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kill vs. no-kill
- Thread starter rubysoho
- Start Date
My experience with kill shelters from the opposite end -- as an adopter -- turned out to be very positive. I had some people tell me I should avoid kill shelters, but I felt that if I were going to get a cat, it was far better to save one's life than take a cat who was safe and well cared for in a foster home or no-kill shelter (I figured the individual cats wouldn't care much about principles). Also, once I started looking, I discovered that many of the city shelter cats were ending up in the no-kill shelters or fosters, so there was really very little difference... it was essentially the same population of cats.
I visited several city shelters for about a month while looking, and every shelter worker, both volunteer and permanent, was so nice to me and concerned and interested in the animals. They enjoyed talking about (and to!) the cats and were constantly wanting to know if I needed more information on or wanted to hold a particular animal. One volunteer in particular was like a (subtle) car salesman... she was going to put me in a cat that day.
When I brought my choice up to the front desk, the two workers there (definitely city, not volunteers) started cheering... they'd grown fond of my cat in the few days he'd been there, and were so excited to see him find a home. Nice people.
I get the sense that these shelters are doing the best they can, given the practical realities of having to take all the city's abandoned animals.
I visited several city shelters for about a month while looking, and every shelter worker, both volunteer and permanent, was so nice to me and concerned and interested in the animals. They enjoyed talking about (and to!) the cats and were constantly wanting to know if I needed more information on or wanted to hold a particular animal. One volunteer in particular was like a (subtle) car salesman... she was going to put me in a cat that day.
When I brought my choice up to the front desk, the two workers there (definitely city, not volunteers) started cheering... they'd grown fond of my cat in the few days he'd been there, and were so excited to see him find a home. Nice people.
I get the sense that these shelters are doing the best they can, given the practical realities of having to take all the city's abandoned animals.
I had the same dilema as you a couple of months ago. What helped me decide was that they both asked for volunteers but the Humane society never called back. The no kill did. I really enjoy working for the no kill. i volunteer for 1 by 1 cat rescue in Pa. Even if you volunteer at a kill shelter, it will not turn it into a no kill shelter, but your help may actually help more pets get adopted, like if you can take them to adoption events for them when ordinarily they didnt have the manpower to do. Either way is helping.. but I couldnt watch them put those animals to sleep!! I wish you luck. I would help at the one that needs more, and possibly donate to the other
There isn't anyone that works at a kill shelter that wants to see animals euthanized. By volunteering at a kill shelter, you may be able to save lives that would be otherwise lost. I volunteer at a no kill shelter, and was surprised when the president recommended adopting from a kill shelter - her goal was to keep animals alive, and if by adopting there before her no kill shelter, another life was saved.
And yes, most no kill shelters are very selective about the animals they take into their care. The one I volunteer for never takes any owner relinquished pets. They pull from kill shelters, feral colonies and other homeless pets only.
And yes, most no kill shelters are very selective about the animals they take into their care. The one I volunteer for never takes any owner relinquished pets. They pull from kill shelters, feral colonies and other homeless pets only.
You may also find that no-kill shelters or rescues specialize in one "type" of cat. The one I work at takes only injured, sick and abused strays. Therefore, volunteers are EXTREMELY important to us, because they help with the healing and socialization process in these cats.
Our shelter is cageless. Isolation units exist for cats that are currently ill and cannot be exposed to the general population. The rooms of the shelter are divided up: senior/special needs, kittens, FIV+, shy/under-socialized, completely feral, and healthy adults- to provide as low-stress and homelike environment as possible. This ensures that permanent residents, and we do have a few, aren't left to rot away in a cage.
My decision to volunteer (I volunteered before I started working there) at a no-kill was based on the fact that the organization represented everything and advocated everything that I myself believed in. I think one needs to make a decision to sort of "put their money where their mouth is" per say, and lend their precious time to an organization they want to wholeheartedly support. For me, I didn't want a traditional shelter to benefit from my time so they could go on shoving surrendered housecats in cages and euthanizing them periodically. The more people organizations like the one I'm with have, the more cats we can admit and save from a traditional shelter environment.
Our shelter is cageless. Isolation units exist for cats that are currently ill and cannot be exposed to the general population. The rooms of the shelter are divided up: senior/special needs, kittens, FIV+, shy/under-socialized, completely feral, and healthy adults- to provide as low-stress and homelike environment as possible. This ensures that permanent residents, and we do have a few, aren't left to rot away in a cage.
My decision to volunteer (I volunteered before I started working there) at a no-kill was based on the fact that the organization represented everything and advocated everything that I myself believed in. I think one needs to make a decision to sort of "put their money where their mouth is" per say, and lend their precious time to an organization they want to wholeheartedly support. For me, I didn't want a traditional shelter to benefit from my time so they could go on shoving surrendered housecats in cages and euthanizing them periodically. The more people organizations like the one I'm with have, the more cats we can admit and save from a traditional shelter environment.
