Animal Planet Heroes Should Cover No-Kills

"Animal Planet Heroes Phoenix is an exciting drama that showcases the
lifesaving work of the Arizona Humane Society's specially trained Emergency
Animal Medical TechniciansT. Before the first rescue was caught on tape,
however, more than a year of work on the series had already been done behind
the scenes."

I have to wonder how many times the AHS will toot their own horn? Perhaps
Animal Planet should have looked at the no-kill shelters first. No-kill
shelters definately deserve more consideration for a show than the AHS. Why
is it that Animal Planet insists on doing these shows that actually cover
shelters that are known to euthanize animals? I think groups like AzCATs,
Animal Welfare League, Sun Valley Animal Shelter, etc deserve to be seen a
hell of a lot more.

It's time Animal Planet start showing the true unsung heroes out there for
these types of shows. As much as I have enjoyed Animal Cops I still feel
that no-kill shelters deserve more consideration. Apparently rescuing a cat
from the euthanasia list of known kill shelters is not as exciting to Animal
Planet. AzCATs for example does TNR of feral cats in the Phoenix area but
yet don't get the credit they deserve for the work they do. I guess rescuing
and trapping feral cats is not exciting because apparently you have to have
a big budget and have a reputation for euthanizing in order to make it on
Animal Planet.

Yes, these are my opinions but I think it is time for the no-kill shelters
and rescue organizations to get the credit they deserve. They also deserve
to get donations as well. Yes, during the Katrina disaster I donated to the
ASPCA which is not no-kill but I also donated to Alley Cat Allies. ACA which
is the national organization for feral cats hardly has the budget the ASPCA
does but also does not have the budget the AHS does.

According to one site charitynavigator.org which lists non-profit budgets
and also salaries of the CEO's shows that the head of the AHS Cheryl Naumann
makes over a $161,026 a year as her salary while the head of Alley Cat
Allies Donna Wilcox makes only $58,710 per year. Alley Cat also doesn't
have the enormous budget that the Humane Society has but there is still
something very wrong with this picture. Heck even the head of the Arizona
Animal Welfare League which states they are the largest and oldest no-kill
shelter in the state of Arizona doesn't have the budget the AHS has. The
head of that organization Betty Welton only makes $65,880 a year as salary.

I think this pattern shows that unless you have the money, Animal Planet and
other media outlets are not as interested in your story. It is about time
this changes. No-kills work just as hard and seem to get very little credit
or nods from the media. Every year the AHS has a telethon on one of the
local TV channels (ABC 15 I believe) to raise money and also gets their own
show on Channel 3. Do the no-kill organizations get the same consideration?
Heck no. The no-kills are lucky they get a small mention in the newspaper
let alone a major fundraiser.

I think no-kills are the unsung heroes of the rescue community. They take in
many animals in the hopes they get adopted and also are willing to work with
the more difficult cases. I remember rescuing one cat who was apparently
abused and had a very **** poor attitude. He took swipes and hit and spit.
Luckily I contacted Sun Valley Animal Shelter in Glendale who worked with
this cat and eventually fully rehabilitated him and got him placed in loving
home. It took two tries to get the right placement but he still did. If he
had gotten placed in a shelter known for euthanasia I don't think he'd be
alive today. Feral cats also face a lot of doom when it comes to shelters
known to euthanize.

I challenge the media to finally start covering and lending support to
no-kills. These organizations work just as tirelessly to rescue animals as
well as getting them placed. I applaud the efforts of organizations like
AzCATs which are starting to get a little more support for their efforts
(they host a show every Sunday on one of the local AM stations here in
Phoenix which deals with animals. It's called The Animal World and can be
heard on KKNT 960AM radio and KTIE 590AM radio in Los Angeles) but the
press still seems to shy away from covering feral cat issues.

Wake up Animal Planet. It's time to start covering the no-kills. They may
not have the budget but their work deserves some credit.

BTW, if there are fans of AHS on this group, I will say that some of their
programs are not all bad. To AHS's credit they do have a low-cost spay
neuter program which has better rates for shots and a few other services
than the vets do. Of course the vet for my cats is a little more (a few
dollars more) which I gladly pay now instead of going halfway across town to
the AHS to get them. Pets on Parade which is hosted by the Humane Society on
Channel 3 is also not bad either. They show animals up for adoption and also
have a few other bits of info about animal care and a few interesting
stories as well. I just wish that the AHS goes no-kill. They certainly have
the budget and support for it.


--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com

Cat Protector wrote:
"Animal Planet Heroes Phoenix is an exciting drama that showcases the
lifesaving work of the Arizona Humane Society's specially trained Emergency
Animal Medical TechniciansT. Before the first rescue was caught on tape,
however, more than a year of work on the series had already been done behind
the scenes."

I have to wonder how many times the AHS will toot their own horn? Perhaps
Animal Planet should have looked at the no-kill shelters first. No-kill
shelters definately deserve more consideration for a show than the AHS. Why
is it that Animal Planet insists on doing these shows that actually cover
shelters that are known to euthanize animals?

"No kills" kill animals too. They do it by default; by refusal, by
picking and choosing which animals to accept. They do it when the
animal is sick or ailing. There is no such thing as a "no kill"
shelter. The term "no kill" is merely a pretty name they like to call
themselves so they don't have to face the reality of what they do.

Furthermore, the general pubic needs to understand what happens when
they refuse responsibility for their pets. They need to see that when
they dump fluffy or fido many times the animal ends up being hit by a
car, starved or worse, and that its fate is death - either as a result
of their actions or because the shelters have few resources and have no
recourse but to euthanize them. That is one reason shows like Animal
Cops focus on orgs like the SPCA and Humane Scoiety.

I think groups like AzCATs,
Animal Welfare League, Sun Valley Animal Shelter, etc deserve to be seen a
hell of a lot more.

It's time Animal Planet start showing the true unsung heroes out there for
these types of shows. As much as I have enjoyed Animal Cops I still feel
that no-kill shelters deserve more consideration. Apparently rescuing a cat
from the euthanasia list of known kill shelters is not as exciting to Animal
Planet. AzCATs for example does TNR of feral cats in the Phoenix area but
yet don't get the credit they deserve for the work they do. I guess rescuing
and trapping feral cats is not exciting because apparently you have to have
a big budget and have a reputation for euthanizing in order to make it on
Animal Planet.

Yes, these are my opinions but I think it is time for the no-kill shelters
and rescue organizations to get the credit they deserve. They also deserve
to get donations as well. Yes, during the Katrina disaster I donated to the
ASPCA which is not no-kill but I also donated to Alley Cat Allies. ACA which
is the national organization for feral cats hardly has the budget the ASPCA
does but also does not have the budget the AHS does.

According to one site charitynavigator.org which lists non-profit budgets
and also salaries of the CEO's shows that the head of the AHS Cheryl Naumann
makes over a $161,026 a year as her salary while the head of Alley Cat
Allies Donna Wilcox makes only $58,710 per year. Alley Cat also doesn't
have the enormous budget that the Humane Society has but there is still
something very wrong with this picture. Heck even the head of the Arizona
Animal Welfare League which states they are the largest and oldest no-kill
shelter in the state of Arizona doesn't have the budget the AHS has. The
head of that organization Betty Welton only makes $65,880 a year as salary.

Why don't you take a look at the number of animals served by each org
and the areas served. It will shine a light on the salary differences.



I think this pattern shows that unless you have the money, Animal Planet and
other media outlets are not as interested in your story. It is about time
this changes. No-kills work just as hard and seem to get very little credit
or nods from the media. Every year the AHS has a telethon on one of the
local TV channels (ABC 15 I believe) to raise money and also gets their own
show on Channel 3. Do the no-kill organizations get the same consideration?
Heck no. The no-kills are lucky they get a small mention in the newspaper
let alone a major fundraiser.

I think no-kills are the unsung heroes of the rescue community. They take in
many animals in the hopes they get adopted and also are willing to work with
the more difficult cases. I remember rescuing one cat who was apparently
abused and had a very **** poor attitude. He took swipes and hit and spit.
Luckily I contacted Sun Valley Animal Shelter in Glendale who worked with
this cat and eventually fully rehabilitated him and got him placed in loving
home. It took two tries to get the right placement but he still did. If he
had gotten placed in a shelter known for euthanasia I don't think he'd be
alive today. Feral cats also face a lot of doom when it comes to shelters
known to euthanize.

When you only have X number of dollars to spend on X number of animals,
it makes most sense to spend those dollars on the animals which are
most likely to be adopted - which ferals and cats with behavioral
issues are not. "No kills" who can pick and choose which animals they
"want" might have that luxury - Humane Societies and SPCAs which serve
all animals all the time do not.


I challenge the media to finally start covering and lending support to
no-kills. These organizations work just as tirelessly to rescue animals as
well as getting them placed. I applaud the efforts of organizations like
AzCATs which are starting to get a little more support for their efforts
(they host a show every Sunday on one of the local AM stations here in
Phoenix which deals with animals. It's called The Animal World and can be
heard on KKNT 960AM radio and KTIE 590AM radio in Los Angeles) but the
press still seems to shy away from covering feral cat issues.

Wake up Animal Planet. It's time to start covering the no-kills. They may
not have the budget but their work deserves some credit.

BTW, if there are fans of AHS on this group, I will say that some of their
programs are not all bad. To AHS's credit they do have a low-cost spay
neuter program which has better rates for shots and a few other services
than the vets do. Of course the vet for my cats is a little more (a few
dollars more) which I gladly pay now instead of going halfway across town to
the AHS to get them. Pets on Parade which is hosted by the Humane Society on
Channel 3 is also not bad either. They show animals up for adoption and also
have a few other bits of info about animal care and a few interesting
stories as well. I just wish that the AHS goes no-kill. They certainly have
the budget and support for it.

You are obviously ignorant of how Humane Societies are run and what
they do. While the "no kill" private shelters have their place in
helping to control the unwanted pet overpopulation problem,
organizations like the Humane Society, which serve all animals all the
time, carry the brunt of this burden.

Good luck getting the "no kill" shelters some media attention from the
major syndicate - fat chance it will happen, though.

-L.

-L. wrote:
Cat Protector wrote:
I have to wonder how many times the AHS will toot their own horn? Perhaps
Animal Planet should have looked at the no-kill shelters first. No-kill
shelters definately deserve more consideration for a show than the AHS. Why
is it that Animal Planet insists on doing these shows that actually cover
shelters that are known to euthanize animals?

"No kills" kill animals too. They do it by default; by refusal, by
picking and choosing which animals to accept. They do it when the
animal is sick or ailing. There is no such thing as a "no kill"
shelter. The term "no kill" is merely a pretty name they like to call
themselves so they don't have to face the reality of what they do.

Exactly correct. What the local "no kill" shelter doesn't accept, end
up at another shelter without the same policy. I think it is the height
of hypocrisy for any shelter to call themselves a "no kill" shelter
just to garner additional funding and support and make some people feel
better - it is without question a huge sham and deceit. Publicly
operated shelters end up taking all the cast-offs that the local
"no-kill" shelter refuses. The "no-kill" shelter gets to fool
themselves and their clients and leaves the publicly operated facility
to take all the risk and all the grief.

Hold the phone don't add all no kill shelters to this. Both shelters I fund
as in I pay the bills and volunteer my time at. They are both completely no
kill unless they animal is so sick that it's quality of life will never
return. Both local humane societies and the animals control come to us with
their over burden of animals. They are no kill also. We find room for
every cat that comes to us either thru foster families or permanent homes.
Other animals that comes to us we find room where ever we can even if we
have to load the animal up and drive to another state.
We also have associations that find homes for these animals by what ever
means necessary. We do a lot of elderly people pet fosters since It has
been proven an elderly person with the ability to actively have access to
pet shows improventment in their life( to sum it up quickly). There are so
many of no kill shelters here in Florida that do the same thing as us.
Everyone of the hurricane refugees we took everyone that they needed us to
take we adopted every one and happy to report many of cats were returned
to their families. So please don't include all us no kill shelters in this

-L. wrote:

Good luck getting the "no kill" shelters some media attention from the
major syndicate - fat chance it will happen, though.

-L.

this "sounds" like horse ****

the public "thinks" no kill means...

we adopt them out oppossed to killing them

there is no way you can say that no kill shelters pick and choose who
they will not
take...maybe some do; but im sure it's the minority

you don't have a case
sit you tail down

I bet you can't prove it can you that no-kills actually kill animals. None
of the no-kills that I am aware actually kill animals. I would like to see
proof from you that no-kills actually by their own hands kill animals. I
think it is funny that when someone rises to the defense of the no-kills
they are called ignorant or that they don't have a clue. It is time many
here wake up to reality that no-kills make a significant impact on the
rescue of animals.

As for your hypothisis regarding salaries, I would love for you to explain
how a national organization like Alley Cat Allies which is national makes
less money than the AHS? Last time I checked feral cats are plenty and when
they get into a shelter known for euthanizing they are put down simply
because they are feral cats. From what I have heard, any cat deemed feral is
put down because shelters simply do not have any knowledge about feral cats
nor do they even want to take the time to learn. Euthanizing a feral cat is
not an effective way to deal with the situation. TNR is.

I would sooner bring a cat to a no-kill shelter than one known for
euthanizing. As for turning away animals I can see how this can happen
during cat and kitten season. So many are born because people fail to spay
or neuter their animals and then on top of that they get dumped into the
streets because they don't want the responsibility. This is not the fault of
the shelters but the stupid ass humans who care only about themselves. Even
the AHS has been trying to prevent this by trying to educate the public.

No-kills mean just that. They are no-kill and will allow an animal to be
fostered in their network or allowed to have refuge until they are adopted
or until their life ends. Like any shelter they can turn animals away and
the only time I have seen this is when it is cat and kitten season. If you
don't believe that no-kill shelters exist then I challenge you to check out
Sun Valley Animal Shelter or even AAWL in Arizona. In fact AAWL has greatly
assisted AzCATs in getting the kittens from feral cats in the system so they
can be adopted.

As for media attention, no-kills are starting to get a little more attention
where they are locally. They certainly did get some media attention during
Katrina. However, they deserve more. Animal rescue workers from no-kills are
often spending much of their own money to foster animals. Do they get
recognition from the media? Absolutely not.

I applaud the efforts of animal rescue organizations that rescue animals
including AHS but I also believe the no-kill organizations deserve their
moment in the sun. I think organizations like AzCATs which faces an uphill
battle to educate the public about feral cats deserves a lot of media
attention and applause from the public. Volunteers from that organization
are out every day trapping feral cats so they can be spayed or neutered and
then returned to their environment where a human caregiver makes sure the
cats have enough food or water and are looked after. To me organizations
like this definately deserve attention and more donations and support from
businesses. Luckily, they are getting some.

It is obvious by your posting that you don't support no-kills or shelters
that have similar policies. I wonder what would happen if you went to a
no-kill shelter and said that they were actually a kill shelter simply
because animals are turned away. One thing I can applaud the AHS for is not
turning away animals but when they have behavior or medical issues they are
often euthanized where they could be saved.

I know of a few no-kills that rescue animals from the euthanasia list. I
think this deserves kudos and certainly erases your position that even
no-kills actually kill. Many of these shelters are on very limited budgets
but are still willing to say to those animals on the euthanasia list that
"we will take you." I do know that the AHS and even Maricopa County Animal
Care & Control work with these organizations.

I am not totally against the AHS because I am sure they don't want to
euthanize but sometimes I feel they are somewhat quick to do so. I think
their low cost spay neuter program is also good and think some of their
programming like Pets on Parade is good by showing animals up for adoption.
I love watching the cats on that show. It is cool they have an EAMT program
but I think no-kills would have them if they actually had the financial
support.

I think however it is time to start supporting the no-kills a little more
and give them their own shows. In some ways they do have them. AzCATs has
their own radio show every weekend and I think it is wonderful. They often
have guests who are actively involved in supporting no-kill organizations. I
think AzCATs has done a terrific job. They may not have the budget but they
have one of the toughest jobs in the TNR of feral cats. I think Animal
Planet should really do a series about them.


--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com

"-L." wrote in message
"No kills" kill animals too. They do it by default; by refusal, by
picking and choosing which animals to accept. They do it when the
animal is sick or ailing. There is no such thing as a "no kill"
shelter. The term "no kill" is merely a pretty name they like to call
themselves so they don't have to face the reality of what they do.

Furthermore, the general pubic needs to understand what happens when
they refuse responsibility for their pets. They need to see that when
they dump fluffy or fido many times the animal ends up being hit by a
car, starved or worse, and that its fate is death - either as a result
of their actions or because the shelters have few resources and have no
recourse but to euthanize them. That is one reason shows like Animal
Cops focus on orgs like the SPCA and Humane Scoiety.

I think groups like AzCATs,
Animal Welfare League, Sun Valley Animal Shelter, etc deserve to be seen
a
hell of a lot more.

It's time Animal Planet start showing the true unsung heroes out there
for
these types of shows. As much as I have enjoyed Animal Cops I still feel
that no-kill shelters deserve more consideration. Apparently rescuing a
cat
from the euthanasia list of known kill shelters is not as exciting to
Animal
Planet. AzCATs for example does TNR of feral cats in the Phoenix area but
yet don't get the credit they deserve for the work they do. I guess
rescuing
and trapping feral cats is not exciting because apparently you have to
have
a big budget and have a reputation for euthanizing in order to make it on
Animal Planet.

Yes, these are my opinions but I think it is time for the no-kill
shelters
and rescue organizations to get the credit they deserve. They also
deserve
to get donations as well. Yes, during the Katrina disaster I donated to
the
ASPCA which is not no-kill but I also donated to Alley Cat Allies. ACA
which
is the national organization for feral cats hardly has the budget the
ASPCA
does but also does not have the budget the AHS does.

According to one site charitynavigator.org which lists non-profit budgets
and also salaries of the CEO's shows that the head of the AHS Cheryl
Naumann
makes over a $161,026 a year as her salary while the head of Alley Cat
Allies Donna Wilcox makes only $58,710 per year. Alley Cat also doesn't
have the enormous budget that the Humane Society has but there is still
something very wrong with this picture. Heck even the head of the Arizona
Animal Welfare League which states they are the largest and oldest
no-kill
shelter in the state of Arizona doesn't have the budget the AHS has. The
head of that organization Betty Welton only makes $65,880 a year as
salary.

Why don't you take a look at the number of animals served by each org
and the areas served. It will shine a light on the salary differences.



I think this pattern shows that unless you have the money, Animal Planet
and
other media outlets are not as interested in your story. It is about time
this changes. No-kills work just as hard and seem to get very little
credit
or nods from the media. Every year the AHS has a telethon on one of the
local TV channels (ABC 15 I believe) to raise money and also gets their
own
show on Channel 3. Do the no-kill organizations get the same
consideration?
Heck no. The no-kills are lucky they get a small mention in the newspaper
let alone a major fundraiser.

I think no-kills are the unsung heroes of the rescue community. They take
in
many animals in the hopes they get adopted and also are willing to work
with
the more difficult cases. I remember rescuing one cat who was apparently
abused and had a very **** poor attitude. He took swipes and hit and
spit.
Luckily I contacted Sun Valley Animal Shelter in Glendale who worked with
this cat and eventually fully rehabilitated him and got him placed in
loving
home. It took two tries to get the right placement but he still did. If
he
had gotten placed in a shelter known for euthanasia I don't think he'd be
alive today. Feral cats also face a lot of doom when it comes to shelters
known to euthanize.

When you only have X number of dollars to spend on X number of animals,
it makes most sense to spend those dollars on the animals which are
most likely to be adopted - which ferals and cats with behavioral
issues are not. "No kills" who can pick and choose which animals they
"want" might have that luxury - Humane Societies and SPCAs which serve
all animals all the time do not.


I challenge the media to finally start covering and lending support to
no-kills. These organizations work just as tirelessly to rescue animals
as
well as getting them placed. I applaud the efforts of organizations like
AzCATs which are starting to get a little more support for their efforts
(they host a show every Sunday on one of the local AM stations here in
Phoenix which deals with animals. It's called The Animal World and can be
heard on KKNT 960AM radio and KTIE 590AM radio in Los Angeles) but the
press still seems to shy away from covering feral cat issues.

Wake up Animal Planet. It's time to start covering the no-kills. They may
not have the budget but their work deserves some credit.

BTW, if there are fans of AHS on this group, I will say that some of
their
programs are not all bad. To AHS's credit they do have a low-cost spay
neuter program which has better rates for shots and a few other services
than the vets do. Of course the vet for my cats is a little more (a few
dollars more) which I gladly pay now instead of going halfway across town
to
the AHS to get them. Pets on Parade which is hosted by the Humane Society
on
Channel 3 is also not bad either. They show animals up for adoption and
also
have a few other bits of info about animal care and a few interesting
stories as well. I just wish that the AHS goes no-kill. They certainly
have
the budget and support for it.

You are obviously ignorant of how Humane Societies are run and what
they do. While the "no kill" private shelters have their place in
helping to control the unwanted pet overpopulation problem,
organizations like the Humane Society, which serve all animals all the
time, carry the brunt of this burden.

Good luck getting the "no kill" shelters some media attention from the
major syndicate - fat chance it will happen, though.

-L.

You have got to be kidding. The only time I have seen any no-kill shelter
say we can't take any more animals is during cat and kitten season. Often
times shelters are filled to capacity with felines because people fail to
have their cats spayed or neutered.

I would love for you to go to a no-kill shelter and tell the volunteers that
you think that non-kills are all sham artists and that they are hypocrites.
I am willing to bet you will not get a positive reaction and be met with
angry volunteers who work tirelessly to rescue the many animals that get
dumped in the city streets by uncaring humans. I can come up with a whole
list of no-kill shelters that do exactly what they say they do and do not
kill animals.


--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com

"Steve Crane" wrote in message so they don't have to
face the reality of what they do.

Exactly correct. What the local "no kill" shelter doesn't accept, end
up at another shelter without the same policy. I think it is the height
of hypocrisy for any shelter to call themselves a "no kill" shelter
just to garner additional funding and support and make some people feel
better - it is without question a huge sham and deceit. Publicly
operated shelters end up taking all the cast-offs that the local
"no-kill" shelter refuses. The "no-kill" shelter gets to fool
themselves and their clients and leaves the publicly operated facility
to take all the risk and all the grief.

Steve Crane wrote:

Exactly correct. What the local "no kill" shelter doesn't accept, end
up at another shelter without the same policy. I think it is the height
of hypocrisy for any shelter to call themselves a "no kill" shelter
just to garner additional funding and support and make some people feel
better - it is without question a huge sham and deceit.

Bingo. It makes me sick, really.

Publicly
operated shelters end up taking all the cast-offs that the local
"no-kill" shelter refuses. The "no-kill" shelter gets to fool
themselves and their clients and leaves the publicly operated facility
to take all the risk and all the grief.

Yep.

-L.

Cat Protector wrote:


Wake up Animal Planet. It's time to start covering the no-kills. They may
not have the budget but their work deserves some credit.


I think it is better that they stick with the public facilities that do
put down animals.

Why?

Because these programs are good for educationg the public. When they
see a dog get rescued, brought back to health, and then put down
because there is no room or it can't pass the temperment test - well,
that is what we are really facing, isn't it?

Why would we want to gloss over the problem? We need a reality check.
Cats and dogs are being killed every day for lack of homes as well as
abuse. People need to see this.


If they featured "no-kill" shelters, what would we see on the program?
People bringing in their pets to drop them off? Adoption day at the
local pet store or cat show?

Shelters do a lot of great work, and I agree that we should support
them. But we need to get people's attention. We need to show them some
good stories but also some bad stories. The ones that get people
willing to change.

Check out your local craigslist pet section. Every day, you can see
animals being sold or given away because they owner is moving, having a
baby, or is suddenly allergic. And then there are the tons of people
looking for a stud, advertising a stud, or promoting their new litter
or kittens or puppies. Most of these people have never heard of testing
eyes, heart, or hips. They have no idea that THEY are the problem.

Every litter created out of ignorance is the same as sending an equal
number of cats or dogs to the local shelter, kill or not. every kitten
they place means another that dies somewhere for lack of a home.

You want to make a difference? Start educating the public. Respond to
those ads. Speak up. On my local list, I respond to the breeders and
ask if they have done the tests. Do they know the pedigree of their dog
or cat? Do they know the health of the animals listed in that pedigree.
Do they realize that their 6 kittens will prevent 6 cats from getting a
home? etc.

It's easy to ignore the problems if we don't see them. I am very
greatful the the shelters, ALL of them. But we need to put out the bad
stories, the ones that get people feeling angry and guilty enough to
take action.

If I were to add a program, I would like to see stories of animals
purchased from breeders who had health and temperment issues from
irresponsible breeding. My current sheltie came from a backyard
breeder. She was 4 years old when she was rescued. They were keeping
her to breed her, and hadn't done so yet because they only had one
male, her father. She was outside in a kennel by herself, never
socialized with people or other dogs. She should never have been kept
for breeding. She was undersized, had poor conformation, prick ears,
and not that great a coat. And once we got her, we learned she had poor
vision and an oversized heart. So, health problems too. This was one
messed up dog. It took well over a year to get to "almost normal". And
it doesn't take much to set off the old fears. Most people, had they
adopted this dog would have dumped her at the shelter in less than a
week. She could not walk on smooth surfaces such as linoleum and hard
wood floors. She couldn't do stairs or doorways. She freaked in a
kennel and on a leash. She was afraid of the dark (barked in the middle
of the night), and she was not housebroken. Most people can't deal with
a dog like this.

My first sheltie was adopted from a shelter. She was turned in as a
public nuisance. She was an awesome dog that just needed a better home.
She also had a health problem. She went blind at age 9 because of a
common genetic fault. If breeders tested and worked to eliminate these
problems, they wouldn't be so common. I can't believe how many people
told me to put her down and get a new dog.

If the average person could see what happens to thes dogs and cats,
they wouldn't be so quick to breed them. A lot of people just don't
know better. They need to be educated.

Cat Protector wrote:
You have got to be kidding. The only time I have seen any no-kill shelter
say we can't take any more animals is during cat and kitten season.

Oh really? do they take all FeLV and FIV positive cats? What about
kittens with FIP? What about old, feral Tomcats who are meaner than
****? Cats on the brink of death for one reason or another?

Often
times shelters are filled to capacity with felines because people fail to
have their cats spayed or neutered.

(Now we know what kind of nimord we are dealing with, Steve...)


I would love for you to go to a no-kill shelter and tell the volunteers that
you think that non-kills are all sham artists and that they are hypocrites.
I am willing to bet you will not get a positive reaction and be met with
angry volunteers who work tirelessly to rescue the many animals that get
dumped in the city streets by uncaring humans.

I bet what we will find are a bunch of ignorant housewives who
volunteer at no kills because they think it is a "kinder and gentler"
shelter. They haven't got a clue about the real politics of animal
welfare and pet overpopulation.


I can come up with a whole
list of no-kill shelters that do exactly what they say they do and do not
kill animals.

If you think no-kills never kill animals, you are a fool. Of course
they do - either directly because they are ill or old, because doing so
is humane, or they do so indirectly by turning away the
"uindesirables". The no-kill here doesn't even take cats anymore and
haven't for over 2 years. All they are is a warehouse for cats that
annot be placed - what a great life that must be - to live your life in
a cage.

I will take the letal injection over a life in prison, any day.
-L.