What is "no-kill shelter"

What means "no-kill shelter"?
I found it in other context in this forum. It sound strange. Is there really "kill shelters" too?

(I found it from here:
http://thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143090 )

A no kill shelter is a shelter that doesn't euthanize their animals because they've been there for a certain period of time. Yes, there are kill shelters - a kill shelter is a shelter that euthanizes unadopted pets if they aren't adopted soon enough (often after three days, though it probably varies in different places).

I think most shelters have to pts at some time due to agressive animals or very sick or overpopulating from kittens. The one i was at had house cats, they have been there for years without any interested buyers and are free to roam the entire grounds as they please, and are locked up at night for their own safety.

RSPCA which is where we got Jaz and Chuckie from isn't like that i dont think.

You also have to watch for some 'no-kill' shelters that will eventually drop off their 'unadoptable' cats at the 'kill' shelters. I know they're out there.

Originally Posted by Cocoalily

a kill shelter is a shelter that euthanizes unadopted pets if they aren't adopted soon enough (often after three days, though it probably varies in different places).

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After three days?
How is it possible? If you lose your pet and somebody take it to a kill shelter, you only have few days found it from right shelter?

Are these names; kill shelter and no kill shelter, official names?
And is it leagal that no-kill shelter drop off their cats to a kill shelters?

In places with huge overpopulation problems with cats, shelters get very overloaded very fast. They'll usually hold onto the adoptable ones, but any ill, old, ill-mannered cat may have their number called very fast.

Many shelters call them selves no-kill. No shelter would call itself a 'kill' shelter.

I can't see a shelter moving a cat to a different shelter being illegal. There's just a nasty moral issue there.

Originally Posted by Forensic

You also have to watch for some 'no-kill' shelters that will eventually drop off their 'unadoptable' cats at the 'kill' shelters. I know they're out there.

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Yep, it definitely happens - there's shelters around me that do that. Definitely not morally right. Our shelter doesn't euthanise animals due to being there too long - only for aggression or health issues that can't be fixed. They do NOT call themselves no-kill though. If anyone asks they say just that - they DO PTS if necessary.

Originally Posted by Maija

After three days?
How is it possible? If you lose your pet and somebody take it to a kill shelter, you only have few days found it from right shelter?

Are these names; kill shelter and no kill shelter, official names?
And is it leagal that no-kill shelter drop off their cats to a kill shelters?

Click to expand...

After 3 days up for adoption, rather than "after 3 days". At the shelter I volunteer at, a surrendered cat is up for adoption pretty much the next day, whereas strays are kept for 10 days I think before going up for adoption providing they're in good health.

And no, they are not official names. In reality every shelter is a "kill" shelter. I would consider any shelter that calls itself no kill cruel. What happens to the really sick animals?? What if a cat turns really aggressive, nothing can be done and it is not adoptable despite best efforts????

Where i was, the animals had i think 8 days to be picked up by their owners, if they weren't then they went up for adoption if they passed vet check. But if they were seriousely ill (fiv, starved/scared and not improving or eating) they were put to sleep after 8 days. Usually most of them are fine.

The kill shelters around here hold the animals 3 days if they if they are strays and if they arent claimed by then they are put down. Owner turn ins can be put down as soon as they come in and most are.

3 days isn't very long for someone to decide they want the animal, though if they register their interest in it does that mean they're OK for longer? (If that makes any sense...)

I think most round here are 'won't put a healthy animal down' ones. That's the line, anyway.

Originally Posted by horseygal90

3 days isn't very long for someone to decide they want the animal, though if they register their interest in it does that mean they're OK for longer? (If that makes any sense...)

I think most round here are 'won't put a healthy animal down' ones. That's the line, anyway.

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If the people in the shelter they are in like the animal they give them more time. Otherwise they get 3 days if they are strays brought in. If they are owner turn ins most of the time they are lucky if they make it threw the day.

The rescue I foster for is the only no kill within 2 hours.

Wow, I volunteer at a no kill shelter and they do on occasion have to PTS for aggression, illness or other reason they are truly unadoptable, but they also exhaust other options first for aggressive cats etc.

The other shelter in the city is a kill shelter - however, they only euthanised around 250 cats last year, compared to their intake that is fairly low.

Both shelters keep found animals for 5-7 days at the vet to advertise and see if they are claimed as lost pets. Then they go up for adoption. My shelter has cats that have been there over a year. The city shelter, they probably give a month to them depending on how busy they are.

While some no-kill shelters do drop off cats at kill shelters, the opposite is also true, no-kill shelters when they have space take the ones about to be PTS with no issues