Sarah Richards|Marlin Chronicle
No shelter wants to euthanize animals, but it has to happen somewhere.
It’s a very common misconception that so-called no-kill shelters, named such because they take policies to keep their “save rate” above 90%, are the most humane method of the fundamentally inhumane process of managing unwanted animals. However, in practice, no-kill shelters often turn away animals that need to be taken in. They do not euthanize (much), but animals die on the streets, in cages and abusive homes because of it.
First, let us break down what the difference actually is. There is a common misconception that no-kill shelters do not euthanize animals, and that kill shelters euthanize. This isn’t true. Generally, no-kill advocates consider a shelter to be no-kill when their save rate is at or above 90%. That means that of every ten animals that enter the shelter, nine leave alive. This is, in and of itself, good. Euthanasia is done on animals that are suffering or have severe behavioral issues, but not incredibly often (animal shelters that never euthanize are both incredibly rare and incredibly selective). This is opposed to open-admission animal shelters or closed shelters that euthanize more often, for a variety of reasons.
What this distinction misses, though, is that wanting animals to leave the shelter alive and cared for is a goal of every animal shelter. No shelter that I’m yet aware of euthanizes animals for fun (but please, let me know if you find one). Achieving a save rate of 90% across all shelters would be amazing, but as of now it is not generally feasible while still having open-admission shelters. Additionally, no-kill shelters will often go to lengths to maintain that no-kill policy, turning away animals at the door or sending them off (alive—good for the save rate) to other shelters to be euthanized there.
As an example, take two animal shelters in Norfolk. The first is the Norfolk Animal Care Center, run by the government. It is open admission, meaning that any animal is accepted, and the surrender fee (how much it costs to give an animal to them) is only $15. Consider also the Norfolk SPCA, which is no-kill. They do not publicize a way to surrender an animal to them on their website, and they don’t have an option on their phone to do so, either. This is common for no-kill shelters. They are selective. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—the Norfolk SCPA does a lot of good work for the community, especially in its neuter programs, but this isn’t the only kind of shelter you can have. If you want to surrender an animal, there is often no place to go but an open admission shelter—and by the nature of open admission shelters, because they will take any animal, they often put down more animals. The sick, dying or violent dog that would be turned away at a no-kill shelter is euthanized here. This isn’t a bad thing either. Animals that are put down at a kill shelter are not left to die on the streets or with an owner that can’t or won’t care for them.
So, then, if both open admission and closed admission benefit the community, what is so bad with no-kill shelters? Why have I written this article? Well, it’s because of the corollary—kill shelters. A shelter is not a kill shelter because its save rate is less than 90%. Almost every shelter in the country is doing the best to deal with the pet overpopulation crisis, and there is no reason to deride a shelter that is performing a valuable service in the community by calling it a “kill” shelter. There are many situations where it is far better to put an animal down than leave them suffering.
Far worse than deriding shelters that are doing their job (and sometimes picking up the slack) is to insist every shelter in the city, or worse, the state, be no-kill. It’s important to recognize that shelters are doing their best, and if their save rate is lower than 90%, check first if they’re open-admission, and if they accept animals from no-kill shelters to euthanize. They’re also doing important, good, humane work.
If you’re upset by this story, if you don’t want animals to die, then good. I don’t want animals to die either. The best way to do that is not to shun “kill shelters.” You should donate your time and money at a shelter that you believe in, if you have the time and money, whether that shelter is open-admission or closed. You should support Catch Neuter Release programs (where strays are neutered and then released), because that reduces the number of strays. You should adopt an animal from a shelter, preferably an open-admission shelter, and never, ever, buy from a breeder.
Tori is a junior studying English and Environmental Science. She is the Editor in Chief for the Marlin Chronicle.
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
By Victoria Haneline
