I think all of these places should have big signs on their doors/entrances stating what will probably happen to the animals that are dropped off there.

Once upon a time, I thought that these "shelters" kept the animals alive until they were adopted.

I wonder how many other people think/thought the same thing.

When I read somewhere that thousands and thousands of animals are euthanized/killed - and then I don't know what happens to their bodies -

Sorry for this being a downer, but people need to KNOW!!!

I know, its so sad! I wish more places could be NO KILL shelters. I adopted my Pug mix from a huge NK in Ill., it was such an awesome place. A vet owned it, and ran it with mostly volunteers. Wish it were closer to me, I would be volunteering ALL the time!
We have a small cat one here, I make quilts for them to raise money, and they own a thrift store, so I try to buy used clothes THERE to support them. reat place run mostly with volunteers.
If I ever win the lottery, I would open one!

Sad but true!

Our humane society here is a no-kill shelter. They get many dogs and cats from other areas that are.

Unfortunately there just isn't money available for all shelters to be NK and there aren't enough people out there that will adopt shelter dogs. There's an awful lot of people that only will buy from breeders and that's okay too. We got our dog from a NK because the local HS has so many rules and regulations that it's ridiculous. You HAVE to sign up for an 8 week course in animal training. That's a 50 mile round trip for me plus the cost of the classes plus the adoption fee. Nope, I went to Parke-Vermillion animal shelter in Indiana and adopted. $110 and out the door.

I know it's hard to see that, but at least they will tell you what will happen.

We have several no-kill shelters here. I try to support them when I get a chance.

I recently read that since the economy has gotten so bad, the shelters are overflowing with animals their owners can no longer afford to care for. It isn't cheap taking care of animals when the vet charges more then the doctor!!
We do have an alternative place here. You may have to wait a while, but the cost is affordable. I haven't had to use them, but it's good to know there are places like this available. :-D

It is very sad. What rankles me is people not spaying/neutering their pets. The only thing about euthanasia
is that to me it's better than just letting the poor things loose to try to fend for themselves. I wish I could open up the biggest shelter in the world. I love them all :D

This may sound horrible but a "put to sleep" death is not the worse thing that can happen. The problem is irresponsible owners that can't afford and should never have pets. I was given a purebred boxer once that was starving, covered in fleas, and had her ears almost eaten off by bugs. It took me weeks of cleaning, feeding and doctoring to get that poor dog back into shape. Not to mention the numerous vet bills. But when all was said and done, she was one beautiful boxer. Her ears were scarred but just a bit, most of the skin and hair grew back. She was also the best dog I ever had. Protective, loyal, and extremely intelligent. The vet said that another week of not being fed and she would have been beyond help.

I know it is very sad but what are they to do? I went to my local Humane Society yesterday to donate some money and drop off some cat food. There were cats and kittens coming out of the woodwork. There had to be 6 or 8 rabbits too. There is no way all those rabbits are going to get adopted I don't think, so what can they do?? It makes me so sad but what can we do? I know I don't have an answer.

I mentioned in another post that my road is a popular place to dump unwanted animas. At one point the animal shelter gave me free catfood so I wouldn't bring all of them in. whole litters of cats & dogs have been dumped on my door stip!

If people would just spay or neuter their animals it would help a lot. Some people just don't care. Don't blame the shelters.....blame the people who just don't take care of the situation. I hate the thought of animals being "put to sleep" but it's better than starving or being hit by a car. Such a sad situation for the animals.

What can they do? They are doing the best they can with the resources they have available. They keep the animals as long as they can but they have to make room for more because people just keep on bringing them...people who get pets and don't think of the long term or can't keep them anymore for whatever reason or can't afford them. People don't spay and neuter. Animals have become such a throwaway in our society. Shelters are SO underfunded. If they posted signs on the doors of what would actually happen, what would people do then? Would they go dump their pets? What is the solution? Not all shelters can afford to be NK shelters. They simply don't have the capacity, especially if they are the only shelter in the entire city/county. We have FOUR rescue/shelter dogs. We never planned on four, but they all needed homes. I've been on my local shelter board. I volunteer. We donate to rescues every single month. We do as much as we possibly can to help out. If it bothers you get out there help make a change. Be a voice for the animals. You sound passionate about your feelings so I'm sure they would love your help. :)

That is why I went and bought the Chihuahua that my selfish MIL returned to the Humane Society here. She just knew someone would adopt her, I was sure if they did they would have taken her back. MIL didn't crate train her and she is full of energy. MIL let a lot of bad habits develop and when the newness wore off she took her back. They made lots of money off that dog.
We have a no kill shelter here. I prefer to buy my dogs from breeders and pick out the breed I want.
All my pets are spayed/neutered as soon as they are old enough. I have taken in 3 dogs and 6 cats over the years. Still have 1 large outside dog and 4 cats. I would like to donate to the no kill shelter, but, taking care of all the pets I have is tough enough.
Oldest Daughter has taken in 7. Son has taken in 8.
I feel we have done more than most people ever do.

I got Charlie from a no kill shelter but they don't accept just any animal. He is now neutered. The Humane Society shelter on E Lancaster in Fort Worth will accept your unwanted animals but they state on their website that they can't guarantee adoption. The HS shelter south of Fort Worth is a no kill but they screen which animals they take and require a donation. This weekend, Petco is having their national adoption weekend so I'm taking the puppy that someone dumped in the neighborhood. Hopefully, someone will want her.

There are no-kill shelters but they're usually full. When they adopt out an animal, they will usually go to a kill shelter and rescue an animal that only has maybe hours to go. One of the main problems is that people aren't responsible and get their pets spayed or neutered.

Today in the pouring rain someone dumped 2 half grown terrified kittens in my yard. They are now on my porch warm and well fed. They are so affectionate and look well cared for. I will watch the lost and found ads but bet no one claims them. I told my husband he could take them to the pound. He can't anymore than I can. Our small shelter is always begging for people to adopt pets. My husband said get em nuetered and declawed. I guess they are keepers. There should be a law that people spay and neuter!

If it were easier and more affordable to spay and neuter, maybe more people would take on that responsibly.

We have 3 cats, 2 males and a female. The males were both shelter kitties, and we took in the female so she wouldn't go that way. They were neutered at the shelter before adoption... but when I called about spaying her, they basically said please do that, but not here. So I called around to several vets in the area and they all charge so much... It's hard. I thought there were programs to help but haven't found anything. Since they're all indoor cats and the boys have been fixed, she's on hold for now.

I realize not everybody's like me. Some people just don't care. But I do, and am not able to really do anything about it right now.

New Hampshire is a no kill state. In fact when there was a large amount of chihuahuas in CA (Every time a movie star has a purse dog every one and their brother think they have to have one so the litters become uncontrolable) they sent our state a lot of them. Catherine Heigel and her mom footed a lot of the bill. Puerto Rico has a death beach. (Hopefully they have worked on that) I will let your minds go from there. Anyway the rescue there sends some of the dogs our way. In fact I have one. Didn't know at the time where she came from and didn't care. One thing I can't stress enough Please spay and neuter your animals! If you don't have enough money to do so the rescues here help to defray the costs. We call it ,"No Excuse Monday"I have a bumper sticker on my car that says,"Cats nap, only humans put them to sleep." Try the SPCA for cheap s/n, just about every state has one. There is no excuse for abandoned kittens and puppies. Now I will get off my soap box.

I have three cats, one we got as a kitten from our neighbor, who saw her "out of the nest" with no mama cat around. We've had Shelly since she was about three weeks old.

Our vet suggested that we consider getting a second, older cat to help socialize Shelly. So we went to a local SPCA and adopted Midnight. We told them we were looking for a positive role model for Shelly. Apparently they had never had anyone tell them that before! Anyway, Midnight was a stick-figure-drawing of a cat; she had been brought in with five black baby kittens, and she was literally starving to death in order to feed them. The kittens had gone into foster homes, and if they had not had an empty cage Midnight would have been put down.

Midnight took to Shelly right away as she was still "in kitten mode".

A year later I felt a need for another cat. (It happens, right?) And this time I went to a nearby no-kill shelter. I adopted Chat, a rather generic-looking gray tabby. Sadly, she had been waiting a year and a half to be adopted. She was treated well in the shelter, but... a year and a half in (mostly) a cage is not a good experience. Of our three, she is the least healthy; she gets frequent colds, has lost several teeth, gets yeast infections in her ears, and she's gone deaf (for no obvious reason). So... while I certainly hate the idea of euthanizing a perfectly lovable animal, spending years in a cage waiting for your forever home, well, that takes a toll too.

BTW the girls are all 8 or 9 now. Since then, we've taken in and kept or found homes for three strays.

I volunteer at an NK Shelter. We have a lot of dogs & cats on the waiting list. We also offer to senior citizens, that if they adopt an older pet, we will give them a nice discount.

This NK shelter is very clean both in the kennels & throughout the whole building.

turtlerouge

We have a wonderful program here in our area that helps spay and neuter cats and dogs. It costs $20 for cats and $30 for dogs. This fee includes a rabies shot, transportation from a specific pick up spot to the animal hospital, over night stay, and transportation back to the pick up spot the next day. Isn't that great? They will even supply a crate if you don't have one.

Have you tried Lysine for your cats? I have never met a vet that didn't recommend it. It is an over the counter vitamin that boosts their immune system. I get large bottles (I have 8 cats) of 500 mg tablets. You can get it in capsule form too. Tablets are cheaper. I put them in my food processor and grind them to a slightly chunky powder. (Must warn you, this is very dusty) I sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon into each of their food bowls a day. It is tasteless. Very seldom do I have a problem with sickness. It is an easy preventative.

One more thing, pet stores do not carry it. Grocery and pharmacies do carry it.

spay, spay, spay, neuter, neuter, neuter!!!!! What more can we tell people!!! Be considerate of your pets. If not don't own them!!!

My 2 cents. but not worth more than that.

there are a couple of no kill shelters in Western Australia. but most of them pick and choose who will live or not. If there is anything wronge with a cat or kitten they put it down as it can spread disease to the other cats and as most of them are self funded or rely on donations they cannot keep sick animals, they have to keep things cost affective and sick animals take away any small profit they make. it is very sad but it is a fact of life

Both my dogs I got from rescue places - I try to go to HS or NK to get my pets. I can only have 2 at a time, but if it was up to me I would take in more. I love dogs and DH stated the other night that if it wasn't for him we would have hundreds of dogs here. and he is correct. They are expensive to take care of sometimes just like children - so far this year on my oldest dog I have spent almost $3,000 in medical - she has had 2 surgeries for torn ACL's (a week apart) then Monday took her again due to allergies. But I would spend more if I had to.

Its just so sad what happens to these poor animals! Vets charge crazy prices for all their services! If it were cheaper to get your dog or cat fixed more people would (i hope)! Its not cheap having a pet, hubby and I have 4 dogs, 3 cats, and 4 birds and only one very small income, but they come first! They are our children and we will go without before they will!

I agree. The No-Kill Shelters have one major hang up that nobody really acknowledges . . . there is usually a waiting list to drop off an unwanted animal. This forces people to creatively get rid of the pet in less humane ways. I've volunteered in both Kill and No-Kill Shelters. For those who are lucky enough to find a forever home I am thankful. I am also appreciative of the Kill Shelter Staff who are strong enough to humanely end the lives of those unwanted pets and save them from an otherwise abusive, neglected, painful, horrible life.

Over 10,000 unwanted pets are euthanized EACH DAY in shelters all across our country. 10,000 A DAY!!! Please don't litter, Spay and Neuter!

Humane Society here only takes pets that can be fostered out and are adoptable. They are treated for any illness, neutered, and given up to date shots and then a new home is found. There are only so many pets one person is allowed to foster. The foster person gets burned out very fast, it's overwhelming. Every person that I know that has abandoned an animal or does not take responsibility for the animal has bad luck, horrible life situations, and lead miserable and unhappy lives. I tell them it serves you right and I mean it. No sympathy from me for any abuser or stupid low life behavior.

I felt the same way about no kill shelters until I saw a TV show about what happens to the dogs no one wants. They are sent to no kill shelters but they are still confined to pens. True they do have human contact but it is not like they are in a loving home. I donate each month to the ASPCA, the HSUS, Noah's Wish and my local HS. All my fur babies have been shelter dogs. I wish I could do more, but like DH says "You can't save them all. I wish I could:(

For some time we had in my neighborhood a big, masculine
Siamese tom who must have fathered every litter around, since
half Siamese were seen every where. SO, I borrowed a humane
trap, caught him and had him altered. Told the vet that the cat was a stray and I would turn him loose again but see that he was fed.

He did have owners because he was in excellent shape and more than well fed.

The cat comes around now and then but no more half breed kittens around here lately. I'm trying to talk friends into doing the same thing with cats and dogs dumped on them, some of which they are keeping. Animals are so grateful when you give them love and kindness.

There are 2 other very important things people need to know. Owner surrenders are euthanized first. Strays are kept a certain number of days in hope that an owner will come forward.
The people that have to euthanize animals are usually animal lovers who devote their lives to the wellbeing of animals dropped off at shelters. My dear friend is suffering severe post traumatic stress syndrome from being forced to euthanize countless numbers of healthy loving animals. Because it is the lesser of many evils doesn't matter to the people who have to step up and deal with others' irresponsible behavior.
I'll get off my soapbox now as I say SUPPORT LOW COST SPAY NEUTER PROGRAMS AND LEGISLATION!!!

If you, or anyone you know is in need of no-cost or low cost spay/neuter solutions . . . go to http://www.spayusa.org/search/default.asp for clinics/vet hospitals in your area. They are connected with North Shore Animal League.

Support your LOCAL Human Society, not the National ASPCA. It's well known that the ASPCA donations do not make it to local chapters. Most of it stays right at headquarters. There was a big investigative report about the money not being given to help animals at all. It was quickly silenced. People in charge even take money out of the mouths of pets now.

My daughter just got a second boxer from Boxer Rescue...this fellow was rescued from Kentucky..hit by a car, had to have it's right front leg amputated, but he's a hoot!! Big, boisterous "Timmy" makes for many laughs with only 3 legs..imagine him playing with a ball...or running across a hard wood floor to the door and having only one "brake". But he's so very lovable! Sits on the couch with his head in your lap, snores a little, and is so content just to have a family! He joined another boxer, who lets it be known she is Queen and he is only tolerated because she allows him there. Occasionally, she has to put him in his place. LOL! Most of the time they live in harmony. Rescue shelters are great places to find and take animals. Not cheap to buy from but they check backgrounds of the "parents to be". I think that is cool!

We have a no kill shelter here, and I am grateful. our cats came from a shelter in a poor community, and they would have been put to sleep in a few days. There were so many animals there that you knew that not any of them would escape aline. They just did not have the money to provide for all of them.

Being a foster parent I can tell you we do get burned out. We could use a hundred foster parents. We have around 5 . so far this year we have taken in 226 dogs. We have 27 in our system right now. That is only dogs. I don't know about the cats but I know one foster at one time had 28 cats.
We would love to have a building just don't have the money. We spay/neuter all animals and it seems every other one has heartworm too. Which we treat for then adopt out. We ask a lot of questions and I have turned down people.We check vet records . We do not adopt to people who don't keep the animals they have up to date on shots, nor do we adopt to people whose animals are not fixed. We do this so we don't 1 get the animal back and 2 so they are not dumped in some shelter. OH we also microchip. I have 4 puppies now that I have nursed through sarcoptic mange, upper respiratory infection. I have had them for 2 months now . They were pulled from a shelter that is getting a bad rep around here. We do the best we can but the thing we want most is to be put out of business. Please support local humane societies. We really need it we always operate in the red. We also have a special fund for helping people with spay and neuters. It was left to us in a will . We are alway hoping someone will leave us a property and a big house. LOL With some money. or that one of us will win the lottery. :-)
we have had to put to sleep some dogs that came from a puppy mill. How I wish we could put all of them out of business. I have no problem with a responsible breeder but these people Ack!!!

I've heard that there is no such things as "no kill"
The shelters that say that they are no kill send the pets they want put to sleep to other shelters that do not advertise "no kill." If this is true I wonder how many people have been tricked into a false sense of security about their pet's fate?

There really is nothing that is no kill. I don't know about others but if we get animals in that are very sick like some from a puppy mill we picked up we put them down. It is the best thing for them. One of our volunteers still has a Japanese Chin that came from that puppy mill. She has spent thousands of her own money on that dog. Gina is living out her life in luxury. She had been bred repeatedly until she was no longer able. She had at one time had a broken jaw that a pin had been put in but it was causing her massive amounts of pain and the people were still breeding her.
We try to be a no kill we really do but sometimes it is impossible if it is really sick or really aggressive. Some dogs there is just no turning around. But if we have to do it we have our vets do it and there is someone there up until the end. We do not farm them out.