"Overpopulation"...fact/fiction?

[valliesong]

There is also an ever-shifting definition of what is "unadoptable." I have seen shelters keep fear aggressive dogs alive because "they're just scared," and dogs put down for kennel cough and cats euthanized because they have treatable URIs. Or animals euthanized for being "too old" because they are over 5 or being aggressive because they don't like other pets.

It's so subjective, that a shelter can call themselves "no-kill" because they don't euthanize "adoptable" animals, but still be euthanizing 40% of what they get in. And others are adopting out dangerous animals because they are operating on this idea that there is a home for every pet, and temperament problems can be "trained away." Or they adopt to anyone with cash in their hand.

And all these groups are operating under the same label of "no-kill," and getting funding from a public that wants to have a warm and fuzzy feeling, while a shelter down the road may be busting their butts, behaving responsibly, and telling the public the TRUTH, with less funding and support, and facing closing.

Politics and public relations play a HUGE part, which is what leads to the directors that don't care. Some are there for the power trip, some are well-meaning but poorly educated, and others are just looking for what they think will be an easy salary. And some get away with it.

[emilys]

Oct 28, 2008 7:21:29 GMT -5 RealPitBull said:

... I know during the seminar; the 90% to 95% is not made clear up front. I actually spent part of the seminar trying to figure out how exactly 100% "no kill" is achieved. Towards the end I finally figured out that the 100% refers to 100% of the "adoptable" dogs and cats. Perhaps that's the part that needs to be explained more giving it a better definition.

Ah, but "adoptable" is a term that's been gamed for years. We all know that no "pit bull" is adoptable. No dog with any food aggression issues is "adoptable". No dog that isn't completely compliant around other dogs, cats, bunnies, etc. is "adoptable".

I'd rather shelters be honest about numbers. How many dogs did they take in -- and how many left alive? Of the ones that they killed, what were the specific reasons?

Any shelter that is honest about numbers and is TRYING to reach a goal of "minimum kill" (or "high save") deserves support.

[pitpupmom]

Thankfully the local shelter here is a shelter that will keep an adoptable dog for as long as possible, but it's still considered a kill shelter. Most of the dogs listed are pit bulls for adoption on petfinder. In the next county there are tons of chihauhau's and other small breeds as well.