Our Mission

As the heart of a compassionate community, we enrich lives and promote the humane treatment of animals.

How we pursue our mission

• We shelter unaccompanied companion animals and place them in safe and healthy homes.
• We educate the community to embrace humane principals and provide the best care for their pets.
• We provide community support programs which help all pet owners provide better lives for their pets.
• We expand access to essential veterinary care for companion animals.

Our Commitment to the Animals

The Potter League for Animals was founded in 1929 under the name, “Newport County League for Animals” in order to take charge of abandoned, sick, lame, overworked or cruelly treated animals. The three woman founders, Virginia Potter, Mary van Beuren and Emma Norman were individuals of timeless vision. The League’s first shelter opened in 1931 on Harrington Street in Newport. In 1958, Virginia Potter died leaving a bequest upon the condition that the League be renamed in honor of her late husband, Robert Potter. A new state-of-the-art facility opened in November of 2008 with homelike housing which replaced the old concrete and wire fenced kennels.

The Potter League for Animals is Rhode Island’s go-to animal care and resource center, where we provide shelter, veterinary care, behavior training, spay & neuter, owner assistance programs, humane education, and the opportunity for thousands of animals to find loving homes each year. The Potter League Animal Care and Adoption Center located in Middletown, RI is an “open admission” shelter which is able to help as many pets as possible. We accept owner-surrendered animals, as well as all stray animals from those communities with which we have an animal control-housing contract. Approximately 2,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small animals are received at our facility annually. We provide support to communities and families through our broad range of programs and services, including the Potter League Spay Neuter Clinic, located in Warwick RI, which has performed over 75,000 subsidized surgeries on dogs and cats in RI and neighboring communities in CT & MA since 2010. We provide low-cost veterinary care to over 3,500 income-qualifying Rhode Islanders every year at our Pets In Need Veterinary Clinic located in Riverside, RI.

The Potter League strives to work collaboratively and in partnership with local community-based organizations as well as with animal welfare and rescue groups nationwide. We serve as an animal emergency location for disasters and has been instrumental in helping animals following catastrophic events. As an advocate for all animals, the Potter League monitors statewide legislative issues and works to ensure that those passed into law are beneficial and sound. We are proud to be the animal resource center of Rhode Island and offer our unique support and programs to the voiceless, helpless animals who rely on the care and compassion of humans.

The Potter League for Animals is a nonprofit that relies on generous donations from individuals to provide lifesaving care to thousands of animals each year in our community. To all these animals, we offer a temporary home, warm beds, loving hearts, and medical attention before sending them off to loving homes. Potter League for Animals (PLFA) is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit (IRS Tax ID# 05-0301553).