You find a nice animal rescue and decide to adopt a dog. You see abandoned animals and suggest they be taken to the nearest S.P.C.A. or “no-kill” shelter. But do you know the truth about what exactly “no-kill” means and the consequences that come with it? Although this may not be what you want to hear, if you have a passion for animals, or just dogs in particular like I do, you’ll want to read this. Let’s explore.

What “No-Kill” Means

While it is true that “no-kill” shelters don’t kill animals because of numbers, it doesn’t mean that the animals are still safe. The “no-kill” shelter can’t kill an animal unless it’s health conditions are too much for the animal to bear or it’s considered dangerous. A huge limitation to a “no-kill” shelter is space. They will turn animals away when full, even if the animal has potential to be adopted. This means even if an animal is in need, the “no-kill” shelter will turn them away, thus not saving as many animals as they have potential to.

Animals may not die in a cruel way at a “no-kill” shelter, as animals are turned away it just leaves them to die somewhere else. Although there are so many animals and not enough homes, a “no-kill” shelter turning animals away isn’t the answer to the problem.

As “no-kill” shelters turn animals away, they look down on traditional shelters for the high number of euthanasias. While at the same time, traditional shelters look down on “no-kill” shelters for the high number of animals they refuse on a daily basis.

How You Can Help

Whether you believe in the importance of “no-kill” shelters or support traditional shelters, there are a few ways you can still help animals in need:

  • Spay and Neuter Your Pets
  • Adopt instead of Shop
  • Research the Breeder (If you have to buy)

Spay and neuter your pets, especially if they roam freely outside. If your dog or cat roams the neighborhood, they could be out there mating with another dog or cat. This is what keeps the number so high of animals without a home and on the streets. You can help reduce the number of homeless animals in your neighborhood by spaying and neutering your animals.

Another way you can help reduce the amount of pets on the street and in shelters is by adopting dogs from shelters instead of breeders. Even though you’re one person, you’re taking one less dog in a shelter and that’s something to feel happy about because you just opened a space for another dog in the shelter instead of on the streets.

Dog breeders have been caught in cases where they neglect the mother and only sell pups for the money, mistreating the mother dog. Do your research if you plan to purchase a dog from a breeder. Ask if you can see the mother, and the condition in which your puppy was until it came to your home. You don’t want to support a breeder who keeps their mother dogs and pups in cruel corners.