Interview Questions

1.  Do you consider yourself a "no kill" shelter?
No, we do owner requested euthanasia, but we do not euthanize for space or time.

2.How long are animals kept? Do you ever transfer them to other facilities?
Animals are kept here until they are adopted they are never transferred.

3.Where do your animals usually come from?
Many of our animals are brought in by owners but some come to us from different shelters through our transfer program.

4.Is there a separate area for animals with illnesses or are they kept with the rest of the healthy animals?
If an animal is sick it is placed in a quarantine location where only authorized personal is allowed.

5. How many animals can your facility hold at a time?
Typically we house up to 300 animals but in our peak seasons we house up to 800 animals.

Overpopulation

    This is due to the limited number of adoptions and the fact that most shelters do not have the resources for the long term care of these animals. When dogs or cats are an impulse purchase, they often end up in a shelter because the owner did not consider, or understand the amount of time and money full time pet care takes. Large numbers of animals are placed in shelters by pet owners each year for reasons such as moving, allergies, behavioral problems, and lack of time or money. Another common reason for surrendering a pet is because of milestones, like marriage or the birth of a new baby.Shelters take in approximately seven-million animals a year and it is estimated that at least half are euthanized each year. A lot of these animals are losing their lives solely for the reason of overpopulation. This number would be less if people took better care of their pets and also if they stuck to their commitment they make when making the decision to bring an animal into their care. Spay and neutering your cats and dogs is one of the biggest ways you can help the issues of animal over population.

Black Dog Bias

    The phenomenon may be due to a fear against certain breed types, also the fact that large, black dogs are often portrayed as aggressive in film and on television. Some people believe that during the pet adoption process some potential owners associate the color black with evil, and this bias transfers over to their choice of dog. Additionally, many shelters feature photo profiles of their dogs on the shelter website. Because black dogs do not photograph well, lighter colored dogs have an advantage with potential adopters looking at the sight. However, a study done by the Los Angeles Animal Services challenged some of these claims, saying that a full 28% of adopted dogs are black. The bias theory simply asserts that predominantly dark animals take longer to be adopted than their lighter animals, and that large dogs take longer to adopt than small ones.

Animal Welfare Agencies

County Shelters

The county or city animal shelter found in your local community is likely funded by the government. Everything from dog food to building maintenance is paid for by the county, and without this taxpayer money, many animal shelters would close. However, with the current deficits in many areas of the United States, local animal shelters are suffering as much as other government establishments. 

Independent Shelters

There are also independent animal shelters that need to receive funding in order to stay operational.  Organizations such as this rely on the goodwill of others to stay in business. Many independent shelters have websites where people can donate money with just a few clicks of the mouse, while others have fundraisers and other full-fledged events to drum up support. However, most of these shelters, especially the smaller ones, rely fully on donations from the community.

 

Common Questions About Shelters

 

 

How many animals enter animal shelters each year? And how many are euthanized? 
The HSUS estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized. 
Why are there so many animals in animal shelters?
Low adoption rates are one factor driving the high number of animals in shelters, but every year, millions of dogs and cats  are relinquished by their owners,or rescued from the streets by animal control officers and private citizens,and brought to animal shelters. These circumstances leave shelters and rescue groups with a large number of animals in need of homes. 
How long are animals held at an animal shelter before being adopted or euthanized? What factors affect those decisions?
Most animal shelters have no set time limit for holding an animal. In the vast majority of shelters, decisions about adoption and euthanasia are based on factors that include the temperament and health of the animal, and the space and resources available to humanely house and properly care for the animal.