For or against no kill shelters.........?

Question

I have always thought no kill shelters were the answer for all homeless pets, but then I just read an article and thought about what they actually are. Sending an animal to a no kill shelter, aren't we kind of sentencing some of them to a life in a cage with very little interaction?? Please do not judge me..... I'm not saying either way is better.... I'm only asking for more information and trying to find out if there's something about these shelters that I'm not finding myself and to get people's opinions on which is actually better. Thanks!!

And yes, I already know that some dogs... aggressive dogs or for whatever reason, do get euthanized but even adoptable pets don't always get adopted.

Answer 1

Define no kill.

In it's truest sense - no kill ever:
A no kill shelter that houses dogs forever until they are adopted can be wonderful or it can be hell on earth for a dog. If it's a "nice" place and the animals aren't living in a kennel or cage that's different. That's a santuary. Santuaries are not what I'm talking about. The poster above me talked about greyhounds. That's a santuary - that's a good thing.

I'm always skeptical of any shelter or rescue who says they are No kill. Either they are lying about it or they are right to life crazys. Sick and injured animals NEED to be euthanized at times. Some animals have a horrible quality of life. You don't keep them around for YOUR benefit.

I hate shelters that keep unadoptable animals in cages for years - I think that is just as bad as whatever life they had before - probably worse. Other dogs that are aggressive are not adoptable. Period. If yo have a santuary and want to let a bunch of biters run around on your farm, go for it. But don't put those poor animals in a crate or kennel for years on end just because you don't believe in euthanizing him. What kind of life does that animal have? No love, no affection, no freedom, just boredom and waiting to die of natural causes? That's horrible.

I think that adoptable animals should have all the time in the world. If we can't adopt out a dog here, we may "trade" dogs with another organization. It helps to get them on a new website, in a new place with new people coming to see them. Those dogs get adopted.

I hate that so many shelters have to euthanize for space. That's heartbreaking. It shouldn't happen. It really doesn't need to happen but look at what it takes to keep adoptable animals indefinitely.

1. Money
2. Space
3. Staff
Most of the shelters I know operate on a shoestring. Private rescues do a little better because they have people working to raise money. Public funding for shelters in many ares is almost non-existent.

When people on YA talk preach the spay and neutering message, people get angry. Look at the alternative. Killing animals.

So am I for no kill shelters? It depends. I don't think many are good for the animals. Some REALLY are, but many aren't.

I truly believe that sometimes, the way that you save them is to kiss them goodbye and give them a painless way out of this miserable life.

Answer 2

I am strongly for no-kill shelters. It gives the animal the opportunity to be evaluated by qualified care givers and then matched to homes. There are volunteers who actually foster some of the animals so they are not kept in cages and there are other groups that will take some of the animals to their facilities until they can find home's. At the very least they stand a chance of finding a home. There just needs to be more public awareness about these facilities and people need to get more involved in pet adoption of older pets. There is no better education you could get than to visit both kinds of shelter's kill and no-kill, talk to workers in both and then you will be able to make a better informed decision. At least your thinking about it, which is a lot more than most people do.

Answer 3

Not all no kill shelters are like the ones you describe. My daughter lives on 30 acres where she has a no kill rescue for racing greyhounds. She and her family take care of 47 greyhounds in various stages of health and agility. They socialize them, walk the fields with them, feed and care for them. They do try to adopt away all that can be adopted. As you point out, though, not all can be adopted. Some are simply too old and/or infirm. That doesn't mean, however, that they should be put down. Unless an animal is in constant, intractable pain, they must feel at least some pleasure in awakening each day in a place where they have come to know they will be fed and kept comfortable. By the way, no kill shelter does not mean the animals are allowed to suffer bitterly in pain if there is no medical cure for their injury/illness/condition. No kill means no viable animal will be put down because there is no room for them or it is inconvenient or expensive to care for them. Hope this helps you see that there are many, many "homes" for homeless animals that don't include caging and isolation. My daughter and her family are only one of many. Do a quick search on the internet.

Answer 4

'May not like this, but public opinion is a bit skewed; what some call "kill shelters" offer a gentler end than what is conceived to be true. Approx 10 yrs ago, I adopted my current dog as a pup from our local shelter, and was so grateful that I volunteered my time after work. I did that for 2 yrs, and made friends w/staff. At closing time one afternoon, I was asked to help carry a large dog that had been literally dumped at their back entrance. It was an obvious cruelty case (details w/held) and the decision was made to euthanize it. To my surprise, the staff was gentle, kind, and as affectionate as possible to this "strange" dog, giving it probably the only kindness it had ever known. With a smile that could only come from relief of life-long pain, it was given its final rest. Yes, not all of them make it out, but when they don't, they are given as much respect and dignity as possible.

Answer 5

I worked as a kennel tech for a no kill shelter. Those places will go to any means to not put a dog down. I know because I got bit by a dog that had some sort of facial paralysis (he'd been beaten or something) and he'd been there a long time. They call it kennel crazy. He bit me because I was trying to put him back in his kennel after I walked him. Of course, after he bit me (he was a very large dog) he had to be put down. Anyway, these organizations also work together to rescue dogs from kill shelters by placing them in no kill shelters. The problem is that when the no kill shelters are full, they can't help anyone. So I guess the dog catcher gets the dog and puts it down in a couple days, or the dog goes to a kill shelter. See the problem? The solution? SPAY AND NEUTER.

Answer 6

It is a hard thing to think about. My daughter is a real animal lover. She also takes real good care of her animals. She saw a web sight that showed all the dogs in shelters that were ready to be euthanized. I told her don't look, but she looked anyway & then found a way to help out. She connected with a rescue organization & has become a foster care center. She takes one dog at a time into her home, intervews prospective adoptive parents & places them in good homes. She does her part in helping our best friends. We can all help if we really have the time to do so. If a animal is sick, injured or a danger to others he should be put down other wise lets all help if we can.

Answer 7

I know what you mean, but I think that they should at least have the chance to live out their life, so i would have to say the no kill shelters are more humane, because they at least give the animals a chance to live and be adopted.

Answer 8

I do not like no kill shelters. I think it is better to put a dog down than to condemn it to a life in a cage. Living in cage for too long a period will cause the dog too much stress and changes a dog for the worse. I think it more humane to put the dog down than to force it to live in a cage for the rest of its life unwanted.
Another reason I do not no kill shelters is because not all dogs can be saved so why make it worse by torturing them with cage life. Dogs were domesticated and they are happiest living with people, they do not do well in the constant isolation of a cage.

Answer 9

no kill shelters r good. at least the ones in my area. at the ones in my area they put every dog that has been there for like 2 weeks into foster care. so they can socialize and live a normal life and be with a family. i hate kill shelters because a dog gets a week to get a new home and if they dont they get the needle. no kill shelters arent bad. kill shelters r worse

Answer 10

My local Humane Society is a no-kill, but I have tried to bring in stray cats, socialized animals who were abandoned in my neigbhorhood, and they never have room. NEVER. You are forced to choose between the high kill county Animal Control and surrender a perfectly fine animal who you are pretty sure will be put down, or you keep it yourself and try and find a home for it.

I have become a spay/neuter zealot from this experience and from volunteering at the shelter. I had no idea people just gave up on animals the nano-second it became inconvenient or not so cute anymore. I had no idea how often people moved and just left their cat or tied their dog to a tree and left! Basically, I didn't realize that people were such ignorant heartless bastards when it came to animals. I know the shelters are doing what they can, but they are overwhelmed. I think we as a society need to advocate mandatory spay/neuter programs and stop the cycle of backyard breeding and people giving out free puppies and kittens in parking lots. When someone gets a pet for free, they tend never to invest a dime in routine shots or spay/neuter. They don't value the animal because they didn't pay for it.

For the record, I have never brought an animal to animal control. I get them fixed and get them their shots and the strays can live in my yard and I feed them. I put up flyers and try and find new homes for them, but nobody seems to want adult cats. I don't think it's a perfect solution but I can't bear to just have them killed and there isn't room at a no-kill shelter, so living in my yard is the best I can offer these animals for now.