Thursday, September 24, 2009

High Kill Shelters

Yep, you read that right. High Kill Shelters. They are out there. This is not new news. I'm not going to start ranting about it though; that could go on for hours!



There are many shelters out there that euthanize hundreds of animals per week. Many function as Canine or Animal Control. I know of a few High Kill Shelters in Ontario. Hamilton has one. Many of the smaller communities have one but for most, I don't know their contact info.



Most of the animals are perfectly healthy, adoptable animals. There just aren't enough homes for all of them. Many are cats, but there are dogs in that number too. The sheer numbers that face us are staggering.



Someone once told me that the adult cat at the shelter that was adoped was like winning the lottery. It's a one in a million chance of them getting out in a carrier instead of a body bag.



I was looking to find High Kill Shelters this summer. I wanted to pull a few dogs out since I had the space and time to work with a few. I ran into a snag ... I actually had trouble identifying which ones they were! (Other than Hamilton Animal Control, the SPCA here in my area, and the canine control a few townships over) The organizations keep that info quiet.



After thinking about it for the last few weeks, I have decided to compile a list of High Kill Shelters. I will keep a running list accessible by any who are interested in knowing or helping these animals out.



So here's my request of you all ... If and when-ever you find a High Kill Shelter, please post it here on my blog. If you know of any now, please post the info here in the comments section!


Consider it a challenge. Find any High Kill Shelters in your area (or any area) and let me know where they are!

34 comments:

GoLightly said...

I highly doubt they would advertise as such.
Space is limited. Funds are really tight.

Numbers don't decrease by themselves.

I was at the OSPCA last week, so many adult cats:(

STOP Breeding them!

Oakville used to be "high-kill".
Don't know if they still are.

Your Daily Cute said...

Butts County Animal Control in Georgia is a one I hear of all the time around Twitter -- high-kill, gassing place. :(

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA213.html

LilliGirl said...

Oh hell. Pick any county or city animal control in VA or NC (not the SPCA)and you've got your list. The other groups list themselves as recues here and pull as many as possible. It sucks but there are not enough fosters to pull them all. :(

LilliGirl said...

There is an e-mail that comes out AT LEAST daily called the "Unadoptables." I get it. It lists out dogs that are out of time all over the US. I got it from a rep I worked with out of AL from Dogs Derserve Better. Let me know if you'd like to see a copy.

Viatecio said...

Does the PeTA "shelter" in Virginia count? It has something like a 91% kill rate, at least as of 2007.

Linky
Public-access records [PDF file]

The only REAL shelter I know of that might have a slightly elevated euth rate would be the Wyandot County one in northern Ohio.

Meaghan Edwards said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Meaghan Edwards said...

Spaulding County Animal Shelter in Georgia is another:
http://www.spaldingcountyanimalshelter.com/

aldon @ CTUnderhoundRailroad said...

Here in Connecticut, our capital city would be a high kill shelter if it weren't for the great efforts of one of the animal control officers there.

Their policy is that any dog not adopted within seven days will be killed. However, the ACO does a great job of community involvement to save these dogs before it is too late.

Several of us have set up the Connecticut Underhound Railroad. It is an informal organization just starting to take shape. We rescue dogs from the Hartford shelter, and sometimes from the New Britain shelter. (I don't know the kill rates in New Britain). We have transporters, volunteer foster homes, and people that chip in on vet costs, publicity and so on. It started off as an informal group. Now we have a mailing list on Yahoo, a Facebbok page, and our own website. We hope to be up on Petfinder soon.

As a bigger issue, we are trying to gather information on all the shelters in Connecticut so that we can really track how many have high kill rates and try to save the most urgent dogs.

I'd love to hear about other people's efforts.

Leanne said...

I don't think Oakville is high kill. The same cats have been there for years, and they don't have a lot of dogs....

GoLightly said...

Leanne, I just saw a reno show featuring the OHS!
Disaster DIY, it was hilarious. I worked there, many years ago.
I'm glad times have changed.

SwitSexyThing said...

i dont live in the US but i just want u to know that iu are doing a good thing for speaking up for these animals. i try to do the same thing in our country. please dont tire doing this.

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

dogster has a small high kill shelter data base.

http://www.dogster.com/forums/Shelters_Rescue_and_Fostering/thread/383353/1

dogsindanger.com lists only dogs that are red listed. If you search by zipcode and end up with no search results its probably because shelters that have kill dogs in the area you searched, selected not to participate in DogsInDanger. You can encourage them to participate. the website has a list of local/state politicians and a printable letter to send.

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

oh and yeah, ditto what LilliGirl said, if it's a city or county shelter, dogs are being euthanized too frequently. With the current economic situation and budget cuts all over the place, the shelters have been hard hit.

aldon @ orient lodge said...

I just received a notice about a dog at the Summerville GA shelter. I don't know what their kill rate really is, but that they kill dogs after FIVE days

Chris said...

Thanks for bringing more light to this horrible situation. My Rosie had run out of time at a shelter in Dayton Ohio before a rescue group got her out of there within an hour of her being euthanized, gave her foster and veterinary care until a new home could be found for her with us. It is a huge problem everywhere and I agree it's probably even worse for cats.

Anonymous said...

Coffeyville Friends of Animals, in Coffeyville, Kansas. They operate as our humane society- and their standing rules are thus: if a stray is found, it has 3 days. Then it is PTS. If an animal is turned in, it is PTS that day. Worst part is, their kennels sat unused most of the time.(a flood a few years ago destroyed the facility.They are housed at the vets' offices now.) There isn't an animal overpopulation problem in the surrounding areas.

Joni Solis said...

First off what is your definition of a "High Kill Shelter"? Since most animal control facilities in the USA have a kill rate of 50 percent or more it might be easier to list any that have a low kill rate.

Most people don't have a clue what amount of animals their shelter is killing.

Katrina Foley said...

I am a volunteer for one of the only TRUE NO-KILL shelters in rhode island. When we get ANY animal it is without hesitation that we will do whatever it takes to find them a home, no matter if they are here for days or years. (we had a dog for 7 years before he was adopted!) And yes we are an animal control facility, thankfully made up of dedicated and often times stubborn staff and volunteers. We fight tooth and nail for our pets! And yes I consider them and love them as my own.

However I will be moving to TN sometime next year to enroll into a vet tech program. Although I cannot say how well I could actually handle volunteering at a kill shelter (as they are rampant in the south. Amazes me how many there are!) I would love to help with the networking aspect. The key to adoptions is advertising which I find even the kill shelters here lack!

New England shelters have made vast improvements but I want to make that impact where it is truly needed. Do not simply sympathize or feel bad for an animal, strive to make a change. Flood officials offices with letters of discontent because simply stated, the squeaky wheel gets the grease ;]

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to find a true definition of what a high kill shelter is... what percentage does their kill rate have to be to be considered high kill? I honestly see this term mis-used by at least one shelter where I live and tells everyone they are high kill to get more fundinging etc. when their dog rate is below 20% while the next county over is in the 70% range but is often overlooked. I think if people really knew they would go to the shelter that is putting down more animals since it is only a 15/20m in drive . Is the term "high kill shelter" subjective?

2belan said...

I know there is one in NYC--AC&C!! I realize this is not the only one. I cry every time I read or hear about these places. I wrote to the NYC AC&C and a few other people in NYC--icluding the mayor about the KIll shelter. I never received a reply from any of them. These people that do this DISGUST ALOT of people!! Sorry but I wish they would get all the animals out of the KILL shelters and they would burn to the ground!!

Anonymous said...

I think this is supposed to be a High Kill Listing for CANADA. It's hard enough to find info which is only Canadian without having to first double check to make sure its not a US site. I found this link by googling in High Kill Shelters in Canada & lo & behold most of the links are related to the USA! Now I have to filter out all the US info on this listing as well! Frustrating!

sandman said...

i'm looking for a website or more info on "unadoptables" or death-row dogs. i have friends and family that have turned to me for help in saving dogs/cats in their community, but even as I consider myself to be an activist involved in the rescue of many, i still haven't seen a nationwide list of animals in their final hour.

please reply or email me with any help you can offer, thanks very much.

tommysandman@hotmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/tommysandman

Jesica Dadina said...

I know a place where there is an High Kill Shleter I actually got my new dog which he was surrended to the High Kill Shelter. An organiztion called 4 legged love went to Ohio and resucured servely animals and brought them here to Canada a placed them all in loving and permitted homes.In the place where he was in Ohio a place called Zensiville. I 100% want to stop the killing of poor innocent animals. It needs to stop.

I'm sorry but I don't have the name of the shelter where he was.

Anonymous said...

There is a list of high kill shelters that I'll give you a link to. http://www.advocateforsavingdogs.org/highkillshelterslist.html

Unknown said...

Hello. Im from Canada and studying in Anguilla the Carribean. Check out the AARF facebook page or website (Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation). They euthanize pups weekly and will arrange international adoptions!!!

Anonymous said...

The Hamilton, ON pound is still horrible.
Please sign the petition.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ora-project-accountability-now/
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Oakville Humane Society as far as I know is not a kill shelter any longer. Last I heard when I brought in an animal to them in 2011 they were a NO KILL shelter. I have an interesting article I wish I could post on here. It's a paper on how New Jersey, New Ham. and Maine are now considered a zero kill State. The paper is called:

Case Study:
Companion Animal Over-Population Programs in New Jersey,
New Hampshire, and Maine
And A New Program for Maine
By: Sharon J. Secovich
Advisor: Dr. Dahlia Bradshaw-Lynn
August 2003

This is an interesting read and should be a model for all shelters. What I have learned is High Kill Shelters are nothing more than bad management. Get better management and you will get a no kill shelter. Shelter killing is not the result of over population; it is the result of shelter managers who find it easier to kill animals than to save them. Shelter killing is unnecessary and unethical and is an excuse for poorly performing shelter managers who want to blame others for their own failures.

Anonymous said...

In California: Devore Shelter in San Bernadino and Camarillo Shelter in Camarillo.

Lil Pit Rescue said...

San Bernardino City Animal Control: San Bernardino, CA: 215 animals
San Bernardino County - Devore Shelter: Devore, CA: 159 animals

Los Angeles County Animal Control - AV Adoption Center: Lancaster, CA: 1 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - Baldwin Park: Baldwin Park, CA: 445 animals

Bay County Animal Control: Panama City, FL: 132 animals
Bibb County Animal Welfare: Macon, GA: 38 animals
Coweta County Animal Control: Newnan, GA: 111 animals
Escambia County Florida Animal Services: Pensacola, FL: 154 animals
Fulton County Animal Services: Atlanta, GA: 285 animals
Mobile County Animal Shelter: Mobile, AL: 85 animals
Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc.: Ft. Walton Beach, FL: 50 animals
Santa Rosa County Animal Services: Milton, FL: 59 animals
St Tammany Parish Animal Services: LACOMBE, LA: 223 animals
Tallahassee/Leon Animal Service Center: Tallahassee, FL: 52 animals

Georgia still gases and heart sticks to kill

Lil Pit Rescue said...

Please ommit Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Inc.: Ft. Walton Beach, FL

There are many more high kill shelters but Devore, Lancaster, San Bernadino, Baldwin, Downey and LA are very high kill shelter in CA

Lancaster just went on a killing spree and killed every dog they had over 150, mostly pit bulls, all very adoptable and some just pups

CA kills 1000's of pups per month, San Bern in just one month killed over 1200 dogs, perfectly adoptable

Lil Pit Rescue said...

Los Angeles County Animal Control - Agoura: Agoura, CA: 55 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - AV Adoption Center: Lancaster, CA: 1 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - Baldwin Park: Baldwin Park, CA: 445 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - Carson: Gardena, CA: 173 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - Castaic: Castaic, CA: 38 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - Downey: Downey, CA: 405 animals
Los Angeles County Animal Control - Lancaster: Lancaster, CA: 240 animals
Mission Viejo Animal Shelter: Mission Viejo, CA: 40 animals
Moreno Valley Animal Services: Moreno Valley, CA: 263 animals
North Central Animal Care and Control Center: Los Angeles, CA: 304 animals

Unknown said...

We are looking for info on Canada. Please stop posting American related stuff it's so hard to hafta go thru and figure it out.

Anonymous said...

There are organizations, rescues and volunteers that transport animals. Its ok to want to save animals wherever they may be and thanks to the kindness of the above noted people, its possible. It also gives us the opportunity to cross post to save lives that are too far for us to reach. There have been some beautiful rescue stories of volunteers bringing "last chance" animals up to Canada.

Anonymous said...

Did this original Blogger ever compile the list for Ontario? I also am trying to find the "Kill Shelters" to adopt from. Anyone?
Please email me at hunt7725@gmail.com if you have an answer for me as I don't visit this site. Thanks