According to wikipedia.org, a no-kill animal shelter is defined as an animal shelter where animals are only euthanized if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption. No-kill shelters reject euthanasia as a means of population control. Although this seems like a fairly straightforward definition, it is not. A no-kill shelter and a no-kill community can mean multiple different things to any given community, and different programs can be altered to sound much more effective than they really are.
The largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country is Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT. They house anywhere from 1,500-2,000 animals on any given day, and ONLY euthanize if medically necessary. Contradictory to the definition above, they do not kill for behavioral reasons, including aggression, chronic shyness, etc. They only believe in humane euthanasia if it is strictly for medical reasons that can not humanly be fixed. Other shelters classify themselves as a no-kill shelter, and they follow the guidelines above. If an animal comes in with severe behavioral problems, defined above, they are able to kill that animal and still call themselves “no-kill”. They may be killing a large percentage of the animals that are coming in and still getting away with the label because they know how to classify the killings. There might be another shelter that doesn’t have any strict euthanasia guidelines in place, but tends to have a really great kill/no-kill ratio. They might not be called a “no-kill shelter” but they might have really great community programs and such, and have really effective shelter practices as well. The point that I am trying to make, is while it is extremely important for our country to move toward a no-kill nation, it is not the only characteristic that a shelter or community should be judged upon. It is also impossible to know whether a shelter is “good” or “bad” based on this one term. “No-kill” is a term that is used very loosely sometimes, but there is a lot more to it, and a lot of intricate pieces that go along with it that must be examined.
So we have determined that while no-kill as a theory is a really good thing, as a term it is very complex. As a theory, it is important for shelters and communities to understand that euthanasia, or killing, is not a solution for population control. It has become far too easy for people, certain shelters, etc. to forget about the problems with a cat or a dog by killing it. In some areas, it is a completely commonly accepted practice. These are the overrun shelters that are simply OVERWHELMED at the influx of animals coming in. As a friend pointed out, many of these shelters are city mandated and do not have the option of turning away animals when they are brought to the shelter. It may seem that they have no other choice than to kill when they have to make room for the animals that are continuously coming in.
Many shelters have taken this “no-kill movement” as a revolutionary fix-all for their shelters, and have overnight decided that they will no longer kill cats and dogs unless it is medically justified. These attempts have failed miserably, leaving thousands of cats and dogs in unfavorable situations because they were not able to get a seat at the shelter. The simple fact is, that if you do become a no-kill shelter, for one, you can not do it overnight, and for two, you simply will not be able to take in as many animals as you did before, because the kennels will not be opening up as fast when all of the animals are living. This is why it is so important to support the no-kill development with programs that will work on the other issues, such as home retention, spay/neuter, financial assistance, etc. These programs COMBINED, if done right, can make for a significantly more humane community. Does it take a lot of work? Hell yes; a lot of work, and a whole lot of people. It’s not something that can be fixed overnight, and we need everyone to be on board. We need people who can help financially, politically, and all around hard workers. Why is this important to you? I don’t have to tell you that a humane community is a safe community.
I would never suggest that you completely shut off your support to a shelter who is not no-kill. If we don’t support them, they will never improve their ways and tactics. I just urge you to take it one step further. Instead of just sending a check to them, call them up and ask them what their policies are. Know exactly where your money is going. Don’t judge them on what they do, because that will not solve any problems either. Share your thoughts with them, and ASK them how your help might be best utilized. Get involved as much as you personally can.
I also strongly encourage you to read Redemption by Nathan Winograd, the “pioneer of no-kill”. I am in the middle of the book right now, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the current crisis in US shelters. I also strongly suggest that you please go on his website, nathanwinograd.com and poke around a little. We had the ultimate pleasure of meeting Mr. Winograd at the ‘No More Homeless Pets’ conference last month in Las Vegas. He has a long list of impressive credentials, and has greatly impacted the nation as it pertains to the “no-kill movement”.
Volunteer at your shelters, support them as much as you can. Talk to people who are uneducated where you might be able to help; education is everything. With the risk of sounding all “Reading Rainbow”, knowledge is power, so share it. Don’t be embarrassed to sound like a know it all… Share with people what you know, you might just be saving one dog or cat, but that is one more dog or cat NOT in the shelter.
Thanks for reading!
The largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country is Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT. They house anywhere from 1,500-2,000 animals on any given day, and ONLY euthanize if medically necessary. Contradictory to the definition above, they do not kill for behavioral reasons, including aggression, chronic shyness, etc. They only believe in humane euthanasia if it is strictly for medical reasons that can not humanly be fixed. Other shelters classify themselves as a no-kill shelter, and they follow the guidelines above. If an animal comes in with severe behavioral problems, defined above, they are able to kill that animal and still call themselves “no-kill”. They may be killing a large percentage of the animals that are coming in and still getting away with the label because they know how to classify the killings. There might be another shelter that doesn’t have any strict euthanasia guidelines in place, but tends to have a really great kill/no-kill ratio. They might not be called a “no-kill shelter” but they might have really great community programs and such, and have really effective shelter practices as well. The point that I am trying to make, is while it is extremely important for our country to move toward a no-kill nation, it is not the only characteristic that a shelter or community should be judged upon. It is also impossible to know whether a shelter is “good” or “bad” based on this one term. “No-kill” is a term that is used very loosely sometimes, but there is a lot more to it, and a lot of intricate pieces that go along with it that must be examined.
So we have determined that while no-kill as a theory is a really good thing, as a term it is very complex. As a theory, it is important for shelters and communities to understand that euthanasia, or killing, is not a solution for population control. It has become far too easy for people, certain shelters, etc. to forget about the problems with a cat or a dog by killing it. In some areas, it is a completely commonly accepted practice. These are the overrun shelters that are simply OVERWHELMED at the influx of animals coming in. As a friend pointed out, many of these shelters are city mandated and do not have the option of turning away animals when they are brought to the shelter. It may seem that they have no other choice than to kill when they have to make room for the animals that are continuously coming in.
Many shelters have taken this “no-kill movement” as a revolutionary fix-all for their shelters, and have overnight decided that they will no longer kill cats and dogs unless it is medically justified. These attempts have failed miserably, leaving thousands of cats and dogs in unfavorable situations because they were not able to get a seat at the shelter. The simple fact is, that if you do become a no-kill shelter, for one, you can not do it overnight, and for two, you simply will not be able to take in as many animals as you did before, because the kennels will not be opening up as fast when all of the animals are living. This is why it is so important to support the no-kill development with programs that will work on the other issues, such as home retention, spay/neuter, financial assistance, etc. These programs COMBINED, if done right, can make for a significantly more humane community. Does it take a lot of work? Hell yes; a lot of work, and a whole lot of people. It’s not something that can be fixed overnight, and we need everyone to be on board. We need people who can help financially, politically, and all around hard workers. Why is this important to you? I don’t have to tell you that a humane community is a safe community.
I would never suggest that you completely shut off your support to a shelter who is not no-kill. If we don’t support them, they will never improve their ways and tactics. I just urge you to take it one step further. Instead of just sending a check to them, call them up and ask them what their policies are. Know exactly where your money is going. Don’t judge them on what they do, because that will not solve any problems either. Share your thoughts with them, and ASK them how your help might be best utilized. Get involved as much as you personally can.
I also strongly encourage you to read Redemption by Nathan Winograd, the “pioneer of no-kill”. I am in the middle of the book right now, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the current crisis in US shelters. I also strongly suggest that you please go on his website, nathanwinograd.com and poke around a little. We had the ultimate pleasure of meeting Mr. Winograd at the ‘No More Homeless Pets’ conference last month in Las Vegas. He has a long list of impressive credentials, and has greatly impacted the nation as it pertains to the “no-kill movement”.
Volunteer at your shelters, support them as much as you can. Talk to people who are uneducated where you might be able to help; education is everything. With the risk of sounding all “Reading Rainbow”, knowledge is power, so share it. Don’t be embarrassed to sound like a know it all… Share with people what you know, you might just be saving one dog or cat, but that is one more dog or cat NOT in the shelter.
Thanks for reading!
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