No Kill Shelters - what a joke!!!!

15 years ago

I don't know if I am more upset at myself for having been fooled, or more upset with our society.

Today in the morning paper was an article about all of the animals that are brought to our city once a week to be killed. The animals come from "no kill" shelters, and are brought here to be killed.

The shelters are too crowded, but do not have the facilities to be killed, so they bring them here. On one day they kill them all. Some have just been turned over to the shelter and are brought in to be killed.

I feel certain that since this hit our paper that our city will act, but I wonder how many people are proud of their "no kill" facilities, not knowing that the shelter just transports them somewhere else to be killed.

Sammy

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sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author

15 years ago

In the first place, they can be honest, and say that they send them off to be killed. The surrounding communities send 4,000 animals a year to our shelter to be killed. THe newspaper article is a good start, and more publicity would help.

What they can do is to hire more workers and become professional - just like they were building a city hall. THey can crack down on puppy mills, and back yard breeders.

Keeping the animals in cages or not feeding them is not a reasonable alternative. They deserve humane treatment. If we begin to regulate the breeding, (requiring licenses), we would be off to a good start. All animal owners could be involved by having their animals tagged and registered.

We live in a society where people are apathetically shrugging off all kind of social problems, and helplessly saying that nothing can be done. Our schools have problems, our children have problems. Look at all the children who cannot see a doctor. They sit in their classroom and cry because the pain has been so bad. Society says that they can see a doctor, but we teachers know that is not true.

We need more community involvement. We need to recognize that we should act, and not shrug off these problems.

On Mondays they close the shelter so that they can be prepared for the deliveries to kill. I don't think any thought goes into trying to keep the dogs and allow them to be adopted. If they are delivered on Mondays, they are killed.

I cannot take in the animals or children. I cannot treat the people in the overcrowded waiting room of the hospitals. But I can say "Hey, did you know that this is happening in my community?" "I sure hope it isn't happening in yours."

Sammy

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Comments (29)

Elly_NJ
15 years ago
What are the alternatives? Will you take in the animals?
lilliepad
15 years ago
So what do you do with them when the shelters are so full they can't handle them and all of them can't be adopted out? What kind of life do they have sitting in little cages,never interacting with humans or other animals,possibly not having enough food because the shelters are so over populated and nobody is interested enough to donate food or not enough people to take care of all of them.I'm sorry,and I know I will get flamed for this BIG time,but in my opinion they are better off being humanely euthanized than to have to live that way.As far as I am concerned there are a lot of things much worse to be upset with "our society" about!
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About the 3 days thing... I heard that was the case when the humane society was running the show but who knows. I adopted from atlanta/fulton county. If you go to their website you can see there's dogs up for adoption that have been there much longer than 3 days. They were great but they told me the dog I was interested in just came in as a stray and they were going to hold him for 7 days. I was surprised that they only were going to hold 7 days. I've talked about that before in my 'what would you do if' topic. There's some great finds in the shelter. I personally think it's much easier than adopting from rescue groups. They often have a lot of red tape, college-like applications, want to come inspect your home and alla this. With a shelter, it's first come, first served and even then they give others a chance to win the dog if the first person on the list doesn't show up by a certain time. That's about as fair as it gets in what is a pretty competitive place for adopting dogs. Some county shelters just don't have enough money. There was one on the news in recent months asking for donations and they stayed open on Christmas eve, not because they like to promote pets as gifts but because they thought even that was better than the alternative since it was pretty much the end of the line for a lot of dogs.
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coral_ok
15 years ago
Sammy, I read that same article this morning and have been upset all day. I know that the conditions in overcrowded shelters are probably less humane than euthanasia, but I'm haunted by the image of the trucks coming in, carrying happy, healthy dogs to be killed. We're in the process of adopting an ARF dog; I wish we could adopt them all. Heartbreaking, isn't it?
Elly_NJ
15 years ago
It issad, but it's not the shelters fault if there are so many dogs that there is no room for them. More people should be adopting from shelters, but shelters cannot stockpile animals in crowded conditions.
annzgw
15 years ago
First, I wouldn't believe everything in the article since it's not unusual for the media to twist the information they've been given so that the story ends up with some shock value.

Second, no-kill shelters does not mean all dogs can and will be adopted out. It means they do not kill adoptable animals.
All no-kill shelters, and even ARF, has had to make the decision to euthanize dogs that are aggressive or totally unadoptable.
I'm guessing that is the situation for the dogs in the story.........they're the ones that can't be placed for various reasons.

All the no-kill shelters I've worked with go out of their way to place every animal they take in (as long as it's not vicious).
So, if everyone here wants to help where they can, become a foster parent.
singleton165
15 years ago
Sammy, I agree that hopefully that news article will get people thinking, and that more people will have their pets neutered so there will be less unwanted animals to go to the shelters.
I adopted my dog from the NH SPCA, and he was already neutered (by them). They did try to persuade me from adopting him since he is a lab/rottie mix and didn't know how he would react with my 6 yo. That was 7 years ago and our Ozzy has been wonderfull! I'm sure most SPCA's do the best they can to place animals in good homes...but they are probably overwhelmed (sp?). I have been watching a lot of "Animal Planet" and the rescue shows they have on there...and am considering being a foster parent to a "semi-adoptable" dog. My schedule may not allow much, but I have a great dog that can be a role model and a pal until a good home can be found for the dog. Of course I am not in a big city where most of these unfortunate dogs are located...but it's one little thing that some of us can do.
lilliepad
15 years ago
Well Sammy,what you suggest would be perfect,in a perfect world.However,this isn't a perfect world and everyone doesn't think alike.I do agree that getting the word out may save some of the animals,but as annz said,all are not adoptable and euthanasia is the only humane answer.
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author
15 years ago
Ann, the drop off from the surrounding suburbs is documented. I doubt if the numbers are unusual. A few months ago when they were doing broadcasts about the puppy mills, the show I was watching showed how many dogs were euthanized in the Fort Worth shelter. It is simply horrifying to see the numbers.

I never thought that they kept vicious or sick animals. I simply find the number that they kill shocking.

I am preaching to the choir here, and of course many of us have as many dogs as we can handle. Nothing is served by encouraging a person to adopt an animal, and then realize that it is in the backyard ignored all its life.

Our society is sophisticated enough now to control things that our ancestors did not even notice. I live in one of the larger suburbs, and we were not mentioned in the article.

THe people in the communities need to be aware that "no kill" means that when their shelter gets crowded, the additional animals -- puppies, kittens, etc., will be piled into the trucks and taken to be killed.

Sammy
Lily316
15 years ago
Try to get the word out about all the killing being done. Where are you located? They should film the trucks bringing animals there on "kill day", then maybe the states would all pass laws against puppy mills. I live in a huge puppy mill state and the Amish are a big problem. They don't regard animals as the rest of us do. Our shelter, once horrible, is getting better, I think by asking people to foster animals instead of letting them languish in cages.I go on a health forum where a few women talk about all the puppies that have been born, and how they need to sell them. It's these kinds of people that make the killing necessary.
petaloid
15 years ago
Maybe the publicity about that terrible situation will lead to more funds being allocated for shelters in your state. Letters and e-mails to politicians and legislators can have impact too.

Here in California the laws covering shelters are being improved over time, mostly through the efforts of animal activists.

Our city now has some free traveling spay/neuter vans and soon will add more facilities for this service, which helps reduce the number of unwanted pets that may end up in shelters.
lilliepad
15 years ago
I don't think puppy mills are necessarily responsible for the overpopulation problem.Irresponsible owners who fail to get their dogs and cats spayed and neutered are just as much,if not more responsible.
Sammy-My sister lives in the Dallas/Ft.worth area.Right now she has 13 dogs and none were originally hers.They are strays that she has been feeding and they have been multiplying.She can't get any help with spaying and neutering and there is no animal control in her area,and if there were she wouldn't take them there because she knows they would be killed and she is too soft hearted for that.She is wearing herself out taking care of these dogs both physically and financially.Two of the females had puppies 6 weeks ago and she can't give them away.This is not a product of puppy mills but of an irresponsible jerk up the road who refused to have them fixed or to keep them on his own property! Her DD has paid for spaying 2 in the last year but that can get expensive and there are no vets or other organizations in the area that are willing to even give her a discount or help her out in any way.If it were me in her shoes I would have narrowed the population before now and in my opinion it would have been more "humane" than her having to take the responsibility of caring for these dogs.There is no one answer to the overpopulation of these animals.As sad as it is to see them euthanized in large numbers,sometimes that is the only answer at the moment for an ever growing problem.
michelle_phxaz
15 years ago
Lilliepad, you won't get flamed from me. I agree that euthanasia is a much better alternative than overcrowded cages with no chance of a good life. It is totally sad, I would adopt every animal if I could, many people would, but that is not realistic. The solution needs to start with neutering your pets.

Sammy, I agree this is awful, and if it is true then it needs to be exposed.
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author
15 years ago
I think it is very sad that your sister has so many animals. THat is not the answer.

Part of the answer is that we are not educating people about how to handle animals, and what is required to take care of them.

I live in a suburb of Tulsa, and the report I am referring to came out in the newspaper on the front page. It is now being broadcasted on the local radio shows. The newspaper lists the name of the suburbs that take in the animals, and gives the number that are dropped off. On the front page of the paper is a "heartbreakingly" sweet looking dog that was euthanized as soon as it was taken in. There had been a request to wait to see if it could be adopted, but once they are brought in on the trucks on Monday, they are put down.

We are also the source of many of the puppy mills.

I believe in euthanasia, but my big complaint is that they say they are no kill. That gives society the impression that they are walked regularly, and possibly let out to yards to live.

I can say that I wish society would educate people, then I think of the social problems in my school. People are losing jobs, etc, etc, etc.

We need to go through the experts (SPCA?), and finance a solution. Community ordinances would go a long way. Any animal sold would have an ID, and if picked up, the owner would be fined. Every pet owner has a responsibility to take care of his/her own animals. Even free neutering might be a more humane solution than the killing.

Sammy
Elly_NJ
15 years ago
The shelter probably has their policy on surrender forms, so if you surrender an animal and read the form, you would see that under certain circumstances, some dogs are euthanized.

What they can do is to hire more workers and become professional - just like they were building a city hall. THey can crack down on puppy mills, and back yard breeders.

Who will pay their salaries? Who will crack down on puppymills? The shelter? It's not their job. Obviously, they are busy and stretched.

Monday is not the day they close the shelter so that they can be prepared for the deliveries to kill. Most shelters dedicate one day to deep cleaning and disinfecting. Our local shelter does this on Mondays, so it takes all day to really clean thoroughly.

Do you volunteer at a shelter? Our shelter has many volunteers who help the shelter succeed. They train the dogs, walk the dogs, and socialize the cats, in addition to helping staff clean. Some create fundraisers and help with fundraising events.

You can't blame shelters for what people do. Fewer people will go to them to adopt if there misunderstandings about their job and role, and then puppy mills, pet stores and yes, breeders, benefit.
sylviatexas1
15 years ago
OP wasn't blaming the shelter for what people do;
he was blaming the shelter for misrepresenting what *it* does.

"No-kill" shelters attract more donations.

Many, maybe most, shelters here in the Dallas area now call themselves "no-kill"...with a string of "buts".

but if the animal gets sick, but if the animal proves to have social issues, but if whatever.

It's like those old "job description" handouts we used to get back in the seventies, supposedly to keep supervisors & managers from making employees run personal errands & such.

The last item on every list was *always*
"& such other duties as supervisor assigns".

"No-kill but" means business as usual, euthanizing animals to make room for the next influx of animals & donations.

True no-kill shelters are doing an admirable job, but they're always full, & adoptions free up only a few spaces for newcomers.

I once acquired a purebred Pomeranian, years ago, before things were as bad as they are now, & thought I'd just hop over to the only no-kill shelter in the area with her.

called, & was advised that I'd have to put her on a waiting list.

Six weeks later they called & said they had room for her.

If a shelter calls itself "no-kill" & yet it accepts animals on the spot...it's just a new name for an old policy.

Today, if I needed to find a home for a cat or dog, I'd probably post it on craigslist, including the fact that I'd want vet refs, a signed adoption agreement binding the adoptor to return the animal to me if s/he no longer wanted it, & a home visit.
Elly_NJ
15 years ago
As I said, the shelter must have its policies on surrender forms.

I wish there were more people to adopt the animals that are available.

I have a question. If someone surrenders a dog, and the dog proves to be aggressive, and the shelter has limited resources, what is to be done?

The repurcussions of overlooking this can be fatal.

Here is a link that might be useful: Adopting a vicious dog that was previously surrendered
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author
15 years ago
Elly, maybe Monday is not the day they close the shelter to accept the animals, but that is what the newspaper says.

You need to get a grip! I do not volunteer in many places, but I can be an advocate, and say that what they are doing is wrong.

I used the example of a city hall because many communities take very good care of their city halls, and their politicians. Had I used schools as an example, I would have compared one source of apathy to another.

I don't think the shelters should enforce humane treatment of animals, the community needs to fork over the funds to provide for the citizens, and that may mean hiring more professionals, or creating types of support groups in the community.

Again, if an animal needs to be euthanized, I have no problem with it. But I don't like to be mislead.
stir_fryi SE Mich
15 years ago
Is it only dogs that are being killed? No cats?
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author
15 years ago
Cats are sent too. In my mind I am seeing the dog they took off the truck that the article said they killed right away. He looked adorable, but scared. I do believe there are dogs and cats. Cats are just as adorable.
User
15 years ago
sammy, Where do you live other than OK? What is the name of the newspaper?
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author
15 years ago
I live in Tulsa, and the newspaper is the Tulsa World. The report came out on Sunday morning. The Tulsa World is the only large newspaper in Tulsa. There are other smaller community papers, but the big one is the Tulsa World.

They have a web site. Later I may check the radio and TV stations to see if they have reports.
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
Original Author
15 years ago
I typed in Tulsa World Newspaper, then in the search, I typed in Animal Shelter. The story came up with a picture of the dog.
annzgw
15 years ago
lilliepad,

I find it hard to believe that your DS cannot find discounted spay/neuter clinics in a metro area as large as Dallas/Ft. Worth. Maybe you mean she can't find anyone to cover all the costs?

Even in a small town in Miss., my DS was able to find a group that offered discounted spay/neuter (thru the humane society). Such an offer is usually twice a year.

Maybe you can tell DS to continue searching and talking to all humane societies and rescue groups for info on discount clinics?
lilliepad
15 years ago
Well,believe it Annz because she has called humane societies,vets the city,you name it.And no,she isn't looking for someone to cover the full costs,just some help or even help finding homes for the dogs. One lady she talked to at a shelter said she would help her find homes for them but when it came right down to it couldn't help her.She does keep trying and until she can find some help she will continue to keep caring for them.That's just the way she is.
annzgw
15 years ago
Well, here's what I found after a quick search. There's more, but these are a starting point:

For Dallas residents who live in the following zip codes: 75203, 75211,75212, 75216, 75217, 75224, 75227, 75228, 75232, 75233, 75236, 75237, 75241, 75253:

To qualify for a free spay/neuter surgery, you need to live in one of the above Dallas zip codes and earn less than $35,000 per year. Please call 972-669-5000 MAC (Metroplex Animal Coalition), to receive a coupon for a free spay/neuter for your pet's surgery OR you can download the forms from their websiste, www.metroplexanimalcoalition.org

Humane Society of Dallas County
2179 Manor Way
Dallas, TX 75235
214-350-7387
HSDC offers a low cost spay/neuter program. Guardians may call and receive a voucher for a low cost spay or neuter good up to the amount on the certificate and HSDC will reimburse the veterinarian for the value of the certificate. For example, the guardian receives a voucher for $30 and takes the dog or cat to a local veterinarian who charges $40 for a spay. The guardian pays $10 and HSDC pays $30.

Spay Neuter Your Pet (SNYP)
PO Box 29435
Dallas, TX 75229
214-349-7697
Discount certificates for pet spay/neuter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

SPCA of Texas- Dallas
Martin Spay/Neuter Clinic
Dallas, TX
214-651-9611 ext 116 or 133
Low cost spay/neuter. Also, for pets of qualified low income people, there are low cost veterinary services.

Here is a link that might be useful: S/N
sylviatexas1
15 years ago
This was posted on craigslist.

Here is a link that might be useful: spay neuter & wellness help
lilliepad
15 years ago
Annz-I will pass that information to my sis.None of those zip codes are hers however.As I said she has tried every resource she can find,but maybe one of these will work for her.
Sylvia-I'll give her your information too.
annzgw
15 years ago
Just so she understands..........the zip codes apply only to the first paragraph for MAC certificates.
The other programs are not limited to the zip codes.

No Kill Shelters - what a joke!!!!

sammy zone 7 Tulsa
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