Give Me Shelter

Originally published in TC Dog in 2005.

Have you been to your local animal shelter lately? How about a pet rescue, the pound, or an adoption day? Maybe you're asking, "What's the difference, aren't they all 'the pound?'" We use the terms rescue, shelter, the pound, humane society, animal control, no-kill, open admission-but what do they all mean? What's the difference? Where should you go if you want to adopt an animal or have one you need to give up? The fact is, there are millions-yes, millions-more cats and dogs born each year than there are people who want to live with them.

The Humane Society of the United States (www.hsus.org) estimates that 6-8 million cats and dogs enter shelters every year. It's a staggering figure, especially when we take into account that half of these pets are euthanized. That's nine thousand pets a day that die because our system has failed.

Here in Minnesota, a small army has formed and fragmented into a myriad of organizations to attack the problem of pet overpopulation from all angles. We talked to a few of them to ask what's really going on in our shelters and what people can do to reduce the number of animals that can't stay in permanent homes. We'll demystify some of the lingo so you know what to do, where to go, and what these hardworking animal advocates are trying to tell you.

Let's start with the only state-funded organization for animals: Animal Control. It's often called "the pound" because they hold impounded animals, which is the main purpose of this city-level government department. Bill Stevenson, a supervisor at St. Paul Animal Control, explained that when a dog or cat comes in to Animal Control, "It's on hold for at least five days, which is state law-that's a minimum. If they're still unclaimed after five days, they become property of the city." At that point, pets have three options: adoption, transfer to another welfare organization, or euthanasia. So "the pound" is meant to get animals off the streets or out of law-breaking situations (barking, biting, no license). While it is a place to adopt a pet, it's not a place to bring pets you can't keep. Animal Control is not set up to handle the larger population of unwanted pets to the extent that the myriad of not-for-profit groups are.

This is why we have nearly 40 nonprofit humane organizations in Minnesota, plus over 100 pet rescue groups. In general, we categorize them by what animals they will take and whether or not they euthanize-the biggest hot-button issue not only for shelters, but the public as well. No one wants to have to kill a healthy or treatable dog or cat, but it happens every day. There just aren't enough homes and resources for the volume of animals surrendered to shelters.

The decision not to euthanize animals is what gives some shelters the label "no-kill." The short definition of the term is that they don't euthanize pets. Mike Fry, director of Animal Ark, a no-kill shelter in Hastings (www.animalarkshelter.org) explains that "the no-kill movement is about getting at the source of the animals and trying to get the rest of the community to be responsible for the animals that are there now. You've got to get to the root cause of the problem, or it won't ever go away." Their philosophy is that euthanizing animals does not solve the bigger problems of having too many unwanted pets.

Maybe you've noticed the groups that hang out in pet stores and parks, holding "adoption days." They represent one or another of the 100 plus pet rescues in Minnesota who also usually fall under the no-kill umbrella. There's a no-kill group for just about every dog breed, specialized rescues for cats only, for exotics (rabbits, reptiles, birds), and larger groups that take all kinds of animals. Pet rescues generally don't have an actual building to house pets; instead animals live in foster homes until they're adopted out.

Whether they have a facility or not, in order for no-kill organizations to operate this way, they have to control the volume of animals coming in. As a result, most no-kill organizations are also "limited admission," meaning that they can't take every animal presented to them. This is the biggest hurdle for no-kill organizations because there isn't an easy solution for having to turn away a lot of animals.

So, if no one wants to euthanize animals, why do some shelters do it? Because there has to be a place that people can go that will take their animal no matter what. If a person calls five or six organizations and is told that none of them can take their pet, we have to have a place for that pet to go. "Open admission" shelters are operating for slightly different purposes than the models mentioned above. They exist as a place that takes any animal at any time whether or not they have enough space and resources. If they run short of either and animals keep coming in, they are forced to euthanize.

Most open admission shelters do their best to avoid having to euthanize pets, including working with other shelters or rescues to help take animals they can't handle. But even their best efforts haven't eradicated euthanasia of unwanted animals. Minnesota Valley Humane Society (MVHS) lists their shelter statistics on their website (www.mvhspets.org), including the number of animals they had to euthanize last year. Kris Best, from MVHS explains, "You can see right on our website, it says 'only by telling the truth can the truth be changed.' We want people to realize what happens here." After a visit to the website, it will become clear about what's going on there and at thousands of other shelters across the country. But let's look at why. Because whether an organization is large or small, open or limited admission, no-kill or not, they hear the same reasons again and again when people call or show up with a cat in a cardboard box or a dog on a leash.

According to the National Council for Pet Overpopulation (NCPO) (www.petpopulation.org), one of the most common reasons pets are relinquished to shelters is that their owners are moving. To translate this into shelter-speak, it usually indicates that there are other problems with the pet, and they don't want to bring along the baggage to a new house. It takes training to have a well-behaved pet, and most of us need guidance from experts when faced with a pet's behavior problem. When we don't know what else to do, the default solution is that if the cat pees in the house or scratches furniture, it's time to say goodbye to the cat. Or if the dog barks all day, runs away, and is destructive when left alone, it's time to say goodbye to the dog. Who would want to live with these habits? Now add the stress of moving. Finding housing that accepts pets can be daunting, especially if you're at your wits end with a problem pet. Kris Best makes the comparison; "If you were moving, you would take your stereo if you liked the stereo. If it didn't work well, maybe you don't want to bring it." If you have a pet that ruined the carpet or your yard at the old place, do you want that at the new place, too? Consequently, moving gets top billing for surrender.

What's most important to do with that fact is to look at what we can do about pets with behavior problems. Luckily, this is where just about any animal welfare organization can help. They are top experts regarding behavior problems with pets because they hear about them every day. They know how to help with cats who don't use the litter box and dogs that bite. Kris Best explains that at MVHS, "We're more than a shelter. We're a community organization; we're not just for homeless pets. People come to us for obedience classes or humane education; we do kennel rentals; we rent citronella collars [to control barking]. We're not just for unwanted dogs and cats. We're for every dog and cat."

Equally as prolific are animals that show up at shelters because their owners have too many pets, or found that the responsibility was too much. It's tempting to love your current pets so much that more would certainly be better, but this is not always the case. In fact, it's often really not the case. Best encourages animal lovers to "look at what you're getting into, and think about the future." This holds true whether you're considering getting a first pet or an additional one. It's a decision that should involve evaluating your lifestyle and resources, as well as how likely it is that those may change in the next decade and beyond. When we think of how happy our animals make us, it's easy to forget that they are also expensive to feed, take to the vet, and care for in general; they live for 10, 15 years and require a lot of our time.

So that's the hard-nosed advice that needs to be said. But on the flip side, sometimes no matter how hard you try, things just don't work out with a pet. As Mike Fry puts it, "It's not a crime to have to give up a pet. Things happen in people's lives. People get sick; people have other dramatic changes in their lifestyle." While they hope the majority of people will be able to keep their pets for the span of their lives, pet welfare organizations don't want to discourage anyone from coming to them. They exist to help people with the decision to adopt or give up a pet, as well as to stop unwanted behavior. "We see a lot of people who are embarrassed to bring an animal to us." Says Best. She wants to reassure people that, "We're not going to laugh. We're not going to chastise [you]. Come talk to us."

The bottom line is this: whether you're thinking of getting a first pet or adding another one, or if your pets are doing things that are a problem, call and ask questions. If you need to give up a pet, really understand the different types of places you can go. Before choosing a shelter, ask them about their intake, adoption, and euthanasia policies and what, if any, resources they can offer in the way of advice, training, or referrals to make sure you understand and feel comfortable with their policies. Ask them what your pet's chances of adoption are if you're surrendering it.

Simply reading about statistics can sometimes remove us from the actual problems we face with pet overpopulation, but the fact remains that we are not currently keeping up with it. While welfare organizations and the public have made some great progress, there is still a long way to go. Mike Fry explains it like this: "Pet overpopulation is like animals in a river going towards a waterfall. You can either clear the river out by pushing them down the waterfall, or you can try to go upstream and plug the source."

What every animal welfare organization wants you to know:

1. Don't let your pets breed. Period.
2. Do not purchase live animals from pet shops.
3. Research the needs of pets before acquiring them.
4. Puppy classes for every puppy-they are invaluable for socialization and avoiding problems down the road.
5. If you're having a problem with a pet, ask for advice-they can help with nearly any problem; and if it's one you can't solve, they'll help you with what to do next.
6. Volunteer your time (please!)-Shelter animals need as much companionship and socialization as possible. Spending your time brushing cats or walking dogs is helpful to the animals' wellbeing.
7. Cash donations-Animal shelters and rescue groups are always in financial need. Their ability to accept animals for rescue is determined, in large part, by the availability of funds.
8. Donations of items -Most shelters publish a list of needed supplies. They most often need used newspapers, towels, paper towels, cat and dog toys. Most shelters cannot use pet foods and many pet treats.