Starting A No-Kill Shelter

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

07 Jun 2007 02:47 PM

One major decision you'll have to make if you are starting a shelter is this: do you want to be a no-kill shelter?

What does it mean to be a no-kill shelter? It means that you are not putting a time limit on the animals' stays. It means you will not euthanize animals to free up space. It means you may be housing animals for months or years before they find a home. You may even be responsible for some animals until they pass away.

Here are some issues to consider:

1. Finances. Caring for an animal for a year will cost much more than caring for an animal for a week. Some animals may be in your shelter for years before the find a forever home! You'll need to be able to keep money coming in constantly to support your residents.
2. Overcrowding. If you allow too many animals into your shelter -- and of course, we want to save them all -- you run the risk of your residents developing health and behavior issues.
3. Learning to say no. This is one potential solution to the overcrowding problem. You may need to restrict your intake to animals from a certain geographical area or only certain breeds. If you say yes to everyone, you're going to find yourself with an over-full shelter very quickly. Have other resources available -- like other shelters in the area and other tips for rehoming animals.
4. Socialization. An animal living in a cage or kennel for a long period of time will need daily personal attention from staff and volunteers. Think about a "weekend vacation" program, where your long-term residents get to spend some time in foster homes with other animals.
5. Exercise space. Long-term and short-term residents will need plenty of exercise. A bored dog can become a destructive dog, or a barker, or a whiner, or develop any number of behavioral issues.
6. Euthanasia. Yes, you are a no-kill shelter. But there are some animals who are suffering greatly and beyond medical help. There are some behavioral problems that cannot be fixed. You'll need a policy for how you will handle the possibility of euthanizing an animal in your care. You'll need someone who can evaluate the quality of life for the animal in question, and a trusted veterinarian who can help.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger