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Austin

15 May 2012, 8:19 pm

Austin, Texas, is the largest of all the 36 (and counting) communities in the United States that have achieved no-kill. As such, it is the community under the most scrutiny both from those who favor and those who oppose no kill.

Right now, no kill in Austin is struggling. There are two factors that are clearly identifiable as causes of this struggle. One is that the city moved the shelter from the Town Lake center to the new, but more remote, Austin Animal Center. Some claim that the new shelter is a wonder of design (while those who have to use it think otherwise), but its location has proven to be a barrier for volunteers and potential adopters.

The second factor is that Austin Pets Alive! has been importing a significant number of animals into the Austin area from San Antonio. No one knows to what extent these imports have taken homes that might have gone to Austin animals, but I think it is safe to say that the imports have not helped the Austin shelter. Then again, the mission of APA!, as a private organization, is to save lives as they see fit, not necessarily to help the Austin shelter maintain a certain live release rate.

The situation in Austin is a matter of great concern, but I don’t think there is any reason to panic just yet. The city is very committed to no kill and is looking for answers to the problems posed by the shelter’s new location and inadequate design. APA! has suspended the importing of animals from San Antonio for now. This is an all hands on deck situation, and people are responding. It’s impossible to predict what the final live release rate for 2012 will be at this point, but by that same token, it’s far too early to give up.

In the short time I’ve been doing this blog, I’ve been surprised at how few shelters fall below the 90% live release rate once they’ve gone no kill. In Michigan, for example, every single one of the shelters that were no kill in 2010 were no kill in 2011. No kill means a lot to a community once it’s been achieved, and people will fight to maintain it. If I were a betting person, I would bet that we will see the Austin community rise to this challenge, just as they have risen to challenges in the past.

Filed under Austin, TX.
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No Kill Writ Large?

13 May 2012, 1:11 pm

Yesterday I posted a feature on the 36th open-admission no-kill shelter documented by this blog. Some no-kill foes continue to claim that all no-kill shelters are limited admission. In continuing to make that claim, they are merely revealing that they have lost touch with reality. As Shirley of YesBiscuit! fame has said, if there is documented proof of 3 dozen unicorns in the United States alone, then it makes you look pretty silly to say that unicorns are impossible.

These days, most people don’t deny that open-admission no-kill shelters exist. Instead, they claim that such shelters are the exception, and can only exist in certain special circumstances. They claim that no-kill requires an educated population or a lot of money, ignoring shelters like the Fluvanna SPCA, which documented that it was actually receiving less money per animal from the county than nearby kill shelters. Claims like these are starting to sound just as silly as the claims that no kill cannot exist at all, because anyone can look at the right sidebar and see that no kill happens in many types of communities.

Recently there was an amusing example of the ever-more desperate attempts to deny no kill when one guy made a claim that no kill shelters are concentrated in “relatively affluent metropolitan areas” at about the same time another guy was claiming that no kill is practical only in “rural shelters.” Get your story straight guys!

But I would like to address today one criticism of no kill that seems to keep popping up, which is that no-kill is possible only in small shelters. If you look at the 27 fully documented open-admission no-kill communities in the right-hand sidebar, the average population in those communities is over 120,000. That’s certainly not a tiny population. Moreover, this article points out that governmental units in the United States tend to be small (with over half the population living in jurisdictions of 25,000 or fewer people) even though the smaller units might be part of a larger metropolitan area.

From the research I’ve done, it’s overwhelmingly apparent that it isn’t the size of the city or town, it isn’t the wealth or lack of wealth in the community, it isn’t the population density, it isn’t the educational level — what makes the difference is the leadership at the shelter. It’s really that simple. People everywhere want to help their local shelter, and they will donate their time and money if they are given a chance. All they need are leaders who will give them that chance.

Filed under Information.
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Elk Country — Home Of A Small But Mighty Shelter

12 May 2012, 8:31 pm

Montmorency County, Michigan, is located in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula, and has about 10,000 residents. Up until 2009, the county sheriff’s office handled animal control. The Elk Country Animal Shelter (ECAS) is an open admission 501(c)(3) organization that supported the county shelter for years and finally took it over entirely in April 2009. Animals were kept in outdoor kennels at the sheriff’s office and ECAS’s first order of business was to create a shelter building where the animals could be indoors.

Here are the live release rates for the county as reported to the state of Michigan for the three years since ECAS took over the shelter:

  • 2009 — 97%
  • 2010 — 97%
  • 2011 — 97%

The shelter’s mission was endangered earlier this year when a contract dispute with the county caused ECAS to stop formally taking in strays and owner surrenders. Volunteers for the shelter went out on their own time and rescued strays and took them to a neighboring shelter.  Fortunately the dispute only lasted a couple of weeks, and on April 11, 2012 the county approved the funding asked for by the shelter. It’s surprisingly common for private shelters to have these disputes with county governments who are not willing to provide fair reimbursement for animal control. Given ECAS’s track record, though, I’m sure they will overcome this bump in the road and finish 2012 with the same success they’ve had in previous years.

Filed under Montmorency County, MI.
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Midland County Turnaround

6 May 2012, 8:12 am

I have a classic story today of a county that used to be high kill but turned around under new management and immediately went no kill. They didn’t need a 3-year or 5-year or 10-year plan — they just did it. That county is Midland, in the state of Michigan, and here’s their story.

Midland County is, as you would expect from the name, located near the center of Michigan. It is primarily rural, neither wealthy nor poor, and has a population of over 80,000 people. Up until January 1, 2011, the county government handled animal control and sheltering. The live release rate for the county animal control in 2010 was pretty dismal, at 52%.

On January 1, 2011, the Humane Society of Midland County (HSOMC) took over the animal shelter and things changed on a dime. The live release rate shot up to 95% for the year 2011 (follow the link and scroll down to “Humane Society of Midland County” for their statistics). The big difference was in adoptions. For example, under the county’s management in 2010 there were only 134 kittens adopted while 168 were killed. Under HMOSC in 2011, there were 605 kittens adopted and only 23 killed. The county adopted out 178 adult cats in 2010 and killed an astounding 530, whereas HSOMC in 2011 adopted out 611 and killed only 67.

In preparation for taking over animal control, HSOMC hired a new director in December 2010 — Beth Wellman. Wellman was previously shelter coordinator for the Ionia County Animal Shelter, which had a very respectable 84% live release rate in 2010 during her tenure.

This story of an overnight turnaround — going from a high-kill shelter to a no-kill shelter — is something we’ve seen many times before. It happened literally overnight in Tompkins County, Allegany County, and the city of Seagoville. It happened within a year at many other no-kill communities. People everywhere love pets and want to help their local shelter, so all it takes to make the turnaround is a caring shelter director. Midland County has that, and I’m very pleased to add them to the roster today as our 35th No-Kill Community.

Filed under Midland County, MI.
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Good News From Michigan

29 April 2012, 10:19 am

The state of Michigan is one of two states in the union that collects statistics on all animal shelters in the state and posts them online. The 2011 statistics for individual shelters are now posted and there is lots of good news for no-kill advocates.

In the right-hand sidebar of this blog, I have 6 no-kill communities listed in Michigan. These communities were originally listed based on their 2010 statistics. I’m happy to report that every one of them was also no-kill for 2011.  Their 2011 live release rates are as follows:

  • Benzie County — 92%
  • Chippewa County — 97%
  • Copper Country — 99%
  • Grosse Ile — 91%
  • Marquette (UPAWS) — 96%
  • Otsego County — 95%

Congratulations to these communities for not only achieving no kill, but sustaining it!

There is more good news from Michigan, because it appears that there may be additional communities to add to the no-kill list for 2011. I’ll have to research these communities and see if the shelters are open admission, don’t have breed bans, etc., but it looks good for more communities joining the club.

Reading through the lists of shelter statistics for Michigan (and for Virginia, the other state that posts statistics online) is both happy and sad. It’s great to see all the communities that are doing so well, but then there are also the communities that are doing so badly. One minute I’m reading the statistics for a community like Chippewa, with a 97% save rate, and the next I’m looking at a community that kills 70% or 80% of the animals unfortunate enough to enter their “shelter.” These wonderful and terrible communities are in the same state and sometimes they’re side-by-side. There is no longer any excuse for the high-kill shelters, and it’s very sad to think that change will come too late for the tens of thousands of pets that were needlessly slaughtered in Michigan in 2011.

Filed under Benzie County, MI, Chippewa County, MI, Copper Country, MI, Grosse Ile, MI, Marquette, MI, Otsego County, MI.
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Rockwall Has A Year of No Kill

22 April 2012, 7:57 am

Take a look at these numbers for the Rockwall, Texas, animal shelter for the last 6 months:

  • 98% for October 2011
  • 96% for November 2011
  • 98% for December 2011
  • 99% for January 2012
  • 98% for February 2012
  • 99% for March 2012

Have you ever seen anything like that? Rockwall may just be the safest place in the United States for a homeless cat or dog.

For the last 12 months (April 2011 through March 2012), the city of Rockwall has had a 91% live release rate. And as can be seen from the numbers above, their live release rate for the past 6 months has been phenomenal. The great volunteers of Rockwall Pets are the reason for these numbers. They have achieved no kill in spite of the fact that they only got rolling last spring, and then had to deal with a disease outbreak at the shelter where animal control personnel killed dogs without allowing the volunteers a chance to save them. I’ve been reporting on their progress since this blog started last July, and it’s been apparent to everyone that Rockwall Pets has had to contend with recalcitrant shelter management. Even the city council, which unanimously adopted a no-kill resolution last August, has been threatening to go off the rails. But Rockwall Pets takes everything in stride and just gets better and better.

Rockwall Pets has been doing all the right things to make the shelter a tremendous success. Working with another local rescue, Rockwall PAWS, they were very creative at finding a placement for hyperactive Hunter, who found an outlet for his energies as a drug detection dog. They took it upon themselves to expand the hours of the shelter by volunteering to keep it open on weekends and holidays. They have made animal sheltering an economic bonus to the city. They run offsite adoption events.

And that’s not all. Now that Rockwall Pets has made the city of Rockwall no kill, they are expanding their efforts to Rockwall County. They are working with the Royse City animal shelter to pull animals each week. Recently they pulled a parvo puppy who has a good chance to survive thanks to the efforts of Rockwall Pets.

Rockwall Pets has rightly received a lot of recognition for their outstanding accomplishments. Nathan Winograd told their story in a blog post last year, and Michael Kitkowski, one of the founders of Rockwall Pets, will be appearing at this year’s national no-kill conference. Kitkowski was one of the winners of the 2011 Henry Bergh Leadership Award.

Rockwall Pets posts statistics for the shelter online. That, plus their achievement of a full year of no kill, allows me to list them as a No-Kill Documented shelter.  They are our 34th no-kill community.

Filed under Rockwall, TX.
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Cape May County, A First For New Jersey

21 April 2012, 10:36 am

Cape May County became no kill in 2010, with a live release rate of 91% (based on a news report, and statistics that were sent to me). It is the first no-kill community identified in New Jersey and our 33rd no-kill community overall!

Cape May County is a coastal resort community located in the southern tip of New Jersey.  It has almost 100,000 permanent residents, but the population increases greatly during vacation season.  Ocean City, with almost 12,000 residents, is the principal city within the county.  The animal control and sheltering organization for Cape May County is the Cape May County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center (CMCAS). CMCAS is open admission, but does require an appointment, and they charge a small fee for surrenders.

A big part of the county’s success is its trap-neuter-return program for feral cats, which was instituted in 2001 and is reported to have reduced the number of feral cat complaints by 80%.  Every Thursday, a group called the Animal Alliance of Cape May County has a low-cost TNR clinic next to the shelter. The Cape May feral cat program has been cited as a national model. County leaders showed their dedication to the program in 2007 and 2008 when they negotiated compromise wildlife conservation rules that allowed the program to continue.

CMCAS director Judy Davies noted in a 2011 interview that the county’s intake is considerably lower than neighboring counties. The TNR program is certainly a factor in this lower intake, but Davies also attributed it to the shelter’s pet retention programs: “What we’re doing a lot more of is working with the owners of dogs. Someone might want to relinquish the dog to the shelter because it requires vet care they can’t afford or they just can’t afford the animal because of the economy. We intervene and try to help people.” 

There are several private organizations that are very important in Cape May County’s success, including Beacon Animal Rescue (BAR), the Humane Society of Ocean City (HSOC), Animal Outreach of Cape May County, and the Animal Welfare Society of Cape May County. BAR took in 180 animals in 2010. HSOC provides animal control for Ocean city and took in 120 animals in 2010, including animals surrendered directly from the public.

It does not appear that CMCAS lists their full shelter statistics online.  Therefore, I’m posting this community in the “No-Kill Reported” category.

Filed under Cape May County, NJ.
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Powhatan County Achieves No-Kill In 2011

14 April 2012, 10:52 pm

Powhatan County, Virginia, has almost 30,000 residents and is part of the Richmond metropolitan area. Animal control and sheltering are handled by the county, with a municipal office, Powhatan Animal Control, that has four employees. The shelter is fully open admission, as it takes in strays and owner surrenders. In 2010, the county shelter took in 594 animals and had a live release rate of 83%. In 2011, the county became no kill by taking in 505 animals and achieving a live release rate of 96%.

There are three noteworthy things about Powhatan County that have allowed it to achieve no kill. First, the county employees care, as shown by their Facebook page and their participation in adoption events with Metro Richmond Pet Savers.  Second, the animal control officers do not impound cats except for owner surrenders and injured stray cats — cats are considered free roaming. Third, the shelter transfers many of its animals to local rescues, including FLAG and BARK. In 2011, the shelter transferred 285 animals.

Powhatan is the seventh no-kill Virginia community listed by this blog, and the 32nd no-kill community overall. There are also at least five more Virginia communities that are close to no kill. The city of Richmond is close to no kill, with a live release rate in the 80′s for 2010. The full statistics for Richmond for 2011 are not yet available.

Filed under Powhatan County, VA.
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Florida Is Rocking

7 April 2012, 8:46 am

The great news from Florida just keeps on coming.

First and foremost, Manatee County (located on the gulf coast between Tampa and Sarasota) is becoming one of the centers of the no-kill movement. The Manatee County shelter has a goal to reach a 90% live release rate by the end of this year, and they are within sight of the goal with an 82% live release rate in March! Also this past week, the Tampa Bay hockey team presented Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore with a Lightning Community Hero award. Whitmore is involved with many charitable projects, but one thing that was prominently mentioned in the articles about the award was her leadership in the county’s unanimous vote last October to officially adopt a no-kill policy. In more good news from Manatee County, the city of Bradenton may become the permanent home of the Act of Dog art exhibit.

Also this past week, another Florida county joined Manatee in adopting an official no-kill policy. The Broward County board of county commissioners unanimously adopted a no-kill resolution. Broward County has a long way to go to achieve no-kill, but this is a very encouraging sign of engagement on the part of county leaders.

Jacksonville had an outstanding success last weekend with their enthusiastic participation in the ASPCA Mega Match-A-Thon, which resulted in over 300 adoptions. Jacksonville shelter leaders expect that Duval County can become no-kill in two years.

And last but not least, the Tampa area has a burgeoning no-kill movement inspired by the success of other Florida communities.

Who would have thought that Florida, with its high-kill tradition, nearly year-round kitten season, and multitude of homeowner associations with pet restrictions, would be turning around so quickly! It’s more proof that no-kill can happen anywhere.

Filed under Jacksonville, FL, Manatee County, FL, Tampa FL.
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Blog Downtime

31 March 2012, 8:03 am

We’re having the house renovated over the next 2-3 weeks, so my computer access will be limited and blog postings will be sporadic. Will be back at full steam soon! Thanks for your patience.

Filed under Information.
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