Animal Shelters: Fact and Fiction

For quite awhile, I’ve worked in a local animal shelter, both as a volunteer and as a staff member. This is not only rewarding, it’s an incredible learning experience. And one thing I’ve learned, to my surprise, is how little people know about the facts behind animal shelters.

When I tell people about my work, there are certain questions and assumptions that regularly crop up, and I'd like to clear up some of the misinformation once and for all.

Myth #1: If an animal is in the shelter, there must be something wrong with him.

This myth comes from a lack of understanding about where shelter animals come from. There are any number of reasons why an animal may end up in a shelter. One of the most common is that they were brought in by former owners who could no longer keep them. There are many reasons why people turn in animals, including issues like an allergic family member or, particularly in recent years, job loss that left the owner without the means to care for a pet. Some of the animals were found as strays, but they used to belong to somebody.

Many shelter animals come from a person whose pet had kittens or puppies, and they simply chose to take the litter to a shelter rather then take them to a pet store or try to find them homes on their own. This ties in with another common misconception: If you’re looking for a purebred, there’s no point in going to shelters. Not so. In fact, an estimated 25 percent of shelter dogs are purebred.

Myth #2: All shelter animals are put to sleep if they‘re not adopted quickly.

Each animal shelter is an independently run nonprofit organization, or a local government agency, with its own policies and procedures. When it comes to euthanasia, there is a broad spectrum among shelters. On one end are high-kill shelters, which often euthanize animals after the local hold limit (the legal length of time strays are held for owners to track down and claim lost pets). If they have the space to handle the animals coming in, they may keep more “adoptable” animals longer. Animals are typically deemed "adoptable" based on criteria like age, breed, overall health, and temperament.

On the other end of the spectrum, no-kill shelters keep the animals in their custody until they're adopted. Some will stay in such shelters for years before finding a home. Since no-kill or low-kill shelters do not euthanize for space, they may have to turn away animals when they get full.

Myth #3: Since shelters get donations, they shouldn't charge adoption fees.

Yes, many shelters get donations, but the amount varies a great deal depending on the shelter's size, whether it gets public funding, how well established it is in the community, the community's attitudes toward animals, and other factors. Also, donations are not a totally reliable or stable source of income.

Shelters also vary in how much they do for the animals in their care. Some give them complete medical care and even get them spayed or neutered and microchipped before putting them up for adoption. Even those that only do the minimum for their animals need to buy a great deal of food, bedding, bowls and cleaning supplies; they need to pay their bills and the adoption fee rarely covers those costs.

Fact: Not all animal shelters are created equal.

That's the root of many of these (and other) myths. People have an experience, or hear a rumor, about one shelter and assume they're all the same. They're not. But, for the most part, shelters do have one thing in common: they are trying to do their best, with limited resources, for both the humans and animals in their local communities. Misconceptions, especially those about adoption and the "quality" of the animals, only make their jobs harder.

One of the best ways you can help animals in your community is to get your hands dirty. Explore your local shelters. Learn what goes on. Give a few hours to volunteer. Adopt your next pet. Spread the word about them, and do your part to fight misinformation. And if your local shelter does have serious management or policy problems, they need your involvement, too. As nonprofit organizations or government agencies, the community has a voice in how they're run.

Taking action for endangered species, farm animals, and puppy mill dogs is important, but don't forget about the animals in your own backyard. You’ll be doing something wonderful for yourself, your community, and most of all, for the animals.
 

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