Have you heard of the "No Kill Movement"? Do you know what it is all about? How does it affect our attitude towards animals? How does it affect how animal shelters operate?
The "No Kill Movement" has been gathering momentum and has begun to change the way animal shelters operate. It is no secret that people love their pets. According to recent figures, over 63% of U.S. families have a pet. Most of the pets are dogs and cats. So, where do these pets come from? Were they adopted from an animal shelter or purchased at a pet store? Were they selected from a breeder or taken in as strays? Were they received from a friend who had to move to a home that was not "pet friendly"?
The "No Kill Movement" advocates giving homeless pets a home by adopting pets at a local shelter. There are many reasons for this. Purchasing a puppy from a pet store tends to promote puppy mills, which often means abusing the breeding dogs for a profit. You can many times find a pure breed at a shelter, if that is what you are seeking. There are more people who desire pets than there are pets available, so why are about half of the pets going into shelters being killed instead of rehomed? It actually costs more to kill an animal than to put them up for adoption. So, how does the "No Kill Movement" seek to reverse this alarming practice?
The "No Kill Movement" promotes the following practices:
(1) Pet adoption programs
(2) Pet retention efforts
(3) Work with Rescue Groups
(4) High Volume/Low Cost Spay/Neuter services
(5) Foster Care Program
(6) Medical & Behavior Rehab
(7) Trap, Neuter, Release Program for Feral Cat Colonies
(8) Progressive field services/Proactive redemptions
(9) Work with volunteers
(10) A Compassionate Shelter Director
For more information regarding the "No Kill Movement," check out the No Kill Advocacy Center and Nathan Winograd sites. Also, check out the book by Nathan Winograd titled "Friendly Fire."
After checking out the websites, see if your attitude doesn't change regarding shelter animals. Maybe your next trip to select a pet will be to your local shelter.
Comments