Perspectives on the no-kill movement

Recently, Wayne Pacelle, the President of the Humane Society of the United States, asked me to do some questions and answers with him on his blog that is featured on the HSUS website (www.HSUS.org) in order to bring greater clarity to what is called the no-kill movement in this country. The goal of our effort is to help people have a deeper understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of the no-kill movement and of how it has demonstrated great success in saving vast numbers of animal lives. I am deeply grateful to Wayne for giving me this opportunity and even more grateful for HSUS having embraced the goal of ending the loss of life of healthy and treatable companion animals in this country. I am honored to have been mentioned by Wayne in the same piece with Ed Duvin and Rich Avanzino. If you would like to read Wayne’s and my Q & A’s, click here for part one.

There was a time when it was first suggested that, with some new approaches and fresh thinking, we could change the paradigm for homeless animals in this country. The first person to really take both the philosophical and the practical leap in doing that was Rich Avanzino in San Francisco. He made it work there despite great opposition. The Richmond SPCA was the first organization in the country to dedicate itself to replicating that Rich’s first model in our own community. We are deeply proud of our success and what it has demonstrated for the country. We are also delighted to have played a role in the National Federation of Humane Societies having adopted it 2020 Vision which adopts for that organization the goal of ending the loss of life of healthy and treatable companion animals by 2020 at the latest. It is clear that the movement is now getting real traction nationally.

There are more questions and answers between Wayne and me that will be appearing on his blog in the coming days. We will be letting you know about them as they are posted.

Update: Read part two of Robin's Q&A with Wayne Pacelle.

Comments

[Jeanine Cloyd]

I've enjoyed reading parts 1,2 & 3 of your interview with CEO Wayne Pacelle. I work in the shelter environment in TN. And, I would love for our city to become a No-Kill city. Currently we are not there but are always working in the that direction. I have 2 very important questions and would like to hear your ideas.

1. Currently my shelter takes in all animals in our jurisdiction. One step to become a no-kill would be to take only what we could handle (as you did), but then I ask "What about the many many animals that need a place to go that we would have to turn down?" I realized this can be solved with education, a helpline for pet training, etc. so that every citizen starts stepping up to the plate to help out whether it's to keep their pet until we can take it or house a stray for a few weeks, etc. However, our community is not there yet, so what about the pets that will be dumped or stays that will simply be ignored? All becoming possible victims of the elements (last night it was 24 degrees), cars, other animals, etc.?

2. I've seen animals kept to long in the shelter environment. They of course need enrichment, companionship and exercise to keep them both mentally and physically stimulated. With high numbers of resident animals, that is not always possible... So how do you keep from sacrificing an animal's quality of life just for the sake of no-kill.

I am for the no-kill movement, but I did not see these ideas addressed in your interview and I'd like to know how you dealt with them.

Thank you for your time.

[RichmondSPCA]

Hi Jeanine, Thank you for your interest in the no-kill principles that were examined in Wayne’s blog last week. These are very good questions that require a detailed reply. We will devote a post, or maybe more, later this week to the topics you bring up in your comment.