[News] No-Kill shelters may be harmful to animals
 

Overcrowding can cause suffering, pet welfare advocates say -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20246424/

SAN ANTONIO - In the old lobby of the city-run animal shelter, a cheerful-looking sign written in neon pink, blue and yellow delivers a somber message: In a week’s time, 1,004 dogs and cats were brought in and 925 were killed.
San Antonio’s Animal Care Services wants to turn those numbers around by converting to a “no-kill” facility, meaning all animals deemed healthy or treatable would stay at the shelter until adopted. The program is to be phased in by 2012.
Animal welfare advocates caution that the national shift toward no-kill shelters isn’t always in the best interest of the animals who never find a home.
“It sounds very good, but the reality is that it will probably leave some animals to suffer,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, director of the domestic animal department at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

'Warehousing' a top concern
No-kill shelters that have worked elsewhere in the country have succeeded because they partner with other local facilities. But many no-kill shelters have no backup plan and hang onto animals for months, sometimes years, until they are adopted, causing crowding and health problems for the animals.
“I’ve been to good no-kills, and I’ve been to bad no-kills,” said Jef Hale, the San Antonio shelter’s director. “I was at a no-kill in Louisiana and basically what they did is they just put animals in a cage and they just continued to add animals to a cage. ... If we put them in a cage and we don’t interact with them, we slowly drive them crazy.”
The practice of “warehousing” is a top concern for animal organizations when a shelter decides to go no-kill. And animal advocates say they understand that killing the animals is sometimes the only humane way to end overcrowding.

We have one in our area that I thought was a wonderful until my dtr's fiance started working there and I got to visit. He lasted one week and quit because of the treatment (or lack of) of the animals. This shelter, for whatever reasons, relied on donation, only. No gov't monies. Therefore, there wasn't enough money for a vet or decent food. Or anything else. Many of the dogs were laying in blood from open sores, vomit, feces until their cages were cleaned. But they weren't medically treated so the cycle never stopped. They were flearidden. They were fed expired and discarded dog food. They had no socialization. No human contact except whoever was cleaning the cages. But because nobody lasts long there, they are constantly understaffed which means even less attention to the animals. It made me sick - I went home and cried. I never dreamt a no-kill shelter would be worse than being pts for an animal.:(

Wow,,if that doesn't wake you up..1,004 brought into the shelter in ONE WEEK! And 925 put down.. WOW.:(

SPAY AND NEUTER!!

I can see both points of view. My husband, and I have 5 acres that we're going to retire on, and want to put a small 10 run no kill shelter on it. I'd only take in the ten, because that's all we could pay for. We will seek government aid, but if we don't get it will atleast know they'll have a nice home with an inside and outside play area. This has been my dream since I was a little girl, and in about 5 years it will become a reality, and I'm really happy about it. My husband says I'll fall in love with them, and never want to rehome them. It might be the case, but atleast 10 less will have to suffer.

Bless you for that. I really wish I could do something like that. The only problem with government money is that you have to do what they say. But there are grants and other monies available out there if you look hard enough. And possible a vet that would work with you. I have a friend that will take care of as many as 50 cats at a time. Most of them are wild but she feeds them very well - dry and wet food mixed together. They are fed 2xday and are so fat and well fed that they don't bother the birds that are all over because of the bird feeders. The ones she can catch, she has neutered and gets them their shots. She treats all eye problems or anything else. She brings so much business to the vet, that he pretty much charges her cost, and that's it. I wish you all the best and hope that maybe, in time, you can grow to save even more lives.

People go in with the right intentions, but can get easily overwhelmed very quickly. I regularly contribute to a rescue org. and try to help out when I can with fund raisers. The problem is that some of these rescue orgs. don't have a long term plan on sustaining a operation or don't realize that they do need to do marketing to get contributors. I am more than greatful that Chip came from a rescue group, and wish more people would rescue/adopt rather than buy from a breeder or puppy mill.

Great post!
 

This is a sad story either way. Isn't it?
To put them down or to lock them away.... uh?
I wish folks would learn when they buy a cute little puppy it's a lifetime commitment not temp.
My heart goes out to all the animals in any shelter.

STOP PUPPY MILLS and SPAY & NEUTER!!!
That's all I can say!!!

A friend lives close to the Best Friends Animal Shelter (which is no kill) and has had nothing but great things to say about them.

I think a lot of it is....people with good intentions that somehow get carried away with what they can (can NOT) handle!

Those poor furbabies!! :cry8: