:

1. Keep the homeless or abused in worse conditions than they came from.
2. Keep the homeless or abused in disease-filled facilities and kill them when they become sick.
3. Claim to have "rescued" the homeless or abused and then kill some because they are sick or difficult or expensive to deal with.
4. Kill some of the homeless or abused because of a lack of space.
5. Encourage behaviours that entrench the problem of homelessness and abuse. (In animal welfare, unlimited surrender of pets which both creates and supports a culture of abandonment).
6. Hire inexperienced staff and give them no training in welfare practices, only in how to kill some of the homeless or abused.
7. Offer no help to overcome behaviours that make the homeless or abused difficult to rehome.
8. Hand the homeless or abused over to strangers whose homes and suitability are not ever investigated.
9. Have no, or only tiny, programs to reduce the number of homeless or abused.
10. Not lobby for laws to control the causes of homelessness and abuse.

True welfare does:

1. Truly "shelters" the homeless in comforting, socially enriched conditions.
2. Maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and treats every disease.
3. Humanely euthanizes only the untreatably ill or injured.
4. Refuse to intake any more homeless until the space and resources are found, rather than kill some of the homeless to make room for more.
5. Teach that society has a duty to examine the causes of homelessness. (In animal welfare, to remove itself from supporting the problem of animal abandonment by setting the example with unlimited surrender.)
6. Teach the highest standards of ethical welfare, rather than teach how to kill or dispose of the homeless or abused.
7. Offer remediation programs and training.
8. Devote much time and energy into making sure that a new family is suitable and meets the highest standards.
9. Have programs to reduce the number of homeless (In animal welfare: spay/neuter and breeding regulations.)
10. Lobby for laws to better protect the homeless and abused.