Do you believe there is such a thing as a no kill shelter? Why or why not ?
So I know I have a backlog of unanswered questions that came in before this one. But I think that this is a really interesting topic that a lot of people don’t know the full scope of. I really wanted to talk about it and hopefully make things a little clearer. So here we go.
The difference between a “kill shelter” and a “no-kill” shelter, at its bare bones, is choice.
“Kill” shelters are considered as such because they euthanize potentially adoptable animals due to overcrowding. (I will explain why I use "potentially" soon.) These are going to be your city/county animal shelters.
The entire reason that they have to use this practice, is because they cannot turn any animals away.
If animal control brings in a stray - they have to take it.
If a citizen surrenders a pet - they have to take it.
If someone hits an animal with their car and dumps it on their doorstep - they have to take it.
Do you see what I’m getting at?
They can never say no to an animal, which leads to a high volume of animals in their shelters. But, they only have so much room. It's a sad truth, but it is a reality.
When an animal is euthanized in a shelter, many factors go into making that decision. It's not just a “pick whoever we want” sort of deal. However, some can make an animal more likely to be euthanized in a shelter.
The very young and the very old are at risk for euthanization in shelters.
Neonates, or newborn babies, have high euthanization rates in shelters.
The fact is, shelter staff are already stretched thin and simply do not have the time (or funding for that matter) to be feeding babies every 2 hours.
Geriatric pets, generally over 7 years of age, are also at high risk of euthanization.
The sad truth is, most adopters don’t want older pets. They want a new puppy. So these pets are not considered highly adaptable.
Sick pets are also likely to be euthanized.
Once again, shelter staff cannot devote an exorbitant amount of time and money to a single pet that is very sick.
Now, that’s not to say that shelters do not take care of sick pets.
My clinic works very closely with our local shelter. They treat many common illnesses such as upper respiratory infections in kittens, heartworm disease, cut and abrasions, and other minor afflictions.
However, if a pet is severely ill, it may be more humane to euthanize. Putting an animal through rigorous, costly treatments, only to have them ultimately not be adopted, becomes a fruitless effort.
Any pets that demonstrate “unadoptable” characteristics. (See, I told you I’d explain.)
If you have a very aggressive or nervous animal, they are less likely to get adopted.
“But wait!” I hear you cry, “Just work with them, they’ll get better!”
Yeah, maybe. But not always.
This is an underfunded, understaffed shelter we’re talking about, which doesn't have the time or resources to do those things.
The staff may try their hardest, especially with a nervous animal. But, if enough time has passed with no improvement and space is needed...Well, we know the drill.
Length of an animal's stay in the shelter may also play a role in the decision to euthanize.
An animal with any of the issues listed above and that has been been in the shelter for an extended period have an increased chance of being euthanized.
I will say this and say this in bold. THESE ANIMALS ARE NOT GOING TO BE EUTHANIZED UNLESS SPACE IS NEEDED. Shelters try everything in their power to save these animals.
No one works at a shelter just because. They do it because they
want to save animals.
Some of the things they do to try and combat overcrowding are as follows:
Many shelters have foster programs.
These programs take pets, especially those who are not doing well in a shelter setting, and place them into people’s homes for a short time until adopters can be found.
1) Make more room at the shelter itself, allowing them to take in more animals.
2) This helps the animals to become more accustomed to life in a home with people, making them more adoptable.
Some very nervous or shy pets really blossom and come out of their shells in foster homes, which makes them much more appealing to adopters.
A friendly cat that wants to headbutt you that you meet in someone’s home is much more appealing than one that is hiding in the back of a cage at a shelter.
Some shelters even do outreach work with what we would consider “no-kill”, rescue groups, or specialty shelters.
These have become very popular recently.
Be is breed-specific, geriatric, special needs, or neonatal - there's pretty much a rescue group for everything.
These are very helpful when a shelter is very full or has a particular case that they know they cannot take care of.
Neonates are the perfect example. The shelter staff does not have the time to care for newborns, but a foster parent or a rescue group devoted to neonates can come and take those tiny babies. They have the resources and time to give them the proper attention and care they need.
So, in reality, your local “kill” shelter isn’t doing anything wrong. They are taking in strays and unwanted pets and trying their very best to provide them a safe place to stay until they can be adopted. They can get overcrowded, which yes, does lead to euthanasia, but they do everything in their power to avoid that.
"No-kill” shelters are usually privately run organizations and can be selective about which pets they take in. They can turn away more “undesirable” pets that they think will not get adopted.
What this means is that they do have to take animals from animal control. They do not have to take surrendered animals from citizens. They don’t have to take anything that they don’t “like.” Many of these “shelters” take the form of breed-specific rescues. But, they can also be huge facilities that do not specialize.
A lot of people assume that a “no-kill” shelter is more humane than a “kill” shelter, but that is based on miss information.
The biggest difference between the two is that “no-kills” choose which animals to bring into their facilities, which means they do not get overcrowded and do not have to euthanize animals for space. But, by turning away animals, “no-kill” shelters are not helping the animals they deem “undesirable.”
Now, I will say, not all “no-kill” shelters just select desirable animals. Some specialize in “unadoptable animals. There are “no-kill” shelters or rescue groups that will pull sick, injured, geriatric, or otherwise deemed unadoptable animals from shelters. These pets either remain with the rescue permanently or are adopted out to individuals who know how to take care of special needs animals. This is a way that “no-kill” shelters and rescue groups being selective is a very good thing.
So, with all of that information, to answer the original question; Yes. There is such a thing as a “no-kill” shelter.
There are shelters that do not, by definition, euthanize animals for space. However, these shelters are not better than “kill” shelters, because they select only animals that they deem the most adaptable, and turn the rest away.
I think that demonizing normal shelters because of the rise of “no-kill” shelters has done more harm than good. Normal shelters need your donations and needs you to adopt pets from them. If you adopt a pet from a normal shelter you are saving not only that life but also making room for the next pet who can be saved. When you adopt from a “no-kill” shelter, they are selecting and have space, if they so choose. This is not true of all “no-kill,” as we discussed, with the specialty rescue groups that help save unadoptable animals.
I think the ultimate takeaway is this:
Adopt a pet from a shelter and don’t be tricked by labels like “kill” and “no-kill.”
Shelters are there to save animals and find them forever homes, no matter what type it is.
If you’re looking for a pet, go to a shelter first. And, if you’re able, donate (either monetarily, time, or even supplies!) to your local shelter.
If you’d like to read an article about this, I found this one from the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Medicine:
Animal shelters and animal welfare: Raising the bar
I thought it was interesting and it touched on a lot of challenges that are faced within a shelter setting that I didn't talk about. It’s a quick read, but very informative!
What do you guys think about shelters in general? Does anyone have a different shelter experience? Please ask questions and let me know!
