Animal Welfare Professionals

In over 20 years of rescue, I've never seen or imagined the dire circumstances we'd be facing. Over the last year, I've found myself seriously considering the consequences of the well intentioned desire to become no-kill. It's a difficult and incredibly uncomfortable discussion to have, but I think we should have it.

Where I live in NC is one of the worst places in the country for companion animals. The backyard breeding and rates of abandonment and owner surrender can't even be measured. In this county, stray and feral dogs can be seen everywhere. Dead cats and dogs line the roadsides- tragic victims of cars and trucks speeding by. The county shelter does not care. They've been closed for intake for pretty much the entire time I've lived here.  Don't get me wrong, they euthanize a gut-wrenching number of animals a year. But in an effort to appease the public's outrage over them killing so many healthy, adoptable animals- the shelter has been refusing to help stray or abandoned pets. Good samaritans who find and try to help them are told to "let the animal go wherever it was found".  Phone calls and emails to animal control go unanswered. Only bites or injuries garner any attention at all.

It seems as if they have shirked their responsibility altogether. So long as the animal doesn't die in their shelter- what happens to it outside their 4 walls isn't on them. Starvation, infection, injury, heartworms, car accidents- doesn't matter. And I can't help but wonder if more frequent euthanasia is the right thing to do. It's a far more humane death. I'll never forget the first rescuer out here who warned me of the horrors of hearing litters of puppies in the woods being eaten alive by coyotes. I'll always remember the gentlemen who told me the neighbors down the street were shooting at dogs and trying to run them over for fun.  I didn't  believe it until I saw it. 

We've been feeding a dozen or so strays for the last 6 months. Even with the help of other groups- shelters here are and have been full for as long as anyone can remember. We've only been able to remove 4 and get them to safety. We see puppies on the trail cam we have set up by the feeding station. Yesterday a very pregnant female showed up as well. We have no idea what to do or how to help. Feeding prevents them from starving, but the access to clean food and water encourages further breeding.

The community doesn't care enough to spay and neuter their pets- not really. I mean, some people care, obviously, but the scope of the problem and the trajectory we're on, it's getting worse all the time. Our group does lots of TNR and we've begun a voucher program to pay for or offset the cost to owned pets. But it's the redneck lottery around here. When your dog has puppies, it's like a free paycheck- just go sell them for a hundred bucks in the walmart parking lot. If someone buys them, you just got paid. If not, just dump them in the woods. And as terrible as all this is- there's another HUGE problem.

We've created a loop hole. We've allowed otherwise morally okay people to abdicate themselves of the responsibility of owning a pet. By providing no-kill shelters and selling the dream of all animals deserving (and yeah they do deserve it, but that's not the point here), but by telling everyone that these cats and dogs deserve so much more, the rate of owner surrender has skyrocketed. Every day, every facebook group, next door, and community page has people 'rehoming' their pets. "We just don't have time. They 'deserve' better. " And these people allow themselves to believe that their pet will go to a no-kill shelter, and then somehow be magically adopted out to a family that has unlimited time and money to spend on them. But animals aren't getting adopted. There are simply too many of them available and not enough homes. 

So are we doing the right thing? No kill is a noble sentiment, and 20 years ago, I was leading the charge to save them all. 

But what happens when we can't?

When the resources aren't there.  And when the consequences seem to be causing more harm than good? 

Until the laws change (and trust me, we advocate at city council meetings and attend community events to work toward this), but until then, until we require a license to breed, or fine those selling unvetted, unvaccinated animals in parking lots, until we outlaw puppymillls etc, can we really hope to achieve no kill? And more importantly- should we?

It's just food for thought. I know it's controversial, and I hope it's clear that I do want to get to a point where no kill makes sense. There is nothing I desire more than being able to help, home, and protect them all. But the current landscape in my area- it's not possible. And I was just wondering if anyone else is seeing some of what we're seeing here. And if maybe this is a conversation we  should be having more frequently?

#LawsandPublicPolicy

------------------------------
Amanda Salisbury
President
Zoomies Funny Farm
NC
------------------------------

In over 20 years of rescue, I've never seen or imagined the dire circumstances we'd be facing. Over the last year, I've found myself seriously considering the consequences of the well intentioned desire to become no-kill. It's a difficult and incredibly uncomfortable discussion to have, but I think we should have it.

Where I live in NC is one of the worst places in the country for companion animals. The backyard breeding and rates of abandonment and owner surrender can't even be measured. In this county, stray and feral dogs can be seen everywhere. Dead cats and dogs line the roadsides- tragic victims of cars and trucks speeding by. The county shelter does not care. They've been closed for intake for pretty much the entire time I've lived here.  Don't get me wrong, they euthanize a gut-wrenching number of animals a year. But in an effort to appease the public's outrage over them killing so many healthy, adoptable animals- the shelter has been refusing to help stray or abandoned pets. Good samaritans who find and try to help them are told to "let the animal go wherever it was found".  Phone calls and emails to animal control go unanswered. Only bites or injuries garner any attention at all.

It seems as if they have shirked their responsibility altogether. So long as the animal doesn't die in their shelter- what happens to it outside their 4 walls isn't on them. Starvation, infection, injury, heartworms, car accidents- doesn't matter. And I can't help but wonder if more frequent euthanasia is the right thing to do. It's a far more humane death. I'll never forget the first rescuer out here who warned me of the horrors of hearing litters of puppies in the woods being eaten alive by coyotes. I'll always remember the gentlemen who told me the neighbors down the street were shooting at dogs and trying to run them over for fun.  I didn't  believe it until I saw it. 

We've been feeding a dozen or so strays for the last 6 months. Even with the help of other groups- shelters here are and have been full for as long as anyone can remember. We've only been able to remove 4 and get them to safety. We see puppies on the trail cam we have set up by the feeding station. Yesterday a very pregnant female showed up as well. We have no idea what to do or how to help. Feeding prevents them from starving, but the access to clean food and water encourages further breeding.

The community doesn't care enough to spay and neuter their pets- not really. I mean, some people care, obviously, but the scope of the problem and the trajectory we're on, it's getting worse all the time. Our group does lots of TNR and we've begun a voucher program to pay for or offset the cost to owned pets. But it's the redneck lottery around here. When your dog has puppies, it's like a free paycheck- just go sell them for a hundred bucks in the walmart parking lot. If someone buys them, you just got paid. If not, just dump them in the woods. And as terrible as all this is- there's another HUGE problem.

We've created a loop hole. We've allowed otherwise morally okay people to abdicate themselves of the responsibility of owning a pet. By providing no-kill shelters and selling the dream of all animals deserving (and yeah they do deserve it, but that's not the point here), but by telling everyone that these cats and dogs deserve so much more, the rate of owner surrender has skyrocketed. Every day, every facebook group, next door, and community page has people 'rehoming' their pets. "We just don't have time. They 'deserve' better. " And these people allow themselves to believe that their pet will go to a no-kill shelter, and then somehow be magically adopted out to a family that has unlimited time and money to spend on them. But animals aren't getting adopted. There are simply too many of them available and not enough homes. 

So are we doing the right thing? No kill is a noble sentiment, and 20 years ago, I was leading the charge to save them all. 

But what happens when we can't?

When the resources aren't there.  And when the consequences seem to be causing more harm than good? 

Until the laws change (and trust me, we advocate at city council meetings and attend community events to work toward this), but until then, until we require a license to breed, or fine those selling unvetted, unvaccinated animals in parking lots, until we outlaw puppymillls etc, can we really hope to achieve no kill? And more importantly- should we?

It's just food for thought. I know it's controversial, and I hope it's clear that I do want to get to a point where no kill makes sense. There is nothing I desire more than being able to help, home, and protect them all. But the current landscape in my area- it's not possible. And I was just wondering if anyone else is seeing some of what we're seeing here. And if maybe this is a conversation we  should be having more frequently?

Hi Amanda;

     I have been in animal welfare for 30 years and so I feel your pain when you feel like we are going backwards not forward with regards to creating a humane community for our animals-that is really our ultimate goal right?   

         I wanted to pull out this line:  When the resources aren't there.  And when the consequences seem to be causing more harm than good? 

The reality is we have lost resources,  staffing, vet services, volunteers, funding therefore we are all experiencing moral distress at the fact the we "know" what to do, but we can't do it due to lack of resources.  This is different than compassion fatigue.   

In the areas of the country where resources are available we do have a pretty balanced environment.  But we don't have it everywhere.  The key is that we need to create an build those resources in communities.  For cats I created the Community Cats Calculator to help give us a goal for target s/n surgeries to reach "maintenance" mode- it isn't perfect but atleast it is a start.  If you are in a s/n dessert then unfortunately group solutions need to be created.  I am not a Veterinarian, but I started a 2 mobile s/n clinics in a non-profit and own two practices in GA. So we need to partner and collaborate with our Veterinary Community, Sheltering Community, Social Services, and Municipal Community to work smarter- more efficiently to reduce animal population.   We talk about these type of issues often at the Community Cats Program Management Course at the University of the Pacific that I co-teach. 

Hang in there...  I never thought we would see the staffing shortages that we are seeing in the veterinary community right now and the increase in costs.   Without affordable/accessible spay/neuter  we are truly lost. 

------------------------------
Stacy LeBaron
Head Cat
The Community Cats Podcast
Warren VT
978-239-2090

Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2024 08:14 AM
From: Amanda Salisbury
Subject: Has the no-kill movement caused more harm than good?

In over 20 years of rescue, I've never seen or imagined the dire circumstances we'd be facing. Over the last year, I've found myself seriously considering the consequences of the well intentioned desire to become no-kill. It's a difficult and incredibly uncomfortable discussion to have, but I think we should have it.

Where I live in NC is one of the worst places in the country for companion animals. The backyard breeding and rates of abandonment and owner surrender can't even be measured. In this county, stray and feral dogs can be seen everywhere. Dead cats and dogs line the roadsides- tragic victims of cars and trucks speeding by. The county shelter does not care. They've been closed for intake for pretty much the entire time I've lived here.  Don't get me wrong, they euthanize a gut-wrenching number of animals a year. But in an effort to appease the public's outrage over them killing so many healthy, adoptable animals- the shelter has been refusing to help stray or abandoned pets. Good samaritans who find and try to help them are told to "let the animal go wherever it was found".  Phone calls and emails to animal control go unanswered. Only bites or injuries garner any attention at all.

It seems as if they have shirked their responsibility altogether. So long as the animal doesn't die in their shelter- what happens to it outside their 4 walls isn't on them. Starvation, infection, injury, heartworms, car accidents- doesn't matter. And I can't help but wonder if more frequent euthanasia is the right thing to do. It's a far more humane death. I'll never forget the first rescuer out here who warned me of the horrors of hearing litters of puppies in the woods being eaten alive by coyotes. I'll always remember the gentlemen who told me the neighbors down the street were shooting at dogs and trying to run them over for fun.  I didn't  believe it until I saw it. 

We've been feeding a dozen or so strays for the last 6 months. Even with the help of other groups- shelters here are and have been full for as long as anyone can remember. We've only been able to remove 4 and get them to safety. We see puppies on the trail cam we have set up by the feeding station. Yesterday a very pregnant female showed up as well. We have no idea what to do or how to help. Feeding prevents them from starving, but the access to clean food and water encourages further breeding.

The community doesn't care enough to spay and neuter their pets- not really. I mean, some people care, obviously, but the scope of the problem and the trajectory we're on, it's getting worse all the time. Our group does lots of TNR and we've begun a voucher program to pay for or offset the cost to owned pets. But it's the redneck lottery around here. When your dog has puppies, it's like a free paycheck- just go sell them for a hundred bucks in the walmart parking lot. If someone buys them, you just got paid. If not, just dump them in the woods. And as terrible as all this is- there's another HUGE problem.

We've created a loop hole. We've allowed otherwise morally okay people to abdicate themselves of the responsibility of owning a pet. By providing no-kill shelters and selling the dream of all animals deserving (and yeah they do deserve it, but that's not the point here), but by telling everyone that these cats and dogs deserve so much more, the rate of owner surrender has skyrocketed. Every day, every facebook group, next door, and community page has people 'rehoming' their pets. "We just don't have time. They 'deserve' better. " And these people allow themselves to believe that their pet will go to a no-kill shelter, and then somehow be magically adopted out to a family that has unlimited time and money to spend on them. But animals aren't getting adopted. There are simply too many of them available and not enough homes. 

So are we doing the right thing? No kill is a noble sentiment, and 20 years ago, I was leading the charge to save them all. 

But what happens when we can't?

When the resources aren't there.  And when the consequences seem to be causing more harm than good? 

Until the laws change (and trust me, we advocate at city council meetings and attend community events to work toward this), but until then, until we require a license to breed, or fine those selling unvetted, unvaccinated animals in parking lots, until we outlaw puppymillls etc, can we really hope to achieve no kill? And more importantly- should we?

It's just food for thought. I know it's controversial, and I hope it's clear that I do want to get to a point where no kill makes sense. There is nothing I desire more than being able to help, home, and protect them all. But the current landscape in my area- it's not possible. And I was just wondering if anyone else is seeing some of what we're seeing here. And if maybe this is a conversation we  should be having more frequently?

#LawsandPublicPolicy

------------------------------
Amanda Salisbury
President
Zoomies Funny Farm
NC
------------------------------