The Voice: Speaking up on Animal Issues

History of the Shelter : Maxine’s Story
I remember when I was young and a shelter was called the pound or humane society. I always thought to call a kill shelter humane did not match. The pound was run by the city, which employed animal control officers. This place picked up strays and received unwanted animals. The animals were put into cages, awaiting homes and if none came they were killed. Somehow in time pounds’ names changed to shelters. The conditions remained the same.
Non-profits were developed doing the same tasks as the city shelters using the name; Shelter. With great advertising, media support and a lot of politics, they created the campaign that these glorified shelters would do better and did more than the city shelters. They convince the public that millions would be needed to achieve their goals. The best-known is DFL operated by Rhonde [30 years], collecting millions in donations. Many others non-profits followed.

To make the separation from the pounds they use words like no-kill adoptable and 100% adoptable to create the illusion and loophole that killing was different somehow through them.

Another is no-kill shelters promoting that they never euthanize animals. Most no kills keep their animals in cages and/or horrible conditions. They may not euthanize them; that does not mean that these animals don’t suffer or receive full medical care. Most no-kills will only accept animals they can adopt easily. These are more titles but not much change.
Then there is the only quality of life, no-kill, and free-roam animal sanctuary. It is called Creative Acres. Meaning the animals that stay here will have quality and freedom till they die or get adopted.

That’s the history. What’s the progress from the municipal and the non-profit municipal-like shelters; not much.
Rhode[DFL] states it’s the programs listed below what makes them different, it’s why they need your money. [The information below can apply to other organizations requesting unnecessary donations for programs.]

Programs:
• Animal Cruelty Investigation: We already have personnel paid for this service. Governmental employees such as, animal control officers, district attorneys, police officers, and the State Cruelty Protection Division. We also pay taxes.

• Behavioral training: It’s unprofessional to kill for behavior but solicited donations to train for behavior. If donations are received for this service; they should guarantee the behavior of the animal and never kill those animals, even if they return it for any reason. Note: Animals returned are deemed “not-adoptable” and usually destroyed. You should not blame the animal for incompetent training. True experts would know animals act differently with different environments and personalities. In replacement; handout sheets on basic tips could be handed to adopters reducing costs. People could get proper trainers for these special needs animals if needed.

• Education: Places usually pay for educational programs.

• Spayed and neutering: Important yes, but Rhonde is involved in multiple organizations collecting donations for this purpose and receives funding. Duplication; it’s a waste of overhead’s cost.

• Foster care: No housing cost, foster usually pays, items litter, food, are donated.

• Medical: A must practice at all shelters. As a rule, they don’t do long term medical care resulting in high costs. Their goals are high numbers, that’s why they have the term, “not-adoptable” for those who are not cost effective and convenient.

• Fact: Denver Municipal [Fox31 stats] budget 2,304,000 took in10,000 is more efficient to DFL 9,442,000 and took in 26,832

• These are great programs and operated correctly could run at low or no cost. Some of these programs need no public donations and some programs don’t work for this type of shelter.
Realistically, things have not change, animals are caged and die.

If they choose to proceed with this philosophy, government funding should be requested for better municipal-like shelters. Hopefully you’ll see the stagnant ways, through this glamorous painted picture.

We need to see the future of the shelters. We have a great start with Creative Acres but we need your vision and support to make a free beautiful world for these unwanted animals.

The Shelter- Sanctuary: These places would aid municipal shelters by having the land to provide quality stays and services that Creative Acres already provides.

Organizations that contract with the government could never be 100% adoptable their job is to protect the public. The shelter- sanctuary truly rescues and is there to protect the animals. One option will always be the pound, but ask yourself, how do you want the future shelters to be?

Posted on March 25th, by CAadmin in The Voice.

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