True No Kill Animal Shelters in Los Angeles?
Is there true no kill at animal shelters in Los Angeles? No, not yet, but it may be on the long distanced horizon based on the latest statistics (see trend below)? Los Angeles have banned declawing – an enlightened move – well done. They are trying really hard to create true no kill animal shelters. That means no killing at all.
This is the target and it is a difficult one that requires lots of thought and hard work. It is not a case of hoping that someone walks in the door of the cat or animal shelter. It is about networking and finding a person who can look after an individual cat. That requires a bit more effort than putting the cats into an animal gas chamber.
Los Angeles shelter animal kill rates
The figures for the chart above come from the Los Angeles Huff Post. The figures are not listed in a chart as presented on this page. I have cobbled together the numbers from the article, which is entitled: LA Animal Shelters’ Euthanasia Rates Drop, Approaching Near-Record Low.
When I began to write this post I had hoped that the current kill rates showed a real trend downwards. They don’t, to be honest. They seem to have leveled off. Although a lot of work to achieve these figures needs to be recognized and praised.
An important part of these figures is that it looks like Los Angeles Animal Services is on track to euthanize 4,000 fewer cats and dogs this year than the previous year.
It seems to me that re-homing cats is about hard-nosed business. It is about networking and finding ways to create success. An example is the city of LA working with Found Animals. Found Animals started a promotion called “Twelve Pets of Christmas“, which resulted in 1,000 LA shelter companion animals being saved. It is a teamwork process combined with good networking. That is the way I see it.
Without wishing to be critical, a lot of shelters are probably not sufficiently business-like to ensure that they run a true no kill establishment. There are some. They should be consulted.