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If people saw the life drain from the sad, lost, confused eyes of an animal killed at a shelter, perhaps they would be less willing to accept excuses for the practice to continue.
During a recent visit to Brooksville, Florida Animal Control, I witnessed a kennel worker complain about the presence of a family in the adoption area. He said the people in the front office should not be “letting people back here when I’m busy euthanizing.”
Animal welfare advocates believe that killing animals should never take priority over an opportunity to find them a home - no matter how short staffed a facility may be.
The majority of pets that end up in kill shelters are caged, frightened, and die in the hands of strangers.
An anonymous kill shelter manger said, “Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down."
First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look happy - wagging their tails like they're going for a walk. - until they get to "The Room." Every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door.
It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there. it's strange, but it happens with every one of them.
Your dog or cat will be restrained, then a kennel worker starts the process. They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.
When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed, waiting to be picked up like garbage.
I hate my job, I hate that it exists and I hate that it will always be
there unless you people make some changes.”
The process of killing unwanted pets varies slightly from one kill shelter to another, but the end result is the same. A pet that was once loved, dies in a heartless environment never knowing why the last thing they felt was lonely, helpless terror.
Be part of the solution
To save a healthy animal from this senseless death, visit the Brooksville Animal Control shelter and adopt an pet.
A Division of the Code Enforcement Department
19450 Oliver Street
Brooksville, Florida 34601
(352) 796-5062
Fax (352) 796-3746
EMAIL: ac@co.hernando.fl.us
Visiting Hours (Office & Kennel):
Monday - Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Phone Hours:
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
CLOSED: Sundays & Holidays
Contact the author of this article: tobin522@gmail.com
Comments
The solution is replacing shelter directors who find it easier to kill than to do what is necessary to stop the killing. I was in DC last weekend at the No Kill Conference and heard from people who have stopped the killing in what once were high kill shelters. Women from Kentucky and Australia stood up and said they had stopped the killing in their shelters and they did it overnight. It takes people who are dedicated to stopping the killing to make it happen. There is a model of sheltering that works, and it takes directors to put it into place (and to fire the employees who do not work as hard to save lives).
Everyone should visit the No Kill Advocacy Center website and learn how to stop the killing.
We can all help in some small way. We can't save all the puppies, but we can work on that goal for the future. Thank you for bringing this place to the LIGHT. The director is the core person allowing all this to keep on going on. there probably is not another person to take that individuals place, however I say better no one than THAT ONE. You are doing a great job, Keep it up my fellow animal lover.
Maryann, thank you for keeping this vile place in the public eye. I only wish, though, that the public followed these articles. Instead I see familiar names leaving comments: I'm a shelter reform advocate and the Minneapolis examiner. I see Roberta the examiner from up in Oregon. And then there's the ever-present and dedicated no-kill Houston advocate, Bett.
Since it's just us maybe I can invite you three to sit down and have coffee with me. Let's talk about shelters for a minute.
I'd like each of you to take a while and just think about why we are trying so hard to save this "shelter model" that has never worked, does not work, and will never work?
I started as a "shelter reform advocate" because the title seemed to fit. But I am no longer a reformer. We need to euthanize this prison model where social animals are locked in solitary confinement and, in many cases, up to half the animals are killed daily.
Roberta, there are lots of people in that area...
(Con'td)
(cont'd)
...in Brooksville who could run the operation and do a beautiful job of it. The problem is we're all stuck on this semi-business model where the warden has no hands-on experience dealing with real animal behavior issues. What's their solution? Kill - kill anything that moves wrong or we don't have room for. That's a warden with a very active death row.
The solution is to stop trying to use this model. We need adoption centers where happy and well-adjusted dogs or cats live together communaly - as the social animals they are - while they await their adoption. 3 famous shelters took a tiny, little baby step in this direction: San Francisco's SPCA, Washington Animal Rescue League and the infamous ASPCA all have moved to fancy-ass semi-private suites or apartments. Swing and a miss! But it's prettier than the typical prison cages.
This leads me to your comment, Bett: you, after coming off a big no-kill weekend are all jazzed up about Nathan's
weak No-Kill Equation...(con
(cont'd)...
Weak? Yes, because he was a lawyer who became a shelter lawyer who became a director of operations who then became a shelter director. Now he's an expert.
Where along the way did he learn to deal with truly challenging behavior in animals? I mean hands-on work where someone like me who does this work daily can look ANY shelter director in the eye and say, "You don't know your head from your ass when it comes to dealing with behavior issues!" Roberta, I could take that crummy shelter and turn it around on a dime using only a "staff" of volunteers and do a better job than any no-kill expert in this country.
I realize that's blasphemy because I'm not a recognized expert with SAWA credentials (CAWA). But I know how to train serious, dediated fosters to rehab every challenging animal and do it in their homes away from the prison.
Roberta, I'd invite every single rescuer and rescue group to stop working on their own and come work out of the adoption center.
...(Conclusion)
I'd get business interns from local colleges to handle the "business end." I'd launch a dynamic campaign to make the community a partner - not just a source of donations. Help them see that this is THEIR concern. Fundraising would be easy because people love to give generously to a winning cause.
The part of the NKE that so cavalierly relies on the goodwill of rescuers to pull so many animals - without any donations following those animals - would come to an end under my leadership: that means if "outsiders" take on an animal for us they get the donations with the animal. Do you no-killers understand the huge burden placed on rescues by not supporting them financially? Rescuers are taken advantage of daily in this country because they cannot say no. They must help just one more... Do they get some of that lucrative revenue stream?
To me an adoption center is a free charity, not a for-fee business model. And no kill means 100%, not 90%. OK, your turn...
First of all I love animals as much as the next guy.As a matter of fact I have a dog and a cat now & have had MANY other animals throughout my life and have rescued most of them.Secondly, there is no way that every shelter in every county can keep all of the animals that r abandoned or born stray alive.It costs too much money.We have to be realistic. The Humane Society in Tampa is a "no kill" clinic and I applaud them for it but if u talk to staff you will find out that they're barely hanging on by a thread and have to turn away animals from "kill clinics" often.They get generous donations due to the rich neighboods around them.There is no way shelters in less prominant areas can do it.Third and finally, my sister is a vet and I have witnesses many euthanizations,as well as my own strongly missed dog,& I've never seen them seizure or defecate on themselves.They simply go 2 sleep.It's a very peacful process.I think that the reason they r scared is b/c of the staff and drs.Work on that!
It should be a LAW that everyone SPAY & NEUTER their pets!!! That is the first step in stopping euthanasia!!
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