The Power to Kill

This is the story of  a young cat named Funny Face as told to me by the owner, Jennifer S.

I emailed the Fox Valley Humane Association twice, asking if they would like to comment or share their side of the story. I did not receive a reply.

A young cat  wandered into a garage last year of an animal-loving family near Appleton. The family called him Funny Face and he quickly befriended the family's two dogs and learned to use the doggie door. He was a very lucky cat and became the family's inside/outside cat. He had five acres and a shop to mouse. He wears a bell so the family knows where he is. But a couple of weeks ago Funny Face was limping and a trip to the vet was in order. The vet felt that nothing was broken and sent Funny Face home with some pain medication.  A few days later, it wasn't better. So Funny Face went back to the vet for x-rays and another exam. The x-rays showed nothing but he did have a swollen lymph node so he was sent home with some antibiotics and more pain meds. Total vet costs about $280.

When Funny Face didn't make his appearance through the doggie door on Tuesday night, the family noticed but weren't overly alarmed.  He generally didn't wander far, and perhaps he had just found a warm corner of the shop to snuggle up in.  No sign of him Wednesday; and Jennifer, the owner was really worried by Thursday. She called the town constable  and surrounding humane societies. Fox Valley Humane Association said that a cat had been brought in that matched Funny Face's description. It would be $96.20 to reclaim him. They said that if she filed a lost cat report with the police department they would probably be able to work something out. I'm not exactly sure what that has to do with anything, but the owner complied..

But when she made her visit to "work something out" to the shelter, they backed out of the deal. Pay up, or no cat for you!. Jennifer was told that Funny Face would be killed on Wednesday, March 14 because he was "unadoptable". The shelter claimed he didn't use his litterbox and nobody adopts a cat that doesn't use his litterbox.

Money was already tight because of the $280 vet bill. Jennifer asked for a payment plan. The shelter refused. No cat for you!.

Jennifer asked if she could pay the difference between the euthanasia fee and the reclaim fee.  The shelter refused. No cat for you!

This shelter has FREE cat adoptions ( a program I usually love). But the shelter told Jennifer that they suspected that Jennifer was going to have a friend adopt the cat who would give it back to her. No cat for you!

These are some excerpts from Jennifer's Facebook page:

"I brought the kitty his food. At 2:30 p.m. they had told me he already was fed 2x that day and would start the food tomorrow, but that they were not going to bring him out for me to administer his medicine or see him.."


"....he was filthy and starting to get mats when I got there Friday and Saturday when I brought his medicine and food they wouldn't let me see him. (had the sheriff "request" me to leave both times)


"It's going to cost them over $200 to keep him and euthanize him on Wednesday. "


"I offered the difference between their euthanization fee and the reclaim fee and they said no. So I sit there every day asking to give him his medicine so I know it was administered and they say no... when I tell them I'm not leaving, they call the cops. Second day in a row, and the same thing will happen Monday.  It's ridiculous, we could have the cat back and they could spend that money on something else."


"So rather than give us our cat back, or accept the difference between the two fees and give us the cat back, the organization has said, too bad so sad, are planning on putting him down Wednesday.  Try explaining that to a two year old girl - How TERRIBLE that the organization is not willing to work with us or meet us halfway in order to get our cat back. "


"I'm sure next week AFTER I get paid, I could move a few bills around and make it work.... They are choosing to spend money putting our cat down instead of giving him back." 


Fox Valley "Humane" Association's "vision" from their website:  "No animal need in the Fox Valley goes  unmet." and their motto is "Caring for Pets and Their People".

Hmm. They missed the boat on this one. I would say that Funny Face's needs went unmet.   His need to live. His need to have his medicine and be with the family who love him. His need  to not be put to death by power-hungry people who think they are proving a point and "if they make this exception, they will have to make it for everyone." (apparently what one of the shelter staff told Jennifer).

This is not a situation of a lost dog or cat that the shelter thinks they should adopt out to a "better home". This is a situation of a "shelter" choosing death over life for a cat that had a perfectly good home already.  Just because they could.

My husband says that when you give little people a little bit of power, there is usually trouble. I think he is right.

Funny Face, recovering from his stressful ordeal,  asleep on Jennifer's two year old daughter's coat.

Funny Face is safe at home now with an ID tag on his collar. A family friend paid the reclaim fee and the family will reimburse them.

Welcome home Funny Face! Your family really, really loves you.

March 25, 2012 An update from Jennifer regarding the situation: "They gave me the wrong food back, when I picked up the right stuff, I saw they never fed him any of it.  And I requested all their paperwork but got nothing."

 

What's In a Name?

Almost two years ago I wrote a blog about the term No Kill and how it was misunderstood.

I think it is time to revisit that.  There are now 29 No Kill communities in the United States: big and small, rural and urban, north and south, east and west. Elmbrook Humane Society in Brookfield, Wisconsin recently made the list. A No Kill community is one that is maintaining a 90 percent or better live release rate for the animals that it takes in. That leaves plenty of leeway for the truly dangerous or hopelessly ill animals. It can be done and it is being done. It is not impossible.

A lot of progress has been made. Yet, here in Wisconsin, there is still serious misunderstanding of what the term means. A lot of old school animal welfare people still don't "get it" and still spew the falsehoods that No Kill shelters amount to hoarding and warehousing. Of course, perpetuating these rumors is in their best interest because it helps them defend their practices; the killing of healthy or treatable shelter animals in their care.

I copied the following from the FAQ portion of the website of the Fox Valley Humane Association  in Appleton, Wisconsin to give you an example of what I mean:


WHAT IS YOUR POLICY ON “NO KILL” SHELTERS? 

Euthanasia is never a pleasant alternative. It is, however, a HUMANEone! There are many questions to ask yourself:

• Is it fair to keep all those animals in cages day after day after day when they have experienced loving homes?
• What does it do to an animal to keep it indefinitely in this kind of situation?
• What happens at "no kill” shelters when they are full?
• What happens to all the animals they have to turn away?
  In many cases, these shelters ship the animals elsewhere for euthanasia. Therefore, our policy is to continue to perform euthanasia whenever it is necessary.

Obviously whoever wrote this for their website is totally out of touch with the reality and facts of No Kill sheltering in America in 2012.


No Kill is a name.  The most common excuse I hear to not embrace it is"I don't like it". Well, I don't exactly like the name Pobloskie either, but I've learned to live with it. So I suggest if you don't like the name No Kill, get over it already. Because it is here to stay.

And, honestly, there isn't a much better option right now than the words No Kill. It is something that the public readily identifies with. It is now mainstream and is appearing a couple of times a week in the mainstream media. Changing the name would be a massive undertaking costing considerable time and expense. Time and money that is  better spent saving animals.

I like to informally poll the general public about animal welfare issues.  When I ask  people what they think the term "adoption guarantee" means, most respond that they think it means that if they adopt an animal and it doesn't work out they can return it for a refund.   So perhaps we need to file that one in the pile of bad ideas.

The one thing that the public does agree on: killing shelter pets is no longer acceptable. For the remaining dinosaurs out there, the sheltering world as you knew it is over. Change or become extinct. It is your choice.

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. - W. Edwards Deming

Thumper's Rule

One of my most vivid memories from childhood is my mother's constant reminders of Thumper's rule (from the Bambi movie). Thumper was the little rabbit that said "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all." When my mother sensed I was about to say something bad  she would give me a stern look and warn me saying "Thumper, Thumper.." as a reminder that I should hold my tongue and be silent.

It took many years to shake that off and I still believe it's good advice when an aunt gives you an ugly sweater for Christmas; or you are eating a not-so-tasty dinner at the neighbors. But I don't think that it applies to our work as animal advocates.  We would still be wallowing in the mire of the status quo if it hadn't been for the courage of those who have led the No Kill movement. Those few who bravely spoke out about atrocities and mis-management at animal shelters when nobody else was doing it.

Thanks to their efforts,  shelter deaths have been reduced from about 17 million in the 1970's to where it stands today; estimated to be somewhere between 3 and 4 million. That being said,  I personally draw the line at character assassination. Not my style, and I'm not sure it is helpful.

Nowadays,  I've come to believe that a better rule to live by is one that my friend's husband suggests. He says: "Don't point out a problem, unless you can also offer a solution." And solutions are eveywhere! There are now 27 No Kill communities in the United States that are serving as a blueprint to stop the killing. There are  more seminars, webinars,  articles, and conferences, than ever before; and with a click of a button, we can share the information where it is needed.

When more people speak out, more progress is made. We can reduce the number of shelter deaths to zero. Please, get involved, speak up when you see something wrong, and offer the solutions that can help end the needless killing of shelter animals.

Sorry Mom, I've broken Thumper's rule a few times!

To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? 
Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask? - Jim Rohn

Lowering Stress Saves Lives

I wrote this last week while on vacation.

Stress.  I don't have any right now. My husband and I are on vacation, a Caribbean cruise on board the Celebrity Solstice, the best stress relief I can imagine. I blogged about the cruise ship experience last year and I am equally impressed this year.

No Internet, no telephone, no traffic. The hardest decision we have is what time to eat, and whether to sit by the pool with a book or go ashore for a walk.

Unfortunately for shelter animals, stress is common. Stress causes death. Stress-related problems becomes the excuse that shelter directors use to kill.

Stress in cats cause a weakened immune system and vulnerability to upper respiratory diseases that make cats sick. Sick cats are usually the first to be killed because they will be deemed "unhealthy" and many shelters still hide behind the phrase "we adopt out all healthy and adoptable animals". 

Stress in dogs also causes health problems. But worse than that, stress causes behavior issues that make otherwise calm, happy dogs exhibit behaviors that deem them "unadoptable".  Sort of like road rage, in people. But we don't kill people with road rage, do we? Some shelters call it "cage or kennel crazy". But it is just stress. 

Stress then builds up in animal shelter volunteers and staff that see perfectly adoptable, treatable animals get killed. Their stress causes them to quit out of frustration and despair. The very thing that brought them to an animal shelter to begin with - a love of animals, drives them away. They become overcome with frustration because they aren't able to help the animals they love.

Stress in shelter management erupts because the revolving door of staff and volunteers and animals causes more stress, more turnover and more death.

What's the answer? Other than sending the whole works out to sea on a cruise? Common sense. Empower the volunteers and staff to research and implement easy stress reduction methods for the animals. Don't kill the animals because they are stressed; instead figure out ways to reduce the stress. 

Cats need to be able to hide, perch and scratch. These are feline needs; that when met, will lower the stress in a shelter cat's life and keep their immune systems strong. Appeasing pheromones like Feliway will reduce anxiety in cats. Products like the Stretch and Scratch and the Hide, Perch and Go cat carrier have been developed specifically for shelters. Shelter supporters can be asked to donate these products. 

Here is a link to an excellent webinar by Sue Cosby. It is full of easy suggestions to help save the lives of shelter cats. The title of the presentation is "Saving Cats in Busy Shelters Through Better Handling" and it is down towards the bottom of the page. Why not have a lunchtime get together of volunteers and staff at the shelter to watch the webinar and discuss these cheap and easy techniques to save lives?

Dogs need exercise, companionship, playtime, and mental stimulation. Throw a little bit of doggie massage into your toolbox too. Diet also has an influence on stress in shelter animals, but I am not a nutritionist so I don't want to get into that here. 

Aimee Sadler of the Longmont Humane Society is helping shelters around the country  use playgroups to reduce stress in shelter dogs to great success. Most report improved save rates for dogs, including large dogs and pit bull type dogs.  For those shelter managers who still shudder in horror at the thought of having pit bull type dogs in play groups, I really encourage you to do try to get to one of Aimee's speaking engagements or contact a shelter that she has worked with and listen and see the results first hand.

Animal Farm Foundation has a whole section devoted to kennel enrichment ideas for dogs. 

Volunteers can be an invaluable asset in the whole process. If a shelter empowers volunteers to research and implement stress-reducing techniques for shelter animals; they are in effect, empowering the volunteers to save lives. Volunteers that are saving lives will feel like they are making a difference. They will be inspired to stay on and do more. There isn't any greater motivational tool than positive results.

That's all for now.... my deck chair is waiting. 

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
Hans Selye

Looking for a New Puppy? Don't Buy the Pet Store Lies

Photo credit: Frank Schemberger

If you are still in the pet store looking at puppies, even after you know the truth about the "USDA licensed breeders"  from my blog last week; here are some of the other lies and spin that the pet store staff will try to feed you.


1. The Adoption Trick


Today's pet store puppies comes to you from Madison, Wisconsin. A large, popular store that uses the term "adoption" in their marketing. You could "adopt" a pug puppy for $800 and feel all warm and fuzzy about the wonderful thing you are doing.

Adopting pets is very trendy right now and the pet store industry is trying to cash in on this trend with clever marketing and wording.   Some pet stores will purposely keep their puppies in extremely stark, small cages  to make the shopper feel sorry for them. Then the shoppers can feel like they are "rescuing" the puppy by "adopting" it. Don't buy the lie. It's not an adoption or a rescue - it's a sale. A  pet store sale of a puppy mill puppy.


2. The Money Back Guarantee


Some stores will try to lure you with a promise of a money-back guarantee knowing  full well that you will be emotionally attached to that puppy about five minutes after you walk out the door with it. Customers rarely return puppies, because they are afraid of the puppy's outcome; so the pet store doesn't have to make good on the "money-back guarantee". Instead, the customer will absorb the cost of the vet bills when their puppy becomes ill or has genetic flaws, as many pet store puppies do.

The worst case scenario? The new owner can't afford the vet bills and the puppy is surrendered to an animal shelter, contributing to our already overburdened shelter system.


3. The Small, Local, Reputable Breeder Lie


Pet stores will try to convince you that their puppies come from small, local, reputable breeders. Don't be fooled. Small, reputable breeders don't supply pet stores. They have enough demand for their puppies already; because their puppies are sociable, healthy and home-raised. Why would they pay a high margin to the pet store, when they can get the full sales price themselves? Pet store puppies come from commercial breeders who are only concerned with profit.

Some pet stores will tell you that they will reveal the breeder's name and location; but not until you've signed on the dotted line. Again, they know that once you walk out that door with the puppy, the likelihood is very low that you will return it.  If pet store staff  do give you the name and location, call their bluff and check out the breeder and his facility. You should be allowed to see both of the puppy's parents and the whole facility . You should be allowed to interact with the puppy's parents; checking their temperament and their health.


4. The "Mark Them Up, then Mark Them Down" Trick


Most pet store puppies are overpriced to begin with. It is very common to see the original price "slashed"out in red crayon on the glass, with a "reduced price" below to make it look like the puppy is a good deal. Be an educated consumer and check the prices at your local shelter and at the truly reputable breeders in your area.


Don't buy the pet store lies this Christmas season. Real adoptions occur at shelters, humane organizations, or rescues. Adopt, Don't Shop.  


Thank you to my friend and Wisconsin Voters For Companion Animals advisor, Frank Schemberger for providing the photos and the details of the Christmas pet store puppies. A series of these photos and writeups are circulating on Facebook and in local Wisconsin on-line publications. Frank has worked tirelessly over the last several years, photographing and exposing the cruel pet store trade in the Midwest.

What is the REAL cost of that Christmas puppy in the window?

Photo credit: Frank Schemberger

The week before Christmas is the busiest time of year for pet stores that sell puppies. They look so cute and many people make an impulsive purchase without thinking of the consequences of their actions.

I would like to feature some of these Wisconsin puppies over the next few days. These are Christmas pet store puppies that are taken from their mothers far too young. They are bred in puppy mills throughout the Midwest and often destined to end up in animal shelters when the unsuspecting owner is overcome with the medical bills or behavioral problems that are associated with these puppies. Pet store puppies that end up in shelters cost us ALL money. Many animal shelters are partially funded by taxpayer dollars. Even if they aren't, our donations that could have been used for other animals are spent treating or rehabilitating pet store puppies.

Worse still, is the horrendous conditions that the parents endure, week after week, month after month, year after year; existing only to breed more puppies for the cruel pet store industry.

Here is Christmas Pet Store Puppy #1: 

This puppy was labelled a "Puggle" at the Petland Pewaukee store (this store is now out of business). This pup's expression gave me the feeling he would rather be back at the puppy mill it came from. At least there it had the companionship of his parents and siblings, although the conditions were worse. Again, no toys, blanket, no life for a pup. Some pups spend months in a pet store until the price drops enough to attract a buyer..... important formative days lost that will imprint the dog. Hopefully he is in a good home, although many impulsive buyers drop their "mistake" off at a shelter, while others will be making frequent visits to a veterinarian.  

"Rescuing" a pet store puppy by buying it is not the answer either. It just perpetuates the cycle of cruelty by increasing demand for the pups and encouraging the puppy millers to breed another litter.

Please think twice this Christmas. If you and your family are looking for a new dog (or cat) visit your local animal shelter. Adopt, don't shop!

Thank you to my friend and Wisconsin Voters For Companion Animals advisor, Frank Schemberger for providing the photos and the details of the Christmas pet store puppies. A series of these photos and writeups are circulating on Facebook and in local Wisconsin on-line publications. Frank has worked tirelessly over the last several years, photographing and exposing the cruel pet store trade in the Midwest.

The Pendulum Swing

This fall, the two organizations I am involved with, Lost Dogs of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals have been attending several pet-related events around the state.

On one such occasion,  I took the back roads and thoroughly enjoyed the drive:  through scenic farmland and rolling hills. Most of Wisconsin is like this and I was travelling only a very small portion. We are the nation's largest producers of cheese, cranberries, oats and snap beans. Wisconsin ranks second (only behind California) in the number of organic farms and the value of organic sales. There are 78,000 farms in Wisconsin totalling more than fifteen million acres.  Agriculture is second only to manufacturing, as the driving force behind Wisconsin's economy. This doesn't include the thousands of hobby farms and acreage dwellers.

I started to think about  how much of our animal welfare community has lost touch with reality and the rest of Wisconsin. The pendulum of animal welfare has swung so far past the middle ground - into the realm of unrealistic expectations of "perfect" inside homes.

One of my good friends has spent most of her adult life working in animal welfare. She used to manage a small rural shelter in Wisconsin eighteen years ago. They adopted out barn cats then. Not so anymore. It saddens me to think of the lives lost because one small shelter changed a policy. Then multiply that by the hundreds of shelters and rescues  in Wisconsin, many who have implemented increasingly restrictive adoption policies in a misguided attempt to save lives. Thankfully, some shelters are reversing the trend,  to more open adoption policies that actually DO save lives.

Restrictive adoption practices: no farm dogs, no barn cats, no children, must have fenced yards. The KC Dog Blog wrote an excellent piece on this a couple of weeks ago " Loving Homeless Pets to Death"

I recently received this email from a rural Wisconsinite who had stumbled across my blog about barn cats:

 "I just read this blog of yours and am contacting you about the same situation with dogs. Specifically, since you are in favor of Barn Cats, are you also in favor of "Barn Dogs'? I want to adopt a dog (not a puppy) that will be kept outside, but obviously there is no shelter or rescue group that would ever let this happen. I am tired of being judged on how it is better to kill a dog than let it enjoy a yard with a family, food, and shelter."

Unfortunately, I didn't have a good answer for her.

Small,  rural shelters will suffer the most from these bad policies. If you aren't a welcoming place for your whole community you are doomed. If you deny adoptions and make judgmental decisions about the people who walk through your door, then don't expect donations to come flooding in when you ask for them. At a small shelter, the pool of available donors is pretty small - so you better not have turned them away or turned them off  when they came to you to adopt, surrender or find their lost pet.

When will the pendulum swing back to  the middle ground of common sense? When shelter and rescue staff , volunteers and management realize that their misguided philosophies are killing animals, instead of saving them.

Bravo to the Myth Slayers

This is Little Belle. She was fostered at Community Cat  for THREE YEARS and then adopted on the first day of the October black cat promotion. The new owner has  emailed about  how well Little Belle is doing, how quickly she acclimated, and what an amazing cat she is. 

Rumors are easy to start but hard to dispel. More often than not, more people read the original incorrect story than ever hear the correction that may be made later.  They regurgitate the same old myths for weeks, months and even years. Last week a rumor circulated like wildfire via social media that nails had been found in bits of cheese in dog parks in Chicago and Massachusetts.  A picture of a handful of cheesy nails accompanied the story and I must have seen it a hundred times those first couple of days.

Well, the rumor was just that. A rumor.  Snopes investigated and found the original story had come out of Argentina in July. There never were any cheesy nails or antifreeze in water bowls in dog parks in America as the story had reported. But I’m not sure if the truth circulated as widely as the rumor and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are still dog owners avoiding dog parks because of it. Poor dogs, sitting at home during the most beautiful fall weather of the year, because of a rumor.

When we allow ourselves to be held hostage by rumors and myths we lose. And animals in shelters potentially lose their lives.

I am thrilled to see that Community Cat from Whitewater, Wisconsin is facing down the myth of Black Cat Halloween adoptions head on. This is such an old wive’s tale that I couldn’t believe that people even bought into it anymore. But apparently they do.

Community Cat announced on their Facebook page: 
"OH YES WE ARE! Black cat adoption fees will be reduced to $13 for the month of October! Happy Halloween!";

Several fans commented with their concerns. The same thing happened late last week when Rock County Humane Society announced black cat specials. Facebook fans immediately jumped in to express their unhappiness.

So, if you STILL believe that Satan worshippers are waiting to scoop up black cats out of shelters for Halloween – here’s an article from Best Friends Animal Society for you.  And besides, adopters are still screened with normal adoption criteria. If someone flies in and parks their broom outside your shelter door you always have the right to deny them.

Austin Pets Alive has “ Putting the FUN in fungus “ adoption events – where cats with ringworm are adopted out with a goodie bag full of the treatment supplies.  I Love It! For goodness sakes – it’s a FUNGUS, not a life threatening disease. But some shelters are so worried about the consequences of going public when they have a ringworm case that they’ll  “depopulate’ and kill every animal with a hint of a ringworm spore rather than face the fungus head on and educating the public about this minor skin condition.

Most good shelters and rescues now realize that the Christmas holidays ARE a good time to adopt out pets. People are off from work and school and have the time to spend with their new pets.  Last year the IAMS Home for the Holidays promotion resulted in over 1 million adoptions throughout North America. This year they are aiming for 1.5 million adoptions.  How’s that for a live-saving myth buster?

What other myths does your shelter or rescue bust?  Kudos to you. I’d love to hear them.

Trying to squash a rumor is like trying to unring a bell. - Shana Alexander

Sticks and Stones

Last week in a Facebook thread I was accused by a Wisconsin shelter director of "shelter bashing" and telling people not to support shelters. Hmmm. I read back through all my posts and I can't seem to find that anywhere. In fact, in several posts I have said that No Kill Advocates WANT their local shelters to succeed. I'll reiterate - well- functioning shelters are an asset to the community and its animals. And I wrote a very positive post about why people should go to their local shelter. The problem is that many shelters are still doing "fuzzy math" or not embracing all eleven steps of the No Kill Equation. Animals are slipping through the cracks - usually the feral and shy cats and the pit bull type dogs, which deserve just as much a chance at life as the cute, fuzzy ones.

There is a new radio advertisement that plays almost every day for a wealth management company in Milwaukee. I have heard it several times. It is a short question and answer interview with a wealth management advisor. She is answering questions about how an individual can discern which is a good non-profit to donate to and which ones they should be cautious about. I'm sure the advisor is not concerned about incurring the wrath of a non-profit. She is educating the public about how they can be informed consumers and wise managers of their hard-earned money.

Just as she is not writing her ads to please the non-profits, I am not writing to please shelter directors. I am writing to educate the public on a topic that has been very rarely spoken about in Wisconsin in the past. And apparently this information is appreciated, because I receive far more compliments than complaints.

The radio ad stresses transparency and how important it is for a donor be able to clearly understand what their donation is being used for. Then they can decide if it is an organization they wish to support or not.

Sound familiar? She took the words right out of my mouth. When shelter directors and boards of directors stop defending the killing, blaming the public, and become transparent with their statistics and financials, I'll stop blogging about it. Until then, I'm here to stay.

The greatest oak was once a little nut that held it's ground.
 - Author Unknown

Beagle Wars

There was interesting news story making the rounds this week about a lost beagle that was turned into a shelter in West Virginia. I won't go into all the details because you can read them for yourself at these links.

Here was the original story: http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.comment/id/552672/Humane-Society-not-returning-dog.html?nav=5061

And here is the outcome: http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/552715/Beagle-back-home-with-his-owners.html?nav=5061

To make a long story short - the shelter wanted the owners to adopt the beagle back to the owner on their (the shelter's) terms. The owners were willing to pay the reclaim fees but disputed the fact that they needed to adopt a dog that already belonged to them.

The owners took their complaint to the County Commission who stepped in and helped them get their dog back. The Commissioner is unhappy with the way the shelter handled the situation initially.

"Couch suggested the county establish its own animal control services. Commissioners are none-too-happy with the situation and how things were handled, he said."

The way I see this - that shelter director had two choices when the situation arose:

1) Return the dog to the owner, make a big deal about a happy reunion, generate some good pr and goodwill and celebrate the fact that one less dog  needs a home.

2) Make a public relations nightmare with  inflexible policies.  Generate bad publicity, enrage the public, and  possibly incur a legal battle causing financial hardship and embarrassment to the shelter.

It was a no-brainer to me. What would you have done?

I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.

 - Abraham Lincoln

Good Leadership Required!

Lakeshore Humane Society is a small limited admissions shelter in Manitowoc, Wisconsin that takes in about 1000 animals a year. In April, one of our Lost Dogs of Wisconsin volunteers, agreed to attend a public meeting on behalf of our organization to see what the outcome of the city's stray contract would be. Our group is very concerned that many Wisconsin shelters are giving up their stray contracts. 


Animal control contracts are often being split up and given to private individuals, some that hold the dogs and cats in their garage, a warehouse, or a barn.  They often don't have microchip scanners, websites, Facebook or even internet access. One we know of doesn't have a camera.  This is making it virtually impossible for lost pet owners to try to find and reclaim their pets, especially since we know that it is possible that the animals could have wandered a long distance and/or crossed jurisdiction lines.

Cindi Ashbeck, our Lost Dogs volunteer,  a soft-spoken but very intelligent woman attended the meeting. She called me the next day to say that not only was the status of the contract a mess, but the whole humane society was a mess. Not one to let a "mess" deter her, she has dived in head first to make change for the animals in Manitowoc County.

One of the interesting things about this humane society is that it has an open door membership policy. Anybody can pay their $35 and vote for the board (after a 60 day waiting period) even if you don't live in the county. Board members of shelters are supposed to "steer the ship". When you don't have the correct people at the helm, the whole operation is doomed, no matter how well-meaning the director, staff or the volunteers are.

The old time board members of Lakeshore Humane Society do the same song and dance that is heard over and over again in shelters around the state and the country. "It's the irresponsible public, it's pet overpopulation,  killing is kindness, blah, blah, blah..."  Change is scary, it is easier to defend the old ways than to try something new. 


There is a handful of great new people that are on board or want to get on board, Cindi Ashbeck included. They have been reading and absorbing all the information and facts that are out there. They are well-armed with the truth. Cindi attended the Great Shelters Conference in Ohio to learn as much as possible about good sheltering practices.  She has started a blog and a Facebook page to inform and educate the public.

The city council also wants change. They want a board of directors that will be honest with them and negotiate the contract. They don't want to go elsewhere. But they will if they have to. Here are details from one of the council member's website.

Pretty obvious to all involved, is that some of the old-school board directors need to go. Dave Evans and his wife, Renee Evans have sat on the board for many years. I'm sure they have supported the humane society in their own way, but times are changing, methods are changing and board members need to keep up.  

Dave Evans  made the following comment at a meeting this summer.  "When they stop making ugly animals, we'll stop killing them."   Really? Those words are coming out of the mouth of a board member of the humane society? Unfortunately, Dave Evan's term does not end this fall. He has another year. Dave Evans also made comments at the meeting this week that the humane society's bylaws were not needed and didn't have to be followed. 

Another board member's rudeness and arrogance broke down the talks with the city. 

One  board member, Brenda Meverden, who is running for re-election and a new candidate, Kim Repinski  who is running for a director position  did not even have the courtesy to show up at the Candidates' Forum to answer questions by the members. This tells me that they don't take their responsibility to the animals and the humane society seriously.

Elections are October 18. I'll be there. I've paid my membership fee and I have a right to vote. I believe in democracy and the will of the people. It is time for change in Manitowoc County.  The animals are depending on us.

"Success and growth are unlikely if you always do things the way you've always done them. When you stop changing, you stop growing." - John Mason

Ask Your Shelter Director - Part 3

I hope over the last few weeks that you've had the courage to ask about your shelter's intake reduction policies and their outdoor cat policies, the two topics I blogged on previously. Shelters can dramatically decrease their kill rates by focusing on returning lost pets back home; providing animal help desks and low/cost spay neuter;  and supporting TNR and barn buddy programs for cats. This gives them more "breathing room" on the health and behavior issues. Less animals in the shelter means they have more time and resources to spend on the animals that truly do need rehabilitation and new homes.


It is important that your shelter uses some type of a matrix to evaluate animals. Here is a copy of the No Kill Advocacy Center's Life Saving Matrix.  Your shelter should also have a document called their Euthanasia Policy. Both of these documents should be available for donors to see (preferably on the shelter website). If it isn't - it certainly brings up concerns about what is going on behind closed doors. This is called a lack of transparency. 


 If you can't find your shelter's matrix or euthanasia policies; either on the website or in print, then your shelter director should be willing to sit down with you and explain their policies and philosophy. If they aren't, I'd suggest closing up your checkbook and running the other way as fast as possible to a shelter that DOES value its donors enough to let them know what is going on.


Remember - a shelter that says they are saving all "healthy and adoptable" animals could be playing the smoke and mirrors game. Shelters are creating their own definitions of "healthy and adoptable" to defend their killing.
A shelter doesn't have to perfect. But it does have to be transparent. Then you have a baseline to work from.


The biggest "gray area" is in the definition of healthy and adoptable. That's why the 90% save rate bar has been set for No Kill status. The remaining 10% gives plenty of leeway for those dogs and cats that are truly unhealthy or dangerous. And in reality, this number should probably be more like 95 %. (but more on that in a future blog).

Fox Valley Humane Society in Appleton, Wisconsin has their criteria for "adoptable" on their website. Click this link to see their criteria for adoptable dogs and cats.  Note that it says a dog must be reasonably housebroken to be adoptable.  So when this shelter proudly announced that they placed 100% of "adoptable" dogs, there is a lot of room for interpretation.


"Adoptability" is highly subjective, but it shouldn't be. That is why it is important for your shelter to use a matrix to help. Here are some questions to ask your shelter director about their adoption criteria for behavior issues:


1) May I see your Euthanasia Policy or Matrix that you use to determine which animals are going to be determined adoptable? The answer should be yes. Anything else is a fail.


2) Do you have programs in place to help shy dogs and cats and resource-guarding in dogs? The answer should be yes. There is a wealth of good information out on these subjects now.  These are no longer acceptable reasons for killing. Volunteers can be trained to read to shy dogs, socialize shy cats, and hand-feed resource guarders. 


3) Do you have a sufficient network of trained foster families that can accommodate animals that need extra time, care or an environment away from the stress of the shelter? The answer should be yes. Developing a sound foster home program should be a major priority of any shelter.


4) When and how do you temperament test? Temperament tests should not be a pass or fail, black and white evaluation. They should be used as an assessment of what a dog needs to get him onto the adoption floor and into a home. Here is an excellent article on the shortcomings of temperament testing.  http://www.nokillnow.com/TemperamentTestingDirtyLittleSecret.pdf


Ask the tough questions. Remember, No Kill advocates don't want their local shelters to fail. We want them to succeed.  Success will come when shelters become transparent, implement all eleven components of the No Kill Equation, and regain the public's trust and support. Donations will improve and animals' lives will be saved.
Isn't that what we all want?

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.  

-  Alan Watts 

Aspen's Story: Unadoptable? Says Who?

This is Aspen. He was one of the last remaining Bichon Frises from the Puppy Haven buyout by Wisconsin Humane Society in 2008. As controversial as this was,  it did result in the closure of this breeding facility and you can read more about it here in the Milwaukee Magazine article entitled  Puppy Hell.

Aspen didn't meet the criteria for adoptability at a local shelter. He was too shy. He was not fear aggressive and would never have bitten anyone.  He was just incredibly shy and shut down. He was transferred to Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue in Mukwonago to have another chance at life.

Aspen just needed some time and some understanding. Car rides were first because he had no idea how to walk on a leash.  He would sit in his little seat belt and we'd go to the McDonald's drive thru for a coffee. Then I'd park and hold him in my lap so that he could watch the people coming and going from McDonalds and the grocery store. It was the first time I ever saw any life in his eyes. One of my friends said - "It's like he has no soul. There is nothing when you look into his eyes."

I used to take him back and forth from the rescue but pretty soon I was taking him home for sleepovers. He enjoyed those a lot. He also loved the dog park and it was the first time I ever saw him run. It was also the first time the other dog park patrons saw me run (not a pretty sight). I would run across the open field yelling "Run, Aspen Run!" trying to encourage his little stiff legs to go faster than a trot.

His eyes started to light up for meals and treats and pretty soon he was jumping through a hula hoop and running through an agility tunnel in our backyard.

I remember telling prospective adopters "Aspen is really, really shy, but he knows how to jump through a hoop!'' in my best salespitch-type voice. A useful life skill, indeed.

By this time Aspen was living full-time at our house. We needed to make arrangements for our dogs while we went on our fall vacation to Best Friends and the No More Homeless Pets conference. An interested family said they would try him at their home while I was gone.

Aspen struck it rich. The wonderful, caring family decided he was a perfect fit for their quiet household and lifestyle.  Although I miss him tremendously, he is living the life he deserves. Something to erase those first five or so years of his life that must have been so horrible. The years that removed any expression, any "soul" from his eyes.

So here are some pictures of Aspen with his new family who don't think of him as unadoptable, just adorable.

Aspen's first Halloween

Chillin' out.

Aspen waiting for his dinner in a motel room while on vacation.

Aspen's first camping trip!

And here is a picture of an aspen tree taken at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in the fall. It stood out glowing yellow on the hillside,  a reminder to me that a dog that was once "unadoptable" is now the shining light of a family's life.

Return? Or Sleep-Over?



Julep, from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, on an outing.

 I thought this story was interesting enough to share. I could identify the shelter involved but I won't because I can see this happening in many shelters. I always wonder if shelter directors ask "secret shoppers" to come in and then relay their customer service experience, so the director can implement training for staff that are treating customers (potential donors and adopters) badly.

Here's the story:

A 55'ish woman (I'll call her Beth), professional but semi-retired,  divorced , no kids and self-sufficient; was thinking that it would be nice to have a dog for companionship. She had the time and resources to spend and was a little lonely. She thought she would like to adopt an older dog that needed a home and who would enjoy walks and outings. So she headed off down to her local shelter with a hopeful heart. Her family had a black lab when she was growing up so that's what she decided to look for.

Wouldn't you know it? The shelter had just put a litter of black lab puppies onto the adoption floor. Beth visited on a Thursday afternoon and fell in love with a puppy (who doesn't?). She filled out her application form and went home to anxiously await a decision. The shelter said that she should hear by Friday if she had been approved. Friday morning came and the shelter called to say Beth had passed all the requirements with flying colors.

Beth headed to the local pet supply store to buy the latest and greatest pet supplies in eager anticipation of her new arrival. Friday afternoon she went to the shelter to pick up her puppy, sign the adoption papers, pay the adoption fee and head home with her new little bundle of joy. Somewhere in the next few hours she realized she had made a horrible mistake. She realized she had gotten a puppy on impulse and that this little guy would make a perfect dog for a family with an active lifestyle.  She needed an older, steady companion. Saturday morning she packs up the puppy with his puppy supplies and returns to the shelter before they opened so that he would be back on the adoption floor for the busy Saturday hours.

She was hoping to explain her situation and be able to choose an older dog that would suit her needs. She really didn't think there would be a problem.

Guess what? She was not able to choose an older dog OR receive a refund for the puppy. She was treated with disdain and disgust. The staff made her feel like she was the most horrible person in the world for returning the puppy.

Stop for one minute and think how you would feel if you were treated this way in a retail establishment? You bought something and returned it in good faith and then were made to feel like the scum of the earth. Would you tell a friend? Or two? Or ten -  about the bad treatment you received? I think so. Maybe you would put it on Facebook and tell a hundred or a thousand people.

Why do shelters consider returns as failures? Best Friends Animal Society has a sleepover program. You visit their sanctuary, volunteer for the day, and then can check out one of their sanctuary dogs for an overnight stay at your hotel. In the morning you bring the dog back and fill out a short report on the dog's behavior and experience. It's a win-win situation. The dog gets socialized, it gets out of the sanctuary for a few hours, and it gets more on it's "resume" that can be shared with potential adopters. You have a great time with a great dog. It's not a return - it's a sleep-over. The program is SO successful it is now being offered with cats.

Some of my best memories of being at Best Friends are the hours I've spent with a dog that I've taken out.

Back to Beth's story. Beth chalked it up as a learning experience.  She headed to the next closest shelter where she chose her new best friend . She has become a loyal supporter and donor. And she has told more than a few people about her bad experience at the first shelter.

We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts.
It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.
Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com

Why Are You Killing the Cats? (Part 2 of "The Correct Answer is...")

Puma, a healthy happy barn cat

A couple of weeks ago I started a blog series on questions that you can ask your shelter director to determine their commitment to life-saving. These questions will help you decide if it is the sort of place that you want to give your hard-earned money to or volunteer at. If it is an animal control facility or a private facility which holds the stray contracts for the municipality,  then your tax dollars are going there also and you have a right to know the answers to these questions. Remember, emailing is okay! Emails give you written proof of the responses.

Today I'm going to focus on the outdoor cat questions, a biggie.  Nationwide - over 70% of cats that enter shelters are killed. (Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission killed 69% of cats entering its doors in 2009 and 67% in 2010) How did cats get in such a bad way? Basically, because sometime in the 1980's humane societies began endorsing adoption policies that only allowed indoor cats. Many animal shelters have never let go of this notion.  Cats have lived outdoors for thousands of years and yet most Wisconsin shelters have "indoor only" cat adoption policies. Really? In the Dairy State? With all of those farms and barns and mice for cats to manage?

Try it for yourself. Go into your local shelter and ask if you can adopt a barn cat. Watch as they gasp and sputter in horror and deny you before you are even allowed to fill out an application. These shelters would rather kill cats with litter box or behavior issues which prevent them from being house cats, than adopt them out to good farm homes.

Many shelters consider feral cats, shy cats or cats with litter box issues "unadoptable". So shelters can say they are saving all the "adoptable" cats because they have twisted the words to defend their killing.

The other problem is that many shelter staff cannot distinguish between a true feral cat and a scared, lost cat. Many lost pet cats are killed because they were deemed "feral" when they were really just terrified of the noises and smells of the shelter.

Yes, feral cats are unadoptable and should be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and re-released where they were found. Shy cats or those with other behavior or litter box issues are very adoptable as barn cats (or other workplace cats).

Below is the euthanasia policy for cats for at one Wisconsin shelter. Ask to see YOUR shelter's policy. On the flip side, here is a Model Feral Cat Policy put out by the No Kill Advocacy Center as well as their Life Saving Matrix. Compare the three documents and see the difference for yourself.

xxxx Humane Society
Criteria for euthanasia are as follows:
1. Cat is feral.
2. Cat is positive for FIV or Feline Leukemia
3. FIP is suspected
4. Ringworm is confirmed
5. Health is poor
6. Behavior issues - may include issues such as; not using the litter box, not socialized, bite cases
7. Owner requested


So you can see that it is pretty tough for a shy, feral, or litter box-challenged cat to have a second chance at life at the above "shelter".  Why then is it called a shelter? Shelters should be about life, not death.
Here's my list of questions  to ask your shelter director regarding outdoor cats to make sure they're getting a fair chance at life:

1.   Do you participate in a Trap Neuter Release program? The correct answer is yes. If the answer is no, and most Wisconsin shelters do not have TNR programs; then they get a big fat fail. Every national animal organization now endorses TNR (except PETA) and there is no reason for a shelter not to do so. Even the National Animal Control Association supports TNR.  Listen very carefully to your shelter's answer. Some shelters are appearing to support TNR on their websites when in fact, they're not (more on that soon). The only thing I dislike worse than a bad shelter, is a shelter that lies to the public to get donations and support.

If they claim that they can't do it because of local ordinances that prohibit it, then ask -

1a) Do you have a volunteer political action committee in place to change those ordinances? The correct answer is yes.  Shelters need to take an active political stand in their community on the side of life-saving. Shelter management and board members that are hiding behind the coat tails of their city council to defend their killing are not acting in the animals' best interest and do not deserve your hard-earned money.

1b) Are you working with a group that does the TNR for you and re-releases the cats. Some of these Wisconsin groups are listed on the left hand side of my blog. (if your TNR group is not listed please contact me).  If the answer is still no - then I seriously question the shelter's commitment to lifesaving. Feral and outdoor cats are our biggest issue in Wisconsin shelters right now.

2. Does your shelter rent or loan out cat traps? The correct answer is no. If the answer is yes and they are not actively involved in a TNR program then they are participating in the failed model of "catch and kill". Here's a blog entry I wrote on this - The Magically Disappearing Cat

3. Do you have a Barn Buddy or Barn Cat program? The correct answer is yes.  If the answer is no, ask why. Many cats lives could be saved with a Barn Buddy program in place. Barn cats are spayed, neutered and vaccinated and then adopted to good farm homes that agree to provide food and shelter. Most farms value their cats and the mousing services they provide.  Here is a blog I wrote regarding the barn cats where I board my horses: Still Mousing After All These Years

Some shelter directors will argue that if they start a Barn Cat program it will send a mixed message to the public about cats living outdoors. Really? You think the public is that stupid? Please, give people some credit.  Put a sign on the cage - This cat is for an indoor home only. Or - This cat is suitable for a farm home. Use the opportunity to educate people and show them that you value all life - not just the lives of indoor cats. It's a win-win situation. The cats get to live, and your shelter shows compassion (and probably picks up some extra donations at the same time).

In closing, I want to make it perfectly clear that I don't recommend that people let their inside cats outdoors. Living outdoors comes with risks (living indoors also comes with risks: stress, obesity, boredom). But the biggest risk for cats right now is not living outdoors. The biggest risk is ending up in an animal shelter.

Next time I'll focus on  health and behavior questions for both dogs and cats. See you then! Be brave, take your courage pills and ask the questions! I would love to hear the answers. My email address is on the left hand side of the page.

For more information on lifesaving ideas and information for outdoor cats go to AlleyCat.org and voxfelina.com

People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life. ~Faith Resnick

A Picture is Worth .... an Animal's Life

This is a kitten's (?) intake photograph at MADACC. 

Over the last couple of weeks No Kill Milwaukee have focused their attention on trying to get the quality of intake pictures improved at the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission(MADACC). It may not seem like a big thing to some people - but it is to that animal. It can be the difference between life and death.

Many of the animals that are brought into MADACC are "strays" or in other words, lost pets. Pets that have escaped the custody of their owner or guardian. They are picked up by animal control officers and impounded. During the intake process a quick picture is snapped of them and then uploaded into the Pet Harbor software that the shelter uses. The website is updated every morning and the intent is that the owners of the pets will be able to look online and see if their pet is there. A great concept ... except...

a) The animal has to be recognizable.
b) Those animals not reclaimed, transferred or adopted  have a 53% chance of getting killed at the hands of the shelter. MADACC killed 6241 animals in 2009 (52%) and 7064 in 2010 (53%).

Even if the animal is not reclaimed by its owner, the website is viewed daily by the numerous shelters and rescues that "pull" from MADACC to restock their own shelters. Many Wisconsin shelters have a very high adoption rate by running successful adoption programs. An animal with a good picture is far more likely to get pulled than one without a good picture. In essence, those pictures are the animal's ticket out since MADACC does not have a full-fledged adoption program (Despite efforts by volunteers to make this happen).

No Kill Milwaukee supporters  have been emailing and calling MADACC and the MADACC board members to complain about the quality of the pictures. This is a copy of the letter that I wrote a couple of weeks ago:

Good Morning,
I am one of the founding members of Lost Dogs of Wisconsin. We currently have 35 volunteers, many who spend their evenings doing online lost and found matching for lost dogs.

We appreciate the speed with which you get the photos of impounded pets on your website. We also appreciate that you provide pictures. Many Wisconsin shelters don't. But the quality of the pictures is diminishing. Our matchers are having trouble. So I must think that owners who are searching for their lost pets - perhaps even on their cell phone, are having trouble as well.

Would it be possible to improve the quality and closeness of the pictures so that we can hopefully make more happy reunions happen?
Thank you.
Kathy Pobloskie


After many requests by many people,  the pictures improved slightly for a day or two; but are dreadful again. Obviously, because the quality is so inconsistent, some staff members care and some don't.

Excuses by defenders of the shelter include:

1. There isn't enough time or money to take a good picture. Umm - sorry, I don't buy it. It doesn't take any longer to snap and upload a good picture than a poor one. Move a little closer please.

2. The camera is on a table. Is the camera nailed to the table? And how is it used to take the cat pictures then? That appears to be a roving camera.

3. Sometimes the animals are squirming around. Possible excuse - but then just click a few (up close, please) and use the best one.

4. The camera is old, so I (meaning me, Kathy Pobloskie) should donate a new camera. What do I look like - the camera fairy? (*see note below) Please explain how the old camera can take a decent one now and again?

5. I (meaning me again) should volunteer to take the pictures at MADACC. Sorry, I already am heavily involved in running two animal welfare non-profit organizations which take upwards of twelve hours per day. The staff at MADACC are paid to do their job which includes taking intake photos.


*I learned my lesson on this one. I donated a camera to another local shelter over a year ago to take pictures of their "stray" animals on intake. They don't use it. I guess it was far too complicated for the staff to figure out how to use a Kodak Easyshare and upload the photos. Funny, they all seem to be able to use computers and cell phones. So, no.  I am not going to spring for a new camera for MADACC.

The only conclusion seems to be that a failure of leadership at MADACC is causing the poor quality pictures to continue. When management doesn't care - how are they supposed to inspire their staff? Or as Bill Bruce of Calgary Animal Services likes to say "Fish rot from the head down."

Please remember, if you are behind the lens of a camera at a shelter - think of the implication of that picture you take. It could be the difference of life or death.

"Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well." - Phillip Chesterfield

And the Correct Answer is....

Last time I promised to start talking about the best questions to ask your shelter director and/or shelter board of directors to make sure that you're not being tricked by the Smoke and Mirrors. 

People email and phone me all the time with shelter complaints. When I ask: "Did you talk to the director?"  Silence. Then, "Well, no... because I don't like confrontation. I just try to get along." Then I say: "But, how can you expect change if you don't speak up?"

Speaking up is not hard (well, maybe a little hard). Swallow your butterflies, hold your head up high and ask the tough questions. Once you've done it once it will get easier, trust me. It doesn't mean you are a bad person, or a trouble maker. It means you are a hero for the animals you love and who deserve it. And I'm giving you permission to write an email if you just can't muster the courage to do it in person.

Emails are great. You know they will arrive instantly and you can even carbon copy the board of directors if you obtain their email addresses from a website or a polite phone call.  Hopefully you will get a response to your questions in writing. Something on paper is very valuable - it gives you written proof that you can file and use if you need it. If you don't get a response to your email, follow up with a polite phone call or personal visit. Remember, the key word here is polite. A please and thank you go a long ways (my mother taught me that). If you donate to the shelter, or you are a taxpayer and the shelter is publicly funded; you have a right to know how the money is being spent and you deserve an honest answer.

And as a sidenote: I am in touch daily with No Kill Advocates from around the state and nation. There isn't one that I know of who wants to see the shelters fail. We want to see them succeed - because they are the best chance that the animals have. So enough with the shelter bashing comments already. Somebody posted on my page the other day why I didn't apply for the Executive Director job at MADACC (Milwaukee Animal Control). I'm not thrilled with the way the Catholic Church is run either, but that doesn't mean I want to be the Pope.

The number one thing a shelter can do to prevent shelter deaths is to use all of the portions of the No Kill Equation. What I see most lacking in Wisconsin shelters are effective programs to reduce intake numbers. This means that shelters should be trying to reduce the number of animals coming in. (If they don't come in, they can't kill them!) So start with questions about intake.

You may think this isn't an issue at your shelter because it a) doesn't hold an animal control contact (to accept "strays") or b) obtains most of it's adoptables from other shelters either in Wisconsin or out of state.  Don't be fooled. All shelters can and should be working to reduce intake - not just for their shelter and  community but for their shelter partners where they are getting their adoptables from.

I don't expect shelters to be perfect. But they should be constantly striving to improve their services to the public - they shouldn't be just big pet stores focused only on adoptions. I would rather they answer the questions stating that they are striving to meet these goals, rather than stating they are a No Kill shelter or an Adoption Guarantee shelter and not implementing all parts of the No Kill Equation. Since incoming animals come mainly from two sources - "strays" and surrenders, focus your first questions there.

Proactive Redemptions (Lost and Found programs)

1. Do you have a staff member or volunteer whose duties include reuniting lost pets with owners and advising owners of correct search techniques? Correct answer - yes or "we're working towards implementing this program".
2. Do you microchip and enroll to the new owner the microchip of all adopted animals? Do you provide microchip services to the general public? This helps ensure that lost pets in the community will get home again. Correct answer - yes. (Some shelters do not enroll the microchips to the new owner. Many shelters do not microchip at all).
3. Do you provide a free, well-fitting collar and ideally even id tags with each adopted animal? (Don't laugh. Some Wisconsin shelters don't provide a collar) Correct answer - yes on the collar. Bonus points for the id tag.
4. Do you post pictures of the lost pets you have impounded on your website or on your Facebook page? Correct answer - yes. Nothing else is satisfactory.  In this day and age, the technology has made this a no-brainer. This is the easiest way I know of to increase reclaims.
5. Do you have reasonable reclaim policies and fees to ensure owners can reclaim their lost pets? Reclaim fees should never exceed the cost to adopt the pet. Correct answer - yes and/or "We will negotiate with owners because we know that most lost pets don't want a new home. They just want to go home".
6. Do you have extended hours making it easy for lost pet owners to check the shelter in person and pick up their lost pet in a timely manner? Correct answer - yes.


Pet Retention (Surrenders and Returns)

1. Do you have a staff member or volunteer that does adoption follow up to make sure that things are going smoothly and problems are caught early before they escalate? Correct answer - yes.
2. Do you have an animal help desk or behaviorist on staff (or a trained volunteer) that helps all members of the community - not just adopters? Do you advertise this? Correct answer - yes or "We are striving to implement this".
3. Do you hold training classes for adopters and the public or have good positive-based trainers that you work closely with and recommend? Correct answer - yes.
4. Do you require appointments for surrenders? (This reduces surrenders whereas "no appointments necessary" or night time drop boxes increase surrenders). Correct answer - yes.
5. Do you provide counselling at the time of surrender? Correct answer - yes.

High Volume / Low Cost Spay and Neuter

1. Does your shelter provide low cost spay and neuter for the whole community (no hoop-jumping, income verification required)? Every shelter should be on this bandwagon. They may not have a full-fledged clinic yet but they should be actively working towards it. If they give you the song and dance about the veterinary community objecting; they get a big fat fail.  High volume, low cost spay/neuter clinics are working in cities all around this country. Don't buy that argument. So, the correct answer is yes but unfortunately very few shelters in Wisconsin can honestly answer yes, so listen carefully to the answer.

Trap Neuter Return is a huge issue in Wisconsin. Most shelters are still in the dark ages on this issue.  So next time I'll focus on TNR questions as well as health, temperament, foster homes and adoptions.

Thank you for stepping up and asking the tough questions. If everybody does their part and holds the shelters accountable we can make a difference.

Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions.
You may have a heart of gold - but so does a hard-boiled egg. ~Author Unknown