New York TImes on animal abuse

[hammerhead]

I hope the above address works. The first couple pages are tough to read. It is very enlightening.

Also Seattle Animal control has to many dogs. They are putting them to sleep. Please consider adopting or fostering.

Ironic they have very few cats and kittens.

FCAT

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[Trisha]

I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but I don’t think it is accurate. I am on the foster list for both cats and dogs at the Seattle Animal Shelter, and there have been a few dog foster requests this week – but no more than normal. Certainly nothing to the point of urgency to indicate that any animals are being put to sleep.

For cats and kittens though, there have been up to a few email requests a day with new kittens coming in.

The shelter has an extensive foster system, and animals get out into foster pretty quickly. The shelter tries to get kittens into foster care as quickly as possible so they aren’t exposed to any kitty colds that may be going around at the shelter at any given time.

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[hammerhead]

yes the cat and kittens are doing great. the walls of cages are pretty empty.

It is the dogs that aren’t doing so well.

My info is correct, I know animal control officers.

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[HunterG]

Humans are cruel beings, I wish they weren’t but the older I get, the more I believe it.

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[KaraMH]

Hi Everyone.

While the kennels here at the Seattle Animal Shelter are full of dogs, we have been able to save every adoptable dog through our foster homes or transferring to other organizations. Just yesterday, PAWS took a couple of our adoption dogs, so kudos to them.

We do have dogs available for adoption both at the shelter and in our foster homes, so if someone is thinking of adopting, we would LOVE to have them come down or check out our website (seattleanimalshelter.org). Just know that we are absolutely not euthanizing for space. Every adoptable dog will find a home as they have for several years.

If you have any questions, feel free to call our staff here at the shelter – 206-386-7387.

-Kara Main-Hester

Manager, Volunteer Programs and Fundraising

Seattle Animal Shelter

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[hammerhead]

Geez I retract the above statement already.

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[charlabob]

I found a dog (in KC) that even the Katskys will love. I sent email and I’m waiting to hear from KC — Kara, do you know anything about Buddy? http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16588145

He is a bosbeag? beager? (boston terrior/beagle) — as soon as I think of a name for ’em, i think we’ve got us a new breed.

HH, your posting may mean buddy has a wonderful new cat-dander filled home. Don’t beat up on yourself too hard :-)

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[BBGuest]

I wonder here about the statement “…to save every adoptable dog….” Me thinks that is a relative term? How does one define an adoptable dog?

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[GenHillOne]

I was just thinking the same thing! It’s such a vague term and you have to think – with a lot of shelters, not necessarily jumping on this one – that “adoptable” is a moving target based on time and financial resources…i.e. could an animal become adoptable with those resources, but without them, because of fluctuations in budgets and space, they are deemed “unadoptable”? I think most reasonable people realize you have to do what you can with what you have and that none of it is easy. “Adoptable” seems to be used freely though without being defined, so my mind goes to the least common denominator and I can only assume that when resources are stretched, some otherwise-(truly)adoptable animals are lost. People (in general, not speaking of the shelters) can really suck.

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[ALS]

“Adoptable dog” is definitely a subjective term. It’s not an either/or situation – it’s more like a spectrum. Some dogs are so easy anyone could take care of them and some dogs are so difficult that only the most experienced leaders could handle them, if anyone at all. I believe most fall somewhere in the middle, and different shelters/rescues set their thresholds at different points.

In all reality it’s impossible to save every adoptable dog. There are currently about 5-7 million dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters every year and statistically only half of the animals who enter shelters this year will find homes. I like the idea of shelters utilizing foster homes to both create more space and because pets are generally happier in foster homes, but the “no kill” movement isn’t a magic bullet, either. Shelters and rescues are still constrained by space, and when space runs out, some shelters euthanize and some will transfer to other organizations, but at the end of the day there is still not enough space no matter how you shuffle them around. No matter how hard shelters and rescues work, the only way to truly save every adoptable dog is through education – to put that responsibility back on the owners whose shortcomings caused the animals to end up in shelters in the first place. If everyone spayed/neutered their pets and kept them for life, shelters and rescues wouldn’t need to exist, except for the most dire of circumstances (owner’s death, sudden illness, etc.)

Great article, though. Thanks for posting. I am glad there seems to be more being done to help victims of animal abuse and crack down harder on their abusers.

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[GenHillOne]

Great way to put it, ALS. And thanks for mentioning “no kill” too, because if those shelters are full, seems to me that people may have no choice other than to go someplace that MAY euthanize. So even that has a spectrum in the big picture because no-kill shelters may unwillingly play a role in an animal’s death. Spay. Neuter. Lifetime commitment.

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[funkietoo]

Thanks to Trisha and Kara for immediately addressing the statement in the original post. Dogs are only euthanized if they are vicious or have a condition that is untreatable and/or unmanageable, i.e., no hope of recovery/quality of life and they are suffering.

The Seattle Animal Shelter is a very different place than when I was a little girl, when the majority of the animals were euthanized. Don Jordan, Kara, Mike, Virginia, the rest of the staff and the amazing 600 volunteers have worked very hard at implementing ‘prevention and retention’ programs that over time have reduced the euthanasia rate; increased the save rate; initiated three funds for animal assistance, including a spay/neuter fund and ‘help the animals fund’. The ‘help the animals fund’ pays for medical needs of animals that enter our shelters that in the past, would have been euthanized because they need an eye removed, or have a chronic illness like diabetes, etc.

If we want to support the animals of Seattle Animal Shelter, giving all of them a second chance at a loving home, please consider donating to one to the 501(c)3 funds. Or fostering; or volunteering at the shelter; or putting on a fundraiser. ;0)

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[BBGuest]

Thanks Funkietoo. I really appreciate you input on this.

For KaraMH. Just wondering, is there a policy statement of some sort for the:

“Dogs are only euthanized if they are vicious or have a condition that is untreatable and/or unmanageable, i.e., no hope of recovery/quality of life and they are suffering”

at every shelter? or a committee that decides these things? What about if a dog has bitten somebody? Are those dogs considered vicious, and too risky to adopt out to a family?

I always wondered about that one. Say a dog is turned in because it bit a person (possibly provoked)and if the organization is then held responsible for future behavior? Are these dogs evaluated in some way?

I guess there is a policy for decision making with each facility and I would like to get that information to decide whether or not I want to support a particular shelter.

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[funkietoo]

BB Guest, you’re welcome. SAS utilizes the Asilomar Accords, so the following website may help answer some of your questions regarding how it is determined if an animal is untreatable and/or unmanageable, i.e., no hope of recovery/quality of life and they are suffering”.

http://www.asilomaraccords.org/participating_organizations.html

As far as the remaining questions, a phone call to Seattle Animal Shelter, may be helpful. I do know that dogs are evaluated, but do not know the methodology that is ultized.

Per Kara’s post, here is their number: ‘If you have any questions, feel free to call our staff here at the shelter – 206-386-7387.

-Kara Main-Hester

Manager, Volunteer Programs and Fundraising

Seattle Animal Shelter

Thanks for caring enough to ask the questions, funkietoo

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