# Kill Shelters?



## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

It seems like a lot of you deal with what you are calling 'kill shelters'. I don't know much about them so any help answering my questions would be great!

Are these shelters that kill all animals that they can't place within a certain amount of time or just animals that are too dangerous to place?

What is the normal time frame for keeping the animal before it's killed?

How do you know if a shelter is a kill shelter? Do they have to disclose that to the public?

If there was a kill shelter in my area and there was a malt there what steps would I have to take to place that malt with a rescue?

What happens to the bodies of the animals that are killed? Do they have to document anything when they kill these animals?

I'm sorry for having so many questions - I just don't know anything about them.


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## Starsmom (Jan 31, 2009)

QUOTE (Hunter's Mom @ Feb 10 2009, 07:41 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=723749


> It seems like a lot of you deal with what you are calling 'kill shelters'. I don't know much about them so any help answering my questions would be great!
> 
> Are these shelters that kill all animals that they can't place within a certain amount of time or just animals that are too dangerous to place?
> 
> ...


I can only tell you what I know goes on here in Vegas...

Dogs picked up by animal control are scanned for a chip, if there is one the owners are notified that dog is there (Lied Animal Shelter). Owners have 72 hours to pick it up before the animal is euthanized. I think the charge is somewhere around $100 for the first offense. The owner, if found and shows up has to show proof of ownership, and current licensing, and vaccine record including rabies. 

If the owner isn't found or comes to claim his dog it is evaluated for adoption -BUT I don't think they are allowed to stay very long - 7-10 days, after that if they are very lucky a rescue group will come and rescue them to a "no-kill" shelter of which there are many here. Many of these dogs are rescued on the last day, just hours before they are euthanized. Clark County (where Las Vegas is) euthanized more then 80.000 cats and dogs last year alone! To say we have an animal population problem here is an understatement. Since the foreclosure debauchery here, animals of ALL kinds are being dumped or just left in the empty houses.  Two months ago the Nevada Humane Society (no kill) alone had over 700 cats and 280 dogs waiting for adoption!

The public here generally knows the Lied Animal Shelter is a kill facility.

Animals that are deemed not adoptable due to aggressiveness are euthanized when the 72 hours ends. The shelters here are about 80% filled with Pit bulls & Pit bull Mixes. Dogs that have attacked other dogs/children are taken away and euthanized immediately.

A Malt in a kill shelter - call the breed rescue in your area and tell them you have found a Malt, and where it is, and how much time it has left - if they will tell you.

Euthanized animals are placed in a placed in a plastic bag and disposed of. I'm not aware of any required documentation.

Hope this has answered some of your questions.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If you go to http://www.petfinder.com/ you can look up the shelters in your state. Most county shelters are subsidized and must euthanize pets after a certain time period, usually a matter of days.

I adopted my Siamese Sarah from the county shelter. She was scheduled to be euthanized. The director was so thrilled Sarah had found a home. She laughed at me when I asked about references. She said that their adoption rate was only about 23%. Most of the ones that were adopted were brought back within the three day period of time to get the adoption fee back. The rest were euthanized.

It's a no win situation. The no kill shelters are full and must turn pets away. There are just too many unwanted animals. Most people don't realize that 1/3 of all animals who are turned into shelters are purebred. Puppy mills contribute to only a small percentage of that number. It's the backyard breeders who are the largest producers of purebred dogs and are responsible for the majority of purebreds in shelters.

Please read this:

http://www.adoptarescuepet.org/byb.htm


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## Max & Rocky (May 20, 2004)

QUOTE (Hunter's Mom @ Feb 10 2009, 08:41 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=723749


> It seems like a lot of you deal with what you are calling 'kill shelters'. I don't know much about them so any help answering my questions would be great!
> 
> Are these shelters that kill all animals that they can't place within a certain amount of time or just animals that are too dangerous to place?
> 
> ...


Our county "shelters" are kill... which is why I always put the word "shelter" in quotes... Not much of a shelter if you ask me, but as a taxpayer too, I understand.

I would operate under the assumption that all public "shelters" are kill, unless they advertize otherwise.

>If there was a kill shelter in my area and there was a malt there what steps would I have to take to place that malt with a rescue?<

You will have to check with these places to be sure exactly what the process is. For example, when I get Spencer a few weeks ago, I had to pay $85 for him because NMR was not registered with the county as an approved rescue. If we were, they would have just given him to me. Since we were not registered, I had to sign paperwork that I would not sell him or transfer him to another person (which is a lie and they knew it, since I told them I was a rescue volunteer). Spence was not in immediate danger of being put down... they had given him a 30 second evaluation and I suppose they evaluate a small white dog as being reasonably adoptable. However, if this facility runs out of space, then they would do whatever they need to do to free up space.

You are talking a risk if you go get a dog out of a shelter without the authorization of a specific rescue org. Times are tight and a lot of them are out of or nearly out of money.... not to mention the tradition problems of not nearly enough foster homes. It is entirely possible that if you got a dog out of a local shelter without actually being a member of rescue and without a preautorization... you may find yourself the owner or another dog!

However, if you signed up for NMR or another rescue org such that you were a foster, you might check with your local authorities to see what is needed for you to be officially recognized as a member of rescue. Once you are, I suspect the shelter would give you the dog free of charge and the paper work would proably be reduced.


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

Naddie was in an Animal Control kill shelter in SC.
Their policy at that particular shelter was if an owner turn in .... dogs are PTS within 24 hours!!!!!!!! :smcry: ( guess they feel if owners don't want them nobody else does! :smmadder: Naddie was an owner turn in!!!! 
Strays are given 5 days for owner pick up ...not sure how long a time ,if any, after that for possible adoption.

Due to the 24 hour time frame ..volunteers try to scout it out daily to pull the at risk pooches. With times as they are... don't know how well they can manage that these days if no foster homes available.....sooooo sad. However, I'll be forever grateful to Naddie's Fostermom angel for saving her life and providing her much needed medicall and emotional care!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

America's dirty little secret is that there are still shelters that use gas chambers to euthanize instead of a humane injection:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...euthanasia.html

Shamefully my state, North Carolina, still has over 30 shelters that use gas chambers.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Our county "shelter" was taken over by the local Human Society several yrs ago & has worked very hard to become a no kill shelter. It was just announced that it's 95% there & only euthanizes the dogs that are known to be vicious. Not so with cats, they still have a lot of work to do to save the cats. I have put my name down to be notified if a Maltese or Maltese mix ends up in the shelter.But there is slim chance of that happening, since maltese are really scarce in my area & most of the dogs at the shelter are pitbull,lab,beagle or mixed large breeds.


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## KAG (Jun 1, 2006)

I was so lucky to see my Crisse's picture in the NY Post[attachment=48245:Crisse_and_Lola.jpg], up for adoption at the Humane Society. Crisse was left at the ACC, a kill shelter. She wasn't spayed, she had mammary tumors. Luckily, the dog psychologist from the Humane Society was at the ACC, noticed Crisse, checked her out, and, took her back with him to the Humane Society. Tumors removed, spayed, shaved down to nothing, picture in the paper. The rest is history! I know you all know how I feel about her. 
xoxoxo


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

In California, shelters are required to keep owner turn-ins for two days before they are made available for adoption and to keep strays for 4 business days. I think how long they are actually kept varies from shelter to shelter. 

I have got a couple dogs that were in public shelters for two months--one definitely because shelter workers took a special interest in her because she was so nice and little and pretty, but she had huge mammary tumors. And Charlie my Chihuahua mix was also in a public shelter for two months. I'm not sure what his whole story was. He was an owner turn in, and very, very sweet, but I was told he was about to be euthanized for space reasons. I have been saddened recently about how many little dogs are languishing in our public shelters--they used to get snapped up.


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