Is it ethical for any shelter to turn away animals in need? Some shelters do so daily, but they wear the “no-kill” halo nonetheless. These are also known as “limited-admission” shelters. Our thoughts on this apply to any shelter that turns away animals in need, regardless of the label.

Main Issues with “No-Kill”

1. It’s Misleading: “No-kill” shelters can still euthanize up to 10% of animals and keep the label, which might surprise people. The 90% save rate isn’t based on science – it’s just a number that caught on over time.

2. Selective Intake: “No-kill” shelters can (and often do) turn animals away if they think they’ll hurt their save rate. This leaves animals that are sick, injured, or harder to adopt with nowhere to go. Open-admission shelters take everyone, no matter what, and are left with tough decisions.

3. Passing the Buck: By turning animals away, “no-kill” shelters push the problem onto open-admission shelters or the streets. Open-admission shelters end up euthanizing animals that “no-kill” places wouldn’t accept in the first place, taking the blame for decisions others avoided.

4. Risks to Animals and Communities: When people can’t surrender their pets to a shelter, some end up abandoning them. These animals might suffer, spread disease, or cause issues like forming packs. If they aren’t spayed or neutered, the problem gets even worse.

5. “No-Kill” vs. “Kill” Labels:
The public often assumes shelters are either “no-kill” or “kill,” with no in-between. But many open-admission shelters save more than 90% of their animals – they just don’t use the “no-kill” label. Unfortunately, this makes people think they’re “kill shelters,” which isn’t fair or accurate.

The Big Picture

Focusing too much on the “no-kill” label can lead to decisions that aren’t always best for animals. It’s not to say “no-kill” shelters haven’t saved a ton of lives – they have. But the system has flaws, and not every “no-kill” shelter deserves the praise the label suggests.


 

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