| Low Kill
Shelter - What does that mean
A low kill
shelter means that we do all we can to place every
"adoptable" animal that comes into our shelter. We do
not have a time limit on an animal's stay, and an
adoptable animal will not be euthanized to make room for
another. HART works with many other shelters and No-Kill
rescues to transfer animals that are adoptable but for
some reason have been overlooked on the adoption floor.
The instances
where we may have to euthanize are:
* Animal is too
sick or injured (beyond medical treatment)
* Medical
treatment cost outweighs the likelihood of adoption
* Unadoptable
due to aggression or failed temperament test
* Unadoptable or
suffering due to severe kennel stress
I have included
a few view points on the No-Kill vs Kill controversy.
Please bear in mind that HART does not endorse these
articles, they are strictly for your information. You
can find many more articles and viewpoints on this
subject on the internet.
There is no easy
or right solution to the problem of pet overpopulation
and the sad reality of mankind not caring for helpless
animals. That is the reason for the variety of shelters
trying to do the best thing possible. Education is the
best tool we can possess.
Kill Vs. No Kill
Animal Shelters
Ultimately,
which is the Best?
Pretty much
everyone who realizes there are stray cats and dogs on
the streets knows that the pet population is a problem
in this country. Most shelters are over stocked with
homeless animals and continue to take in more than they
are able to adopt out. Those who felt that it was unfair
to put animals in shelters for a short period of time
only to euthanize them later, even while perfectly
healthy and only for the reason that they have no home,
are the ones who invented the "No Kill Shelter". But how
far does the term "no kill" have to go before the
welfare of the animal is taken into consideration.
I mean sure, it
stinks to have to euthanize an animal. It's horrible
when it's your own pet but when you are the actual
person ending this animal's life, it comes from a
different perspective. I've been in those shoes numerous
times and I will tell you, it's never fun. There are
times when an animal is sick and suffering and the deed
needs to be done. That doesn't make it any better but
one has to take solace in knowing that the suffering for
that animal has ended. In shelter situations, in the
case of kill shelters, it gets more difficult. The fact
is, perfectly healthy animals do get euthanized because
they are homeless. Some are put to sleep when it has
been determined that they will be unadoptable. Dogs that
are aggressive or severely ill often fall under this
group. The same goes for cats. When you look at it from
the view of the Kill Shelter, there are many homeless
pets out there and keeping pets in the shelter who may
never be adopted are simply taking up space that
adoptable pets could be placed in. Sick pets cost money
to treat and money isn't something that can just be
thrown around at shelters. It really does sound cruel to
doom one pet to death in exchange for another. In
reality, what else are they to do?
So what about
the No Kill shelters? No kill shelters vary slightly
from shelter to shelter. There are those who are
considered "no kill" and will pretty much keep pets
until they are adopted out. Some will, however,
euthanize animals that are suffering or harboring
infectious diseases. There are others that go by the "No
Kill" guideline even more strictly. If they are going to
be a no kill shelter, that means they will not euthanize
any pet. But what about pets who are ill and who
have a poor
quality of life? Many cats are simply freaked out beyond
belief simply by being caged. I've personally seen a
number of cats who make themselves very ill from the
stress of being in a shelter environment. It's never fun
to walk into a shelter and see the pets caged, begging
to be adopted. Think of what it would be like to live
there.
The public often
responds to no kill shelters more easily than kill
shelters. Perhaps the reason may be that they feel the
folks who run no kill shelters care more about the
animals. Because of this these shelters are extremely
over run, some with hundreds of dogs and cats. Too often
more pets are being taken in than are being adopted out.
So which is the best type of shelter? The fact of the
matter is that neither is better than the other. The
simple point is that they are both available to provide
homes for homeless pets. It doesn't matter what their
policies are. It doesn't matter who funds the shelter,
whether it be by private donations only or government
funded. Most shelters are struggling to get by and
provide care for the pets regardless of where their
money is coming from. All that matters is that both
types of shelters have pets that need homes. Because of
human ignorance, our world is overly populated by cats
and dogs. Because of humans cats are giving birth to
millions of kittens every year and dogs are running
rampant through the streets. It's because of us that
these shelters are full of unwanted pets.
You cannot blame
the kill shelter for their policies. They have pets that
need homes and they have limited funds to provide for
them. In the best interest of the pets, unadoptable pets
are euthanized to prevent them from having to live out
their entire lives in a shelter. No kill shelters are
also operating on limited funds and are more often than
not, over their limits on what they can actually afford
to care for.
Pets are in all
kinds of shelters. Pets in kill shelters are in need of
homes just as badly as those in no kill shelters. It's
not the animal's fault that he is in one or the other.
He doesn't understand why he's there, how long he will
be there or what's going to happen to him. The public
needs to be aware that it's okay to not agree with the
policy of a shelter. However, if you don't agree with
the kill shelter and do not want to visit them in search
of a pet because you don't want to support them, keep in
mind that it's the pet that is losing the battle. This
applies to no kill shelters as well. The pet may not be
euthanized there, but he will be doomed to a life in a
cage if he goes unadopted. You may be asking yourself,
"so where do I go to look for my new dog or cat?" The
answer is simple. Visit both types of shelters if you
have them in your area. It doesn't matter what their
policies are. All that matters is when you meet the big
brown eyes of the most perfect dog, or hear the soft
rumbling purr of a cat that was made just for you. All
that matters is that you choose the pet for you and
provide him or her with the most loving home, the best
care, and the happiest rest of his life that you
possibly can. Pets in shelters have been through a lot,
regardless of the reason why they were placed there.
They deserve a chance despite the type of shelter they
now live in. Put politics and emotional feelings aside
and focus on your potential adopted pet. |
