Kill shelters make me sick

[kef33890]

It absolutely sickens me that people have the authority to end a beings life. I just adopted a tuxedo cat from a kill shelter. She is 1 year old and sweet as can be. Her name is Tilda. It brings tears to my eyes knowing what could of happened to her if I never stepped in.

But there were 7 year old cats who were there, locked in small cages, who I fear won't make it! I wish all kill shelters would be made no kill shelters. Would it not be better for cats to be neutered/spayed and released than to go to these horrid kill shelters?

 

[Furballsmom]

She is 1 year old and sweet as can be. Her name is Tilda

I'm glad you found her! We'll be going to one quite soon to find a new furbaby or two. (Our angel Poppycat left us in October . I'm starting to have furry feline withdrawal symptoms )

This is why people who are able to foster are needed, and people who adopt for life.

 

[kef33890]

I'm glad you are adopting a baby from a shelter. Saving some little angels life is an amazing feeling.

 

[iPappy]

It absolutely sickens me that people have the authority to end a beings life. I just adopted a tuxedo cat from a kill shelter. She is 1 year old and sweet as can be. Her name is Tilda. It brings tears to my eyes knowing what could of happened to her if I never stepped in.

But there were 7 year old cats who were there, locked in small cages, who I fear won't make it! I wish all kill shelters would be made no kill shelters. Would it not be better for cats to be neutered/spayed and released than to go to these horrid kill shelters?

Trap, neuter, release (or rehab and rehome) is a great option for large feral colonies to prevent interbreeding, diseases, etc. and I just don't get why cities prohibit TNRing and would rather wait until the colonies are huge and unhealthy and do mass trap and euthanasias rather than allow people with some know how to prevent it from happening in the first place. It seems like a very poor choice because for every colony they "get rid of", two more are moving into the area.
My big issue is people who treat cats as highly disposable. They assume an old cat with multiple health problems and litter box avoidance will find a "good home" if dropped off at the city pound. Or they want to get a kitten so they take their healthy middle aged cat to the shelter. Shelters used to be for strays, now it's like the city dump for people who decide they don't want their pets anymore.
The lack of funds and burn out of workers and volunteer staff is a huge issue in these situations. I couldn't imagine volunteering at a shelter and getting attached to some cats or dogs only to walk in the next day and see their cage empty and knowing they didn't get adopted.
Even though my cats are indoors and are allowed access into a very safe catio, I spay and neuter them. Even indoors only cats can sneak outside, and one female cat can produce a lot of kittens in a very short time.
I'm glad Tilda is safe with you. I have many "foster failures" that have been living with me for over a decade.

 

[iPappy]

We'll be going to one quite soon to find a new furbaby or two.

I think you mean "or three".

 

[Norachan]

Would it not be better for cats to be neutered/spayed and released than to go to these horrid kill shelters?

I do understand what you mean, but that isn't the best option for a lot of cats. Feral cats that know how to survive outside do much better if TNR'd and allowed to remain outside. Cats that have spent their lives indoors have no idea how to survive out on their own. I've found dumped pets before and they've been horribly malnourished because they just didn't understand how to find food for themselves.

Thank you for rescuing Tilda. I'm glad she got a second chance

 

[denice]

This is a problem caused by a lot of irresponsible people and cats being prolific breeders. Unfortunately because of those two things kill shelters are doing a necessary service. Jackson Galaxy started working in a kill shelter in Denver Colorado and he defends kill shelters for that reason. He said they did what they could to get cats adopted but they just keep coming and euthanasia is the dirty part of the job that is necessary.

No kill shelters don't take cats if they don't have room. They also will turn away cats that are sick, elderly, or antisocial. Many will only take adoptable cats and only what they have room for. Kill shelters take all cats that aren't feral.

 

[di and bob]

I HATE the idea that kill shelters are necessary, but it is a fact of life. I pray one day we can all get more people/cities/countries involved with TNR and programs to neuter/spay all pets. The problem is, the huge number of cats born every year that are dumped or born in the wild suffer tremendously from starvation, disease, and injuries and there is just no way to help them all until their populations get manageable. I really wish it would be made a law that all pets are sterilized, and adoption is possible just though shelters. (made available by trapping very young ferals and pets people don't want any more) And I would bet there are still huge numbers......

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

It absolutely sickens me that people have the authority to end a beings life. I just adopted a tuxedo cat from a kill shelter. She is 1 year old and sweet as can be. Her name is Tilda. It brings tears to my eyes knowing what could of happened to her if I never stepped in.

But there were 7 year old cats who were there, locked in small cages, who I fear won't make it! I wish all kill shelters would be made no kill shelters. Would it not be better for cats to be neutered/spayed and released than to go to these horrid kill shelters?

You could have a point about neutering/spaying and releasing all these cats, but we must remember where these cats come from. They're not all street strays. A large portion come from families that can't take care of them anymore, and cats that have grown accustomed to pet life will have a harder time surviving alone outdoors than street cats will. It would not be kind to dump a pet cat in the outdoors all alone when there are people like shelter staff available that can increase their chances of continuing the pet life and living the best life possible.

A dumped pet cat is likely to die much faster than a cat surrendered to a shelter would. Shelters give cats a chance that they would not have been as likely to receive if left alone outside.

 

[silent meowlook]

The problem is there are to many cats and dogs. If no room, what are they to do with them? You cannot turn a cat or dog out onto the street and think they will be fine. There are things far worse than death out there.
Feral cats, TNR in the same place.
Pre owned cats would die if turned out or worse.
Until people spay and neuter their pets and take responsibility to care for them or euthanize if they are to ill, this will continue.

No kill became a thing in CA in the 90’s that I am aware of. In theory it’s great, in reality it is not. Animals at no kill shelters still get euthanized due to medical or behavioral concerns. Because there are not enough resources to take care of all the cats and dogs that are homeless. Yet still, people don’t spay and neuter and they create more kittens and puppies! Horses too. It is so frustrating.

In my world, it would be manditory spay neuter for everyone including people.

Ok, sorry rant over. I started out working at a humane society in Newark New Jersey when I was a teenager. I wish I could erase the three years of memories from there.

It is also easier to make blanket statements if you aren’t looking at the animal affected. I won’t go near a shelter now. To hard.

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

The problem is there are to many cats and dogs. If no room, what are they to do with them? You cannot turn a cat or dog out onto the street and think they will be fine. There are things far worse than death out there.
Feral cats, TNR in the same place.
Pre owned cats would die if turned out or worse.
Until people spay and neuter their pets and take responsibility to care for them or euthanize if they are to ill, this will continue.

No kill became a thing in CA in the 90’s that I am aware of. In theory it’s great, in reality it is not. Animals at no kill shelters still get euthanized due to medical or behavioral concerns. Because there are not enough resources to take care of all the cats and dogs that are homeless. Yet still, people don’t spay and neuter and they create more kittens and puppies! Horses too. It is so frustrating.

In my world, it would be manditory spay neuter for everyone including people.

Ok, sorry rant over. I started out working at a humane society in Newark New Jersey when I was a teenager. I wish I could erase the three years of memories from there.

It is also easier to make blanket statements if you aren’t looking at the animal affected. I won’t go near a shelter now. To hard.

As an animal rescue volunteer, I sympathize with you. I really do. We get burnt out having to clean up after other people's messes. From a logical, practical point of view, though, I don't believe the root of the problem is too many dogs and cats.

For example, there are over 300 different dog breeds in this world. A very small percentage of these dogs are in shelters. If too many dogs was the problem, then we would be seeing a huge number of various dog breeds in shelters. The thing is, we don't!
In my state, AZ, anyway, usually it's always the same top 3 breeds and breed mixes that compose the majority of shelter dogs- pit bulls, German Shepherds, and other terriers.

Another issue, too, is that because there are limited breeds to choose from in shelters, not every individual or family will be able to find the best match for them in shelters. There's actually a nationwide shortage of golden retrievers, one of the most highly-rated family dogs, here in the US. Golden retriever rescues have waiting lists years long of people waiting to adopt. This is one example of what causes trouble to brew.

Backyard breeders will capitalize on the nationwide shortage of golden retrievers, because these dogs are in such HUGE demand. Backyard breeders won't screen potential buyers to determine who will be the best fit for their dogs long-term to reduce the risk of their dogs getting re-homed. Backyard breeders will hand over a puppy to the first person that shows up with money in their hands. Backyard breeders won't guarantee the buyer that they will take the puppy back if the buyer needed to re-home the dog.

Consider another popular family dog breed- the Labrador retriever. In my state, at least, you just don't see purebred Labradors in shelters hardly ever. I know several reputable Labrador breeders in AZ and they've definitely done a good job at providing people a valuable dog while reducing the number of unwanted dogs in shelters.

The problem is irresponsible pet owners, not too many cats and dogs.

 

[denice]

The county shelter here is almost always just bully breed type dogs. They will try to get away with calling some of them 'mixed-breed' but the pictures are obviously some type of bully breed dog.

Dogs have evolved into an issue that is almost purely a problem with back yard breeders and bad fits with owners. Some dogs are not met to be with inexperienced first time dog owners but back yard breeders will sell to anyone with the money. They are also introducing both health issues and behavior issues into breeds because they have no knowledge of bloodlines and proper breeding. There are even issues showing up with a tendency to bite among some Golden Retrievers, I believe that is coming from backyard breeders. There was a problem with this among Cocker Spaniels in the 50's and 60's when they were popular like Golden Retrievers are now.

Cats are I believe still an issue with too many.

 

[fionasmom]

spcaLA clarifies "no kill" on their website
What Is No Kill? | spcaLA.

 

[denice]

I adopted Charlotte from a no kill shelter so I have no issues with no kill shelters. They serve a purpose. The shelter I adopted from was mostly cage free, there were a few cats that needed to be only cats that were in large bilevel cages. There are however a large population of stray cats that they do not help.

 

[iPappy]

As an animal rescue volunteer, I sympathize with you. I really do. We get burnt out having to clean up after other people's messes. From a logical, practical point of view, though, I don't believe the root of the problem is too many dogs and cats.

For example, there are over 300 different dog breeds in this world. A very small percentage of these dogs are in shelters. If too many dogs was the problem, then we would be seeing a huge number of various dog breeds in shelters. The thing is, we don't!
In my state, AZ, anyway, usually it's always the same top 3 breeds and breed mixes that compose the majority of shelter dogs- pit bulls, German Shepherds, and other terriers.

Another issue, too, is that because there are limited breeds to choose from in shelters, not every individual or family will be able to find the best match for them in shelters. There's actually a nationwide shortage of golden retrievers, one of the most highly-rated family dogs, here in the US. Golden retriever rescues have waiting lists years long of people waiting to adopt. This is one example of what causes trouble to brew.

Backyard breeders will capitalize on the nationwide shortage of golden retrievers, because these dogs are in such HUGE demand. Backyard breeders won't screen potential buyers to determine who will be the best fit for their dogs long-term to reduce the risk of their dogs getting re-homed. Backyard breeders will hand over a puppy to the first person that shows up with money in their hands. Backyard breeders won't guarantee the buyer that they will take the puppy back if the buyer needed to re-home the dog.

Consider another popular family dog breed- the Labrador retriever. In my state, at least, you just don't see purebred Labradors in shelters hardly ever. I know several reputable Labrador breeders in AZ and they've definitely done a good job at providing people a valuable dog while reducing the number of unwanted dogs in shelters.

The problem is irresponsible pet owners, not too many cats and dogs.

I've done quite a bit of reading on Goldens, and the health testing the breed club requires is forged by many BYB's, or the website will simply say "health tested" but won't say what that actually means and have nothing on OFA or no page on k9data. Huge red flag. Many will import "english cream" (another red flag) dogs from overseas and claim these dogs don't get cancer as much. Trust me, these Goldens do get cancer.
I am bombarded with "adopt don't shop" stuff, but I'm curious (on dogs anyway) that if the pet overpopulation problem in the US is so bad, WHY are we importing dogs from Korea, China, etc., by the thousands? I've heard it said that this has become some kind of underground breeding game where the dogs are bred, sold to the US, and then labeled as "rescue dogs saved from the meat trade" so people can get purebred dogs but feel good about rescuing. IDK who to believe anymore on that.

 

[denice]

The main issue we have here in Ohio is a large Amish community and they are notorious for backyard breeders. I don't know if any of them are to the point of being a puppy mill. There are so few pet stores now that sell pure bred puppies so the market for puppy mills isn't what it was. One thing with the puppies from the Amish backyard breeders that make it easy to know that is where they are from is the price, the price is low enough to know that is where they are from. Unfortunately, a lot of people will think that it is just a really good deal.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

The county shelter here is almost always just bully breed type dogs. They will try to get away with calling some of them 'mixed-breed' but the pictures are obviously some type of bully breed dog.

Same at the Queensland shelter where I got Daisy. Massive problem in rural areas up there with bull arab dogs (bred for pig hunting) being allowed to breed freely and the litters then being dumped.

That shelter is a kill shelter, but they kept some dogs (I don’t know about cats) for years before finally euthanising them. I knew someone who worked there. It was a tiny place serving a small town. Operating a no kill shelter just wouldn’t have been feasible.

My darling girl was three and unspayed before I adopted her. I hate to think how many kittens she must have had.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

... There were 7 year old cats who were there, locked in small cages, who I fear won't make it! I wish all kill shelters would be made no kill shelters. Would it not be better for cats to be neutered/spayed and released than to go to these horrid kill shelters?

~ Yes indeed. I have met several people over the years unable to rehome abandoned adult cats. Knowing these docile animals will almost certainly be euthanized by the city they let them live in the neighborhood. At least they have a chance at life. Spay/neuter and hope for the best .

 

[CatladyJan]

E

The problem is there are to many cats and dogs. If no room, what are they to do with them? You cannot turn a cat or dog out onto the street and think they will be fine. There are things far worse than death out there.
Feral cats, TNR in the same place.
Pre owned cats would die if turned out or worse.
Until people spay and neuter their pets and take responsibility to care for them or euthanize if they are to ill, this will continue.

No kill became a thing in CA in the 90’s that I am aware of. In theory it’s great, in reality it is not. Animals at no kill shelters still get euthanized due to medical or behavioral concerns. Because there are not enough resources to take care of all the cats and dogs that are homeless. Yet still, people don’t spay and neuter and they create more kittens and puppies! Horses too. It is so frustrating.

In my world, it would be manditory spay neuter for everyone including people.

Ok, sorry rant over. I started out working at a humane society in Newark New Jersey when I was a teenager. I wish I could erase the three years of memories from there.

It is also easier to make blanket statements if you aren’t looking at the animal affected. I won’t go near a shelter now. To hard.

Exactly!!!!
No Kill basically means they won't kill for space. Kill shelters will at least take in anything rather than have it thrown away in a dumpster or thrown out a moving car or dumped.
I would say we all hate they way things are and if we could change it we would. I struggle trying to figure out the perfect solution daily and haven't yet. There are people with different mentalities and won't spay/neuter even with low cost programs offered. Many of us take on financial burdens to help reduce the population, but then there is someone who is hoarding animals, mistreating them, and disposing of them. It's a very cold and sad fact of life. I work in a nursing home and I really hate hearing the stories I do from this much older generation.