It’s not easy for anyone to decide a dog’s fate.
There are two kinds of shelters, those that euthanize animals to make room for potentially more adoptable pets and those that keep all pets until they find a home. I am oversimplifying things, but that is the basis of how shelters work.
Many pounds and rescue organizations work together to keep as many dogs and cats as possible, often shifting them from one shelter or foster home to another as space opens up. But sooner or later there is the point where no more foster homes are available, and no shelter space is left. “No-kill” shelters are not as good as they sound because new homeless animals are either rejected or sent elsewhere to be euthanized.
I did a post early this year on how long shelters should keep dogs. Since then my opinion has shifted. At the time, a year seemed like too long to keep a dog in the shelter system. I thought it was cruel to keep a dog locked up for that long. Now that I’ve spent more time with rescue organizations, I’ve learned that it often takes more than a year for a dog to be placed with the right family.
I would have a hard time giving up on some of the dogs I’ve worked with after seeing them wait for a home for so long. But in reality, the dogs don’t know they are waiting. The shelter is life for them. Most dogs are able to adapt to what they have; that’s part of being an animal.
At the same time, it’s not right to keep all dogs confined for months or years, especially if they have barely any chance at finding a home. If a dog is aggressive, mentally sick from confinement and difficult for even an experienced person to walk, euthanasia might be the best option. All dogs can be rehabilitated, but the resources rarely exist for that to happen.
So my answer is this: I do think shelters should euthanize animals, but on a pet-by-pet basis. And that’s not easy to do. Some dogs will get a home after a year or two in a shelter. Others will only spend a few hours in a shelter. Some dogs will never find a home. It’s hard to decide how long is long enough for a dog, but every dog can’t wait forever.
What do you think? Should shelters euthanize dogs and cats?
Above is Gerogia, a mixed breed with 4 Luv of Dog Rescue in Fargo. Georgia is currently waiting for a home. Update: Georgia has been adopted!
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This is a really difficult and loaded question to answer. I have done rescue for years and have had to make the difficult decision about euthanasia several times for dogs that are aggressive. Its horrible and haunts me to this day. There just isnt enough money or space when it comes to unwanted animals. If more people spayed and neutered their pets and took their commitment to pet ownership more seriously we wouldn’t have to make these hard decisions. Only in an ideal world.
Yeah, talk about loaded question…I do what I can to encourage everyone to have animals spayed and neutered so we don’t have to answer this. I caught all of the feral cats in my neighborhood and kindly provide that info to others when I can. That is about as close to an answer on that question as I can give…
An agonizing dilemma.
As Nathan Winogard says though all it takes to make a no kill shelter is to stop the killing. I think so much more can be done to get shelter animals in the homes of people who want them. There are those animals that are completely psycho, but they are so rare.
Yeah, you are right, Jan.
Well, in an ideal world, each dog, even the aggressive or mentally ‘off’ ones would have homes where they could live out their lives in safety. Unfortunately we don’t live in an ideal world.
I don’t think any animal should be euthanized. But then, too many dumb people keep breeding their dogs… maybe those people should be euthanized instead. Or at least neutered and spayed.
I agree, Lindsay, that shelters should euthanize, when they are terribly overcrowded, by going on a pet-by-pet basis as to how long a shelter stay that an animal can tolerate. Great homes for the more difficult animals are really, really hard to find!!
I worked in a shelter for many years and we did euthanasia for the no-kill places, so I know the score about no-kill places. I wondered if the people that were sending money to the no-kill places knew about their little errands to the shelter…
Any shelter cannot operate as a “warehouse” – trying to do long-term warehousing of pets frequently goes against a pledge to “do no harm”. But, like Lindsay pointed out, it is OK for some pets, and they should be allowed to stick around as long as possible waiting for a good home. Spaying and neutering is SUCH A KEY!! Yes, and for people too!!! Bonnie
That’s a good way to describe it, as a “warehouse.” And I’m sure there are tons of people who donate money to “no-kill” shelters without fully understanding how these shelters operate.
No Kill does work. In order for No Kill to be successful, you do not keep dogs and cats locked up in cages in shelters. You must have foster homes and rescues and adoption events and fundraisers. I currently house 11 dogs and 6 cats at my house and they dont know they are not family. We have a gal who rescues the bully breeds and she has about 10 or twelve pit bulls at all times. We have a gal who does boxer, cocker and rotti rescue. we have several rescues who take all the mutts.
There is no reason at all for a shelter or a rescue to have to kill animals. euthenasia should be reserved for the seriously sick, in which case the vet should be taking the responsibility for determining if this animal can be physically rehabilitated and vicious dogs need to be worked with, with dog trainers and behaviorists and there needs to be some sanctuary for all those who can not be made well but are not ready to die.
If you want no kill, you can certainly achieve it.
An example is that the shelter manager in my county killed 44% of the animals that came thru our shelter this past year. The sister shelter in a neighboring county, owned by the same corporation, killed 12%. The difference is the attitude of the shelter manager and the rescues, fosters and volunteers they have to work with.
Either you are a yes we can people or you arent and THAT is the determination of whether animals are going to live or die.
Why in the world would you allow animals in your shelters and rescues to get kennel crazy? all you have to do is get a strong force of dog walkers and socializers together. this can be college kids, seniors, retirees, stay and home moms, rescues, etc.
you can do it! you have my support. i believe you can do it!
help me understand why my 3 dogs are going to be euthanized just because i cant come up with 198.00 for each in a few days dont mean i dont love them this is killing me i was moving to them to the new place they get out go back to the old place get picked up now they are going to be destroyed because i can only come up with the money for only 1 in that short of time but i dont believe they should die just because i cant come up with the money i am by myself they are all i have and i am all they have but all i am doing is letting them down please help me understand if they would just let me pay it out or work with me but they cant this is going to kill me inside i just dont understand
It’s not fair.
I hope you can find someone to help you come up with the money to get them out. Contact rescue groups in your area to get them into their rescues if you are unable to save them. Then at least they would not be killed.
Where do you live?
I have a hard time with this subject, Lori, and can never give a clear answer to what I believe in even when I try and write about it. More and more, I’m starting to see that a no-kill policy is achievable. Whether people are willing to work to make that happen is really the question. Like you said, if you want no kill, you can achieve it. You give some very good examples for what needs to happen.
The average dog lover can not properly care for 12 pitbulls in her home. This brings up the hoarding issue and multiple dogs living in a home can go kennel crazy just as easily as at a shelter. But there are a few people who can willingly and successfully pull this off.
But I totally agree with you. With a strong support of volunteers for fostering, socializing, walking, fundraising, etc., so much is possible.
lindsay,
our pitbull gal has many acres of land and shelter at her house. i agree no the average person can not house 12 pitbulls. personally, i dont. however i rescue senior dogs and small dogs.
i have extra rooms in my house and a heated garage apt and a really big yard.
not everyone can do it all but everyone can do something. some people live in apts and can not foster, but they can take dogs to and from neuter appts. and they can advertise events on their website or their myspace bulletins, etc.
where are you guys at? this is such a struggle in some places and not such a struggle in other places.
i am in pennsylvania, puppy mill capital. so that sucks, but we can beat this! WE CAN
i forgot to mention that in addition to our pitbull rescue gal housing and rehabilitating pitbulls, she is not alone, there are volunteers in our community that work with her and she has several people who walk her dogs and help her take care of them. i am just saying that when people have a will there is a way.
and by the way 12 pit bulls does not a horder make.
hording is about mental illness and not about rehabilitating dogs who have had acid thrown on them, burnt with gasoline and fire, etc. we have a wonderful community but our neighboring community like i said has us beat. they have a no kill shelter manager and they have a true network of no kill community.
we are getting there and we are going to achieve it. you just have to find all the like-minded individuals and get everyone moving in the same direction.
you know like when you are beating down a brick wall with a battering ram, all the holders of the battering ram have to be heading the same direction in order for the walls to come down.
also. i have NEVER seen a dog or cat that it took a year to find a home for. the longest i have ever seen an animal wait for a forever home is 40 days. we do adoption events all the time though. constantly. you can not stop to come up for air. and it takes people who can go and go and go.
I agree with Lori. I also, am a former pitbull owner and I used them for mental rehabilitation. I suffered from alot of childhood emotional trauma and had it rough being around people for a a long time. I do admit I loved my animals more than most family members.They are the reason I am alive today. Last year I had to give them away to seperate homes because of money, space, and this selfish man I married. I have cried myself to sleep for three months. Shortly after, I decided to walk into a shelter to find out what would happen if someone would ever turn them in. They said there odds of survival were slim to none because of there breed. Even though they are legal in my county. (the fine print)I was devestated. I have been having nightmares since. The government should give mental health patients or trauma patients the objective to have a pet or food stamp money for pet food. They dont make it easy to spay they make it expensive so people can make excuses. Georgia where I live is the prime example. They give you the option spay Georgia yet with the certificate spaying costs $150.00 imagine if I dont have it. I am willing to help, but where I live its a double edge sword. If people here are STILL!!!!racist with the humans after a century how can they care about the animals. Michael Vick case didnt help.Its sad
Good points, Cindy. I’m sure all of your former dogs are in good homes. Maybe some day you can rescue another pitbull.