You find a lost dog in your neighborhood and ask friends for advice on what to do next. One person tells you to bring it to the animal shelter, another tells you absolutely not, they ‘will just kill it’. You contact a local rescue that is known to take dogs and are told they are full. Someone else mentions the local Humane Society might be a better option than the county shelter, but then another chimes in that they also euthanize animals. What are you to do with this stray dog? And is the advice you were just given by multiple people really sound?
I personally hear the misguided information about “Kill-shelters” vs “No-kill shelters” constantly.
Why does an animal shelter resort to euthanasia? It could be space, it could be an outbreak of disease, it could be the animal in their care is beyond help, and it could even be that they offer this service to the general public who can’t afford to make an appointment at the local vet.
Vilifying an organization, that only exists because of the negligence of its general public, and is forced to make hard decisions to remain available to said public, is one of the most disturbing things about working in animal welfare.
On one hand the public demands the shelter exists, on the other they demand it is run the way they believe to be correct. A shelter should be available to take in absolutely all unwanted animals in the community, while simultaneously finding them all a happy ending. These unrealistic expectations have found their way onto social media platforms where voices grow loud, and pressure is put on the organization which attempts to appease this loud public. Often to unhealthy levels.
Rescue organizations who proudly boast to be “no-kill” only exist because they can choose which animals to take in, and how many. The ones they turn away often end up at the local pound anyway. So, are they truly “no-kill”?
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to live in a world where no animal would ever die needlessly and unwanted, thrown away and forgotten at the local shelter. But this is not a perfect world. Far from it. The model doesn’t work.
As I write this our local municipal, tax funded, county shelter is full. And I mean FULL. Every cage is spoken for. Between the many stray animals being held, and the adoptable animal seeking a new home, they have nowhere else to cram any more living beings. However, every day animal control officers still have their job to do, and this often involves bringing in a stray, or abandoned animal, or cruelty case. And the phone is still ringing daily at the shelter desk with people wishing to surrender a pet.
So what is a shelter to do? When I started working there 15 years ago, it would have meant pulling dogs and cats to euthanize for space. The undesirable colors, the oldest, the weakest, the ones that have been there the longest. Through no fault of their own they ended in a place where they are put to death just to make room. And while the county shelter I work with has changed this protocol many years ago, plenty of shelters in other communities are still operating this way today.
You cannot demand change from the overworked, underpaid shelter staff. You need to first demand it from your own community. Your neighbor with the unaltered female dog that is allowed to run loose and has an oops litter. The friend who doesn’t want to get his male dog neutered because he believes it somehow “takes away from his manhood”. The family down the street who allows their cats and dogs to run loose constantly, and when one it taken to the shelter, they simply get a new one instead of reclaiming the lost pet. The many people you know who, despite modern advances in microchip identification, make no effort to properly mark their pets so they may be easily returned if lost. All of this contributes greatly to the overcrowded shelter in your community. THEY are the reason shelters earn the label “kill-shelter”. THEY are the reason tough decisions have to be made.
If every member of a community were mindful and responsible, shelters would sit empty.
The only way to truly achieve “no-kill shelter” status is to hold the public accountable. They are the beginning of the chain.
Don’t buy into the myth that shelters who are forced to euthanize are somehow the problem. That they are at fault. That they are less important than the rescue or humane society who calls themselves “no-kill”. They are forced to exist. Place blame where it truly belongs = the irresponsible public.
Be not only the voice for the animals, but for the hard working shelter staff in your community. Inform yourself, spread facts not myths.
34 responses to “The Myth About No-Kill Shelters”
Perfectly written!! Thank you!!
It is not. The rescue I volunteer with is no kill and NOT selective. This statement “Rescue organizations who proudly boast to be “no-kill” only exist because they can choose which animals to take in, and how many. The ones they turn away often end up at the local pound anyway. So, are they truly “no-kill”?” IS NOT TRUE of all rescue organizations. What is true if rescue organizations make things work. Government animal controls work the “9-5” and do not give a shit about “making “it” work” for the dog.
Maybe you should try volunteering at your city or county shelter before you form an opinion about them. Because I do and the staff are heroes in my eyes, they fight so hard for every single dog and cat that comes in and are devastated about having to make hard decisions. That’s NOT true saying they don’t care and are only working a 9-5. You’re part of the problem and the lies being spread. If you saw what our government shelter has to deal with daily, how much employees fight for every animal that the community throws away or abuses or disregards, I can promise you that you’d change your mind about that.
Please let us know which organization you “volunteer” not work for so we can send all the animals to you. Most animal control officers are on call after hours and unless you have ever working in shelters or Animal Control don’t speak on what they do.
You are making the case that all rescues/no kills can’t be tarred with the same brush, then you proceed to do the exact same thing re: Government animal control departments. Who do you think works at animal control depts? Bots? Do you think that animal control people, as a whole, don’t care about animals? That may be the case sometimes, but is far from true more often than not. Why are they only open 9-5? Because your municipality chooses that option and your fellow taxpayers won’t pay for after-hours intake. Don’t like it? Lobby your local government. And stop bashing your local animal control dept (officers, humans all) which diminishes support for them in the community, which makes officials less interested in increasing their funding, which makes them less able to do more than 9-5. You have just become a prime example of one giant reason why animal control departments are limited in what they can do. I date back in animal work before the no-kill movement worked so hard to make open-admission shelters the villains, and encouraged pushing dogs and cats out the door so as not to euthanize them, without really knowing or caring what happened to them after that. Crazy rescues (which thankfully do NOT represent all rescues) who don’t or won’t understand that sometimes, the kindest thing one can do for an animal who is deathly ill, disabled, terrified of every human is to give them a humane death rather than a life of pain and fear, or being warehoused by someone who is little more than a hoarder. Speak for your own group–glad they are there and doing good work. But please do not promote the myth and the lie that open-admission shelters/ animal control departments are the enemy. Jessica Kooistra is exactly on target.
More details about the so called “no-kill” shelter. Yes, they shuffle around the unadoptable (behavior problems, etc). Some are euthanize and just manipulate the numbers and call themselves no kill any way. Some offer spay services and kill any pups. Lots hidden out there.
We are in an area of Louisiana where there isnt even animal control or a public shelter. As horrible as it is, we would welcome even a high kill shelter. Humane euthanasia is much kinder than dying slowly of starvation, injury or disease only because an animal is no longer convenient for the owner.
Thank you for reading my blog. I can only imagine the struggles you guys have in a place with no agency for even a humane euthanasia solution. My heart goes out to you.
Thank you for understanding that it is NOT the shelters fault. Our agency took in over 8,700 animals last year. It is hard, heartbreaking work. There are a lot of things worse than humane euthanasia for animals and we see some of those situations every single day. Hoping you can get some type of help in your area soon.
Yes its the public fault. Get your pets spayed and neutered to avoid unwanted pregnancies but unwant deaths.
This is so sad. Education is the only way to keep this cycle from repeating like other cycles that families repeat.
Underpaid Shelter staff?
Lori West in Gulfport earns 175,000 a year plus bonuses!
Check out what the guy in NYC earns…..close to 750,000 !
This article is a defense against a broken system!
Check out “ Arrested for Holding a Sign in Mississippi “ On YouTube
Yes ma’am!
I am a volunteer with South Georgia Equine Rescue and this statement is NOT true about them.
“Rescue organizations who proudly boast to be “no-kill” only exist because they can choose which animals to take in, and how many. The ones they turn away often end up at the local pound anyway. So, are they truly “no-kill”?”
Heather takes in so many dogs for all over SE GA. She takes in dogs from GlynnCounty GA that would be killed which means they would not hit the magic 90% to get their stupid “no kill’ award from best friends. This needs to be talked about.
Thank you for honest honest statement about “no Kill”. When best friends was in our city trying to make changes to the city animal control, our animal non profit agencies participated. The focus from them was “save them all”. All of in the room were pushing that you would never achieve true “no kill” until spay neuter was the focus. They replied that while supported spay neuter that was not their main focus…it was adoptions. Do the math…will never happen without massive spay neuter programs.
Well said!
Nailed it BIG Time!
THIS !!!!!!!!!!! HOW CAN WE CREATE THIS ACCOUNTABILITY YOU ARTICULATED SO WELL ?!
Thank you, time to shine the light on the true culprit! Irresponsible pet “owners”. Without the shelters there is no relief valve for the untenable situation! Stop blaming them for having to clean up the mess you helped create.
Exactly!!!
Exactly Right on about everything you said ! It is definitely the general public that is causing all these innocent life’s to die! I wish some how we could find out when someone has a “oops” litter and fine they a lot, or make them work at the shelter until there pups get adopted or killed! Make them watch! Maybe then they would stop breeding! So many.innocent babies and adults loose their lives because of human ignorance!! If you are not part of the solution then you are the PROBLEM!!
I get so, so, so, aggravated when people do not do what they should for these animals— I have spayed and neutered all of mine—- and as they are aging, I’m providing the health care as needed/
Huzzah – excellent article!! I worked for 20 years in an open admission shelter. I was there when the so-called “no-kill” movement first started, and have been speaking out and writing against it since its inception. Somehow we need to get the animal-loving public to understand that “no-kill” isn’t what they think it is. And every time those damn BDAS ads come on the TV I want to turn it off… Here’s a link to my article from 2008: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/lifestyle/whats-wrong-with-no-kill-animal-shelters/
Agreed. Thank you for reading.
You ask in your blog, “So what is a shelter to do?” There are numerous things shelters can do and I would be happy to share information with you. I would have preferred to contact you privately, but see no contact tab here. If you would like to add to your education, let me know. I once shared some of your views. After almost 2 decades of advocacy for animals and for tax funded animal shelters, I no longer do. Despite what you may think now, the public is not the enemy because it is that very same public who will adopt, foster, volunteer and donate and who can be guided to make better decisions that affect how shelters operate. Up to you. There are solutions.
Are you the original author of this piece.
Thank you
Yes I am. This blog is a personal space where I share my thoughts and opinions while working in the animal welfare field many years. You can visit the home page from the article page.
Excellent read and spot on. I’ve volunteered at our city shelter for 7 yrs and never seen things as bad as they are now. I’m wondering how the shelter that the writer works in was able to ” change their protocol”?
Excellent commentary on the public’s accountability issue. We also need to hold some public facilities responsible too that shield info from the public and make it difficult for rescues. Things are changing but you can still find those that have resistant staff and city/county elected officials that won’t push for change.
Personally I believe in abortion as there are people reproducing that should not be because they cannot afford to house , feed , dress and are incapable of teaching their children the basics. Just damm ignorant. These are the people I find that allow their animals to run free and perpetuate the euthanasia of millions of innocent cats and dogs.
It is for the most part an irresponsible public and a very sad unnecessary situation that could be prevented. If not for so many animals, those who have lost their homes for legitimate reason would have shelter. If there were a way to make the public accountable for their pets, it might prevent overbreeding or indiscriminate breeding. Unfortunately , I don’t know how to create such accountability
I volunteer with a no- kill shelter in East Texas. We are at 300% capacity! But there is not one baby that will be put down because of length of time in the shelter!! It is unacceptable! We promote these pups and take them on days out and overnights if possible. We have been overwhelmed by litters of puppies and kittens but we have an awesome foster network. If anyone would like our Foster Coordinator to reach out to you, please email me @ allanmickey1211@yahoo.com and I will get in touch with her and have her contact you. Fostering makes such a big difference in the lives of these dogs and cats too. We don’t just foster puppies but adults and pregnant females who are ready to give birth! We go the whole nine yards. I have a hospice foster and she will be with us til she crosses the rainbow bridge. Fostering is a commitment just like volunteering. We’re here for the animals. Thanks for letting me ramble.
I have worked at a shelter and now have my own small rescue for rabbits. Before that I volunteered with rabbit rescues. Every one I know is overwhelmed and filled to capacity and beyond. We do not have enough fosters, volunteers or donors.
Every rescue is barely scraping by. We are all doing our best. If you get into the world of animal rescue it’s generally never for the money. Of course for the bigger organizations the higher ups salaries are often alarmingly high comparatively to the people who do most of the hard work. Most small rescues run off of donations, no one is paid and their own money goes into saving the animals.
What needs to change is the laws. Changing the laws will mean nothing if they are not enforced. Breeding any of these animals that are massively overpopulated right now should be illegal and anyone caught doing it should be fined and made to do community service at a rescue or shelter. The fight needs to start somewhere and we should all pull together to try to get these changes made. Where would we start? How do we get animals as a priority to politicians and law makers who seem not to care?
My family and I have built and run a nonprofit animal rescue from our home for the last 8+ years. We are a family of 6 and live off my husband’s small disability check (he had a stroke at 36). We have never been paid for our labor, and never taken a vacation. I work 24/7 to fundraise just to care for the critters who find themselves with nowhere else to go. Not to mention the feeding, cleaning, watering, building and repairing…
Guys I am TIRED. BUT, we have been able to help close to 900 animals in that time. Alone. Just us. If you can’t do the extremes we go to then at least support your local shelter, rescues and animal control officers!
Liz
Founder & Director of
Noahs Ark Animal Rescue in Mathews County, Va.