Kill Shelters?

Question

Do kill shelters have a certain amount of time governed by law that they must keep an animal before they can put it to sleep or is it up to the individual shelters?

Answer 1

First of all, I HATE the term kill vs. no-kill. There are open admission shelters (shelters who take in most animals. These shelters euthanize for health, behavior, requested euthanasias and yes sometimes population. Limited admission shelters take in a pre-determined number. When they reach that, they are "full" and usually there is a waiting list for other animals that need to be surrendered over.

The majority of shelters are privately run and do not receive government funding. A lot of government agencies do, however, use shelters as holding facilities for their stray animals.
Each state is going to vary in that holding requirement. Some states only have to hold strays three days, others five days, in Wisconsin, it's seven days. In the majority of shelters, the animal is then eligible for adoption if they meet adoption requirements (again, will vary from shelter to shelter) or they are euthanized. These stray periods are set to give the owner of the animal time to come foreward and reclaim their pets. Unfortunately, many people choose not to. My shelter does not place animals that have a history of biting, severe health problems or animals showing human or severe animal aggression. We also do not place cats that are not using their litterboxes. Some shelters are willing to work with these issues, while others are not. Once our animals are up on the adoption floor, they stay there as long as they are doing well (good health, no aggression, no separation anxiety, etc.)

Each shelter is going to have their own protocols, their own viewpoints, etc. There are pros and cons to both types of shelters. The bottom line is that there are not enough homes for every animal. HSUS estimates that there are 6-8 million animals in shelters every year (stray and surrendered) and that half of them are euthanized. THAT'S why it is so vital to stress the importance of spaying and neutering!

*stepping off of soapbox*

Answer 2

I dont know if there is a law that they must follow but many set a rule of say 1-2 weeks before killing the animal. However, many of these animals die way beforehand that time limit from euthanization, starvation, or even from fights between animals. Many shelters automatcally kill young kittens or cat over the age of 6 and also kill animals bc they are already overpopulateed with pets.

Answer 3

Some states have regulations for a maximum amount of time animals are allowed to be at the shelter before they're euthanized. But this is generally the case only for state-sponsored shelters. However, I think a minimum amount of time is dependant on the shelter itself. Depending on how adoptable they feel the dog is after assessing it's health, temperament, etc, the time may be more or less.

Answer 4

Most of them wait 7 days before they put them down.. I think they wait for the owners to come pick them up and if no one shows then they get euthanized... Usually other shelters go to the kill shelters and rescue the ones that they think would be suitable for families... I hope this helps!

Answer 5

I've never heard of a "kill shelter" Perhaps you mean Animal Control. Probably the toughest job there is. Trying to find homes for unwanted pets. When there time is up 2-3 Weeks they must dispose of them. Sad but that's why it's so important to "fix" your pet.

Answer 6

i don't know if there is a "law". each shelter has it's own rules which are sanctioned by the county in which they are located. call your local shelter for advice.

Answer 7

There is a certain time by law I believe that it is 2-3 weeks.