Why shelters kill animals in their care

By isak, July 16, 2011

This list shows reasons why an animal may be killed in one of our kill shelters. In my opinion, it is simply a list of excuses for the purpose of either easing someone’s guilt about needlessly taking a life or granting them a pardon for their laziness in finding homes for the homeless in their care. I say this because my pets are wonderful individuals, but some would die in a shelter based on this list of “reasons” even based on interviewing them at home on their own turf. Now add the shelter environment which hardly seems like a warm and friendly place…

I can’t see why killing animals based on this list is necessary. Did anyone think to ask them if they wanted to die? I have seen animals more dead than alive choose to fight the fight for life… and win. But that’s a whole other post.

How do your pets stand up to this test?

  1. Aggressive towards humans
  2. Behavioural
  3. Blind
  4. Cat flu
  5. Compulsive, obsessive, stereotypic behaviour
  6. Congenital defects
  7. Contagious (quite vague)
  8. Critical distress
  9. Deaf
  10. Declared dangerous
  11. Dental disease
  12. Dominance aggression
  13. Dominant behaviour
  14. Ear mites
  15. Escape behaviour
  16. Excessive vocalization
  17. Failed BA (behaviour assessment)
  18. Fearful/aggressive
  19. Feline leukemia
  20. Feral
  21. FIV positive
  22. Guarding behaviour
  23. Hair loss-demodex
  24. Hair loss-non specific
  25. Hair loss-ring worm
  26. Head trauma
  27. Heartworm positive
  28. Humane grounds
  29. Hyper reactivity to stimuli
  30. Hyperactive
  31. Idiopathic aggression
  32. Injured
  33. Kennel cough
  34. Kennel crazy
  35. Lack of pigmentation (albino)
  36. Litter box aversion
  37. Neurological problems
  38. Old
  39. Orthopedic problems
  40. Owner request
  41. Parvo
  42. Parvo contact
  43. Poor condition
  44. Seizures
  45. Separation anxiety
  46. Sick
  47. Spraying stress
  48. Tick paralysis
  49. Timid/fearful with accompanying anxiety
  50. Too many cats (space)
  51. Too many dogs (space)
  52. Too young
  53. Trauma
  54. Unsocial
  55. Wolf hybrid
  56. And of course, in some areas, just because of BSL (Breed Specific Legislation: the dog “looks” kind of like a Pit Bull or other legislated breed)

I myself fail this test on many points. Please don’t take me to a shelter when I get even older than I am.
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One Comment

  1. Paula Arsenault says:

    Most of these are ridiculous & BSL is criminal as well as unjust.

What do you think?

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