JUST WHAT IS AN ANIMAL SHELTER?

ARE ANIMAL SHELTERS REALLY PRISONS?

SOME STEPS YOU CAN TAKE

1. Research your local dog shelter to discover what it’s organizational structure is and find out what services they offer.
2. Take a visit to the shelter to determine the quality of services they offer and animal care they provide.
3. Give as much support and help that you can to the shelters that support your patronage.
4. Take the necessary steps to improve the ones where humans and non-human clients receive less-than-optimal care.

NO TWO SHELTERS ARE THE SAME

Talk to many people about their shelter experiences and you’ll get just as many different responses.   When you’ve had one experience with a shelter,  good or bad,  you might think that all shelters are the same.   They aren’t,  most of us laymen think that all shelters come under the rule of some national governing body that regulates what they do,  like the Red Cross or Boy Scouts.   You may be surprised to know that the opposite is true – with a few rare exceptions,  every shelter is it own entity,  complete within itself,  with it’s own policies and procedures,  its own governing body,  and it’s own list of services available or not offered at all.

SERVICES OFFERED BY ANIMAL SHELTERS

Your local animal shelter may have a wide variety of services offered,  depending on what they think their mission and vision is and what resources are available.   Below are some services that can be offered.  Also don’t forget to use your influence to get the shelter to provide services that you feel should be offered.   Help with any funding that may be needed if you can.

• Rescuing animals in distress:  trapped in trees;  victims of natural disasters,  fallen and injured
• Housing of unwanted/homeless animals
• Animal cruelty investigations
• Animal  “nuisance”  complaints
• In–house adoption programs
• Adoption outreach programs
• Post-adoption follow-up and counseling
• Volunteer programs
• Education programs
• Spay/neuter assistance programs for animals belonging to the public
• Spay/neuter clinic
• Well-pet assistance:  subsidizing preventive care such as vaccines,  worming,  etc.
• Veterinary care assistance
• Low-fee/affordable veterinary clinic
• Low-cost vaccinations,  microchips,  tattooing
• Companion animal training and behavior modification programs
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Prison dog programs
• Euthanasia services

THE FOUR MAIN ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETIES

1. Humane Society of the United States  http://www.humanesociety.org
2. American Humane Association  http://www.americanhumane.org
3. Red Rover  (formerly known as United Animal Nations)  http://www.redrover.org
4. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals  http://www.aspca.org

These organizations help the local animal shelters don’t they?   NO,  they don’t,  not one of these organizations has anything to do with the management of shelters around the country;  they are primarily educational organizations,  offering training,  materials,  and conferences at a price to local shelters,  and issue-based information to the public.  The one exception is the ASPCA does have a single shelter,  in New York City.

DOGS NEVER SEE THE BENEFITS OF DONATIONS!

All of these organizations offer paid memberships.   Dog and animal lovers often join and support these national organizations,  believing that donation dollars sent to those groups somehow find their way back to help animals in shelters in their own communities.  Guess what?,  that rarely happens except maybe for very rare occasions like natural disasters or high-profile animal cruelty cases,  but not to assist with the day-to-day costs of feeding and caring for sheltered animals.  Rarely a penny.   Every shelter is different but you can group them into similar types according to how they are structured:

MUNICIPAL SHELTER

Your city,  county,  township,  and parish owns and runs this type of shelter which is completely supported by your tax dollars

The shelter is part of the municipal  “animal control”  program,  charged with protecting citizens from animals.  They are usually responsible for enforcing city or county laws and regulations regarding animals;  they also investigate cases of animal cruelty,  and sometimes offer education programs.  Their enforcement staff may be called  “animal control officers,”   “animal services officers,”   “dog wardens,”  or other name.

PRIVATE NONPROFIT SHELTERS THAT ARE FULL-SERVICE

This is a 501  (c)3  not-for-profit organization with a Board of Directors and by-laws that govern the mission and policies of the group.  It’s mission is to protect animals from people,  which often includes educational components.  When applying for nonprofit status,  in most states these agencies are incorporated for the  “prevention of cruelty to animals.”   They may have members,  and members may or may not have voting privileges.  Make note that  “SPCAs”  across the country have no affiliation with the ASPCA.

These full-service shelters,  also called  “open door”  shelters,  usually accept most if not all animals that owners bring to them,  and may  (or may not)  also accept stray animals of all kinds.  These shelters usually keep animals as long as they can.   They have active adoption,  education,  and spay/neuter programs,  and strive for low euthanasia rates,  but can’t always succeed.

While the most diligent of these may be able to achieve a sometimes tenuous  “low-kill”  status,  but by choosing to accept all animals that are brought to them,  most are compelled to regularly euthanize animals for all kinds of reasons.  Some reasons may be to poor health or behavior,  and space  (at least some of the time,  if not on a daily basis).

Full-service nonprofit shelters may also be involved in humane investigations,  rescues,  and cruelty case prosecutions.  Cruelty enforcement workers are often given titles such as  “humane officer”  or  “cruelty investigator.”

FULL-SERVICE NONPROFIT SHELTER WITH ANIMAL CONTROL CONTRACT

Some full-service shelters contract with local community governments to perform the functions of animal control alongside their humane society mission.   The contract may be only to house stray animals and to perform field enforcement services as well as sheltering.   Law enforcement services involve issues such as animals running wild,  excessive barking,  and other  “nuisance”  complaints,  enforcement of licensing and  “sanitation”  (pooper scooper)  laws,  etc.

Nonprofit shelters sometimes take on government contracts for financial reasons;  some rely on government dollars to survive.   Others contract with a local government agency for humanitarian reasons,  in the belief that a nonprofit shelter can do a better job of caring for the animals.

Unfortunately nonprofit shelters with government contracts usually euthanize greater number of animals,  since they are forced to accept all stray animals as defined in their contract.   This group of animals is likely to include some of the least potentially adoptable animals in the community.

ANIMAL RESCUE GROUPS

Animal rescue groups may or may not be 501  (c)3  not-for-profit organizations,  and they may or may not be  “no-kill.”   Some of these groups actually may have a shelter;  some house their dogs in foster homes and at boarding kennels.

Breed rescue groups that operate under the auspices of their breed clubs are usually not-for-profit with a governing board of directors.   They are often realistic about euthanizing dogs who aren’t good adoption prospects – but not always.   They tend to use scarce resources wisely,  and make thoughtful and difficult decisions about how to help the most number of dogs with those limited resources.

LIMITED ADMISSION NONPROFIT SHELTER

A  501 (c)3  tax-deductible organization with a  “protect animals from people”  mission,  this type of shelter is sometimes called  “selective intake,”   “guaranteed adoption,”  “low-kill,”  or  “no-kill.”   Be aware though,  lovers of animals should never assume that so-called  “no-kill”  shelters are the most praiseworthy,  or provide the kindest care to their animals.   For more information check out http://www.whole-dog-journal.com

HOW DOES YOUR LOCAL SHELTER STACK UP

As with anything else in life,  there will be outstanding shelters and bad ones.   The quality of the care that the animals get doesn’t depend on a large budget – the basics of feeding animals,  cleaning the cages and kennels,  and keeping a shelter grounds clean and tidy are within the budget of any legitimate shelter.  So how do you determine how your local shelter is doing?   Try this:

• What kind of organization is the shelter based on.  This information will help you understand how and why they do what they do,  and how best to work with them.
• Check out it’s website.  Many shelters have a comprehensive internet presence,  and you can find a lot about an organization – or at least what it says about itself,  by visiting its site.
• Watch customer service interactions.  Are the staff members polite and helpful,  even in emotionally charged situations and with overwrought clients?   Of is it the opposite,  they’re rude,  abrupt,  and disrespectful?  There is no reason for other than a positive attitude.
• Observe the animals in the kennels.  Do thy seem reasonably well-adjusted in the admittedly stressful environment of any shelter,  even the really good ones?   Do they enjoy environmental enrichment,  like having beds in kennels,  stuffed Kongs,  toys,  outside play areas,  and opportunities to go for walks?   Of do you see barrier aggression,  obsessive/compulsive spinning,  depression,  and self-mutilation?
• Evaluate the population density.   Are there one or two dogs per kennel,  or many?   Do puppies and kittens have appropriate playmates?   Do kennel-mates get along well,  or are some intimidated by others?
• Find out what services they offer,  then utilize their services.   Walk through their adoption process.   (adopt a shelter dog!)   Call for help with a stray dog,  and animal in distress,  or a neighborhood animal dispute.
• You can become a volunteer.   This is the best way to learn about the behind-the-scenes operation of the shelter.   If you can’t make it to a shelter frequently,  volunteer  in some other area,  such as public relations,  fundraising,  education,  or putting on special events.
• Ride along with an officer.   Spending time with an officer in the field is a major eye-opener,  guaranteed to give you a whole new outlook on the challenges of the animal protection profession.
• Watch the news and search the archives.  Does your shelter regularly appear in the media or in your local newspaper’s letters to the editor?   Are the stories and letters positive or negative?   Go back in recent history  (five to 10 years)  to see what issues and challenges the shelter has faced in the not-too distant past.  and how they handled them.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IT’S ALL UP TO YOU

After you’ve completed your investigation,  you have some options.   You can focus on the best shelter in your area and give it your support.   Make an appointment to speak with the top administrator  (executive director,  not board president or city administrator)  or her designee,  and discuss your findings.   Have a positive attitude!   Start by praising all the great things you found out about the shelter.   Then show your empathy and understanding for the difficult challenges almost every shelter faces:   funding shortages,  staff turnover,  community conflicts . . . . and ask how you can help and actually do it.

If you can gain the respect and trust of the shelter staff members,  you can really be effective in making the good shelter even better.   You can also help with monetary donations.

Another option is to turn your attention to one or more of the less well-run shelters and do the same.   If they show genuine interest in your suggestions,  work with them.   If they’re not receptive to your advances,  move up the organizational ladder until you find someone who is,  and work from there.   You can help draw community attention to the problems in a positive way,  and aid in finding solutions.

If you hit a brick wall,  take stronger action,  especially if the animals are suffering.   Document your concerns by writing letters – and keep copies for your own files.   If necessary go to the media – and then do and get community support to pressure for change.

If you discover a hoarder posing as a rescuer,  insist on enforcement action.   Your research should have already informed you as to which agency in your community does cruelty investigations.  Go to the head of the investigations department and present any evidence you have regarding the situation.  Know what you may be called upon to testify in court if the agency isn’t able to resolve the situation more easily.

Think of the animals and don’t be swayed by the tears or protests of the hoarder/rescuer who professes to  “love”  their animals.   They all will say that.   And even if the do,  that doesn’t change the fact that animals suffer and die under their supposed loving care – or lack thereof.

SOME FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL HOMELESSNESS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW

1. Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.
2. What are the reasons animals end up in shelters:  because owners give them up,  or animal control finds them roaming free.
3. Homeless animals outnumber homeless people 5 to 1.
4. Every year,  approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed because shelters become too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes.   Act as a publicist for your shelter so pets can find homes.
5. Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year.   Of those,  approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats.
6. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy  (NCPPSP),  less than 2% of cats and only 15% of dogs are returned to their owners.
7. 25% of dogs that enter local shelters are purebreds.
8. About twice as many animals enter shelters as strays compared to the number that are relinquished by their owners.
9. It’s virtually impossible to find out how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States.   Estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.
10. Only 10% of the animals that enter shelters have been spayed or neutered.   Overpopulation,  due to owners letting their pets accidentally or intentionally reproduce,  sees millions of these  “excess”  animals killed annually.
11. Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.