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Post by Kim Wolf on May 26, 2013 19:00:16 GMT -5
The county where I currently live (Alachua County, Florida) will probably achieve "no kill" status in the next year, because the shelters' combined live release rates will be 90% or higher for dogs. We'll probably get a lot of recognition and be considered a model community. Animal welfare politics and semantics aside, what does it mean when some of the dogs most in need will never be included in those stats -- because they'll never enter the formal shelter system in the first place? They're neither intakes nor outcomes, neither saves nor euthanasias. They're neither licensed nor in a dog bite database. They basically don't exist. They are.....invisible. These are some of the dogs living in my county right now: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151386672682161.1073741826.716147160&type=1(The photos at the end are my own dogs -- for contrast.) Many of these dogs are pit bulls or chihuahuas, but some are not. What they all have in common is poverty. What is our field doing for these dogs and their owners? Is it enough?
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Post by catstina on May 26, 2013 19:19:51 GMT -5
I remember, when we visited Gainesville, being surprised by how many dogs there were and how they were being kept. Thanks for sharing this, Kim!
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Post by suziriot on May 26, 2013 20:01:18 GMT -5
This sums up my biggest problem with "no kill." There are plenty of dogs being killed, but not included in the stats. Thanks for posting this Kim.
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Post by RealPitBull on May 28, 2013 7:14:57 GMT -5
I'll have to check out when I get to my home PC but this is a big problem for me too. These dogs don't exist to the system. I hate the term "no kill".....ugh.
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