No Kill - When the Math Doesn't Add Up

No Kill Advocates will tell you that we have the ability to end shelter of adoptable animals by simply focusing on adoptions programs that will triple the number of shelter pets saved. 

Do those numbers "add up" to a "myth of pet overpopulation" or is this nothing more than "nutty" no kill math?



Posted on No Kill Nation

Myth: You can't adopt your way out of killing

Fact: Using the most successful adoption communities as a benchmark and adjusting for population, U.S. shelters combined should be adopting almost nine million animals a year. That is almost three times the number being killed for lack of a home. In fact, it is more than total impounds. But the news gets even better.

There are over 23 million people who are going to get an animal next year. Some are already committed to adopting from a shelter. Some are already committed to getting one from a breeder or other commercial source. But 17 million have not decided where that animal will come from and research shows they can be influenced to adopt from a shelter. That’s 17 million people vying for roughly 3 million animals. So even if 80% of those people got their animal from somewhere other than a shelter, we could still zero out the killing. And many communities are proving it.

Another tool in the fight for No Kill in your community –
Of course, these number projections come from Nathan Winograd’s book "Redemption" which was first published over five years ago. If it is true that shelters can expand adoptions far past a mathematical point that would completely wipe out shelter killing then why aren’t these numbers becoming a reality?

Groups like No Kill Nation (formed in 2009) would be able to at least prove the point that successful adoptions programs that follow the No Kill Equation can be safely, quickly and cost effectively implemented merely because advocates have the will to end shelter killing as we know it. Yet, south Florida alone continues to struggle under massive shelter intake numbers that leads to nearly 80,000 dogs and cats being killed in south Florida alone.

No Kill Nation likes to project leadership or maybe some purpose in the discussions on reforming Florida’s massive pet overpopulation and shelter killing dilemma. 

Yet even communities like Manatee who have successfully engaged it’s community in saving more lives still killed one out five homeless dogs and cats that entered Manatee’s "No Kill" shelter in 2012. That is not math that adds up to a number that ends the killing of Manatee’s homeless pets despite the community effort and despite the unreleased effects on the county’s animal control budget.

The only proven method of reforming your community’s animal welfare programs that nurture life saving while working at reducing the financial and cultural impact of killing innocent homeless pets is through programs that focus on reducing shelter intake. Those programs include targeted low cost or free spay neuter services, community breeder licensing laws, pet retention programs and educational initiatives that focus on raising awareness on responsible pet ownership in the community.

Jacksonville has proved that large metropolitan communities can succeed in ending the killing by focusing funding investments in programs that work towards simply reducing shelter intake numbers now and in the years to follow. In these difficult economic times communities simply do not have the resources to expand animal control budgets while slashing other programs.

As we move forward in 2013 shouldn’t we learn from the lessons in Manatee and Jacksonville focusing our reform efforts on real change rather than the "pipe dream" thinking from the nuts of no kill?

If you want to make a difference please stop tossing your money away donating to a misguided no kill movement. Your donations will go much further towards ending not only shelter killing but the suffering of animal hoarding as well by simply throwing your support towards local efforts that truly provide the programs that responsible pet owners need most.

Drinking the No Kill Nation's "Kool Aid"

Thought I'd share this from a fellow blogger on how incredibly simple implementing the No Kill Equation is - makes one wonder why only a hand full of the 3,500 shelters out these have been successful in implementing the steps.

The Incredible Simplicity of the No Kill Equation

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Hannah Sentenac

It’s funny how many people have the same reactions when faced with the concept of No Kill.
“There are too many animals, not enough homes.”
“There just aren’t enough resources.”
“Pet overpopulation is due to public irresponsibility.”
“It’s going to take a long time to become No Kill.”
“We need to punish irresponsible owners.”
Etc., etc., etc.
All erroneous. Well meaning, maybe, but erroneous. The No Kill equation is so brilliantly simple. Some concepts MAY seem counter-intuitive to those who are used to blaming the public, assuming that it’s the fault of bad pet owners, etc., but when you look at the facts – it’s so damn clear.
For example, mandatory spay/neuter programs DO NOT work. They’ve been demonstrated ineffective time and time again.
There is no pet overpopulation. No Kill can happen overnight when a shelter is determined to make it happen.
Often, No Kill can actually happen UNDER a community’s budget – resources are not the real issue.
And so on.
Below are the steps of the No Kill Equation. This formula is PROVEN effective. Click here to learn more about the NKE and how to implement it. Please, please, educate yourself. Then, you can educate others – and the No Kill movement will grow, and spread, the way that ideas whose times have come, do.
I. Feral Cat TNR Program
II. High-Volume, Low-Cost Spay/Neuter
III. Rescue Groups
IV. Foster Care
V. Comprehensive Adoption Programs
VI. Pet Retention
VII. Medical and Behavior Rehabilitation
VIII. Public Relations/Community Involvement
IX. Volunteers
X. Proactive Redemptions
XI. A Compassionate Director

Of course, despite several attempts at getting clarification from the leaders of No Kill There are serious questions about implementing these steps.  They include:

I Community TNR Program - Are there adequate feral cat rescue groups to handle all the feral's needing rescue from MDAS?  Does the county commissioners endorse Trap/Neuter/Release as a viable option for feral's? 

II Low cost spay/neuter - MDAS already has a number of low cost spay/neuter programs in placed including a mobile bus that goes into neighborhoods - how would NKN suggest that program be expanded and where will the resources come from to pay for that expansion? 

III Rescue Groups - MDAS has expanded it's "rescue partner" program since Dr Pizano took over - specifically what other changes would NKN suggest?

IV Foster Care - in this context the NKE calls for shelters to foster out dogs/cats who have not been adopted.  Since the shelter is killing about 400 dogs/cats a week exactly how many foster homes would be needed EACH week to handle that number?  Who would pay for the cost of fostering - including food and medical care?  Who would manage/inspect the foster care homes.  Those who are involved in rescue know all too well how difficult it is to find enough foster homes - does NKN know something the rescue community doesn't?

V Comprehensive Adoption Programs - Adoptions from MDAS have increased dramatically under Dr Pizano's watch.  Specifically what adoption methods could be utilized and who picks up the cost involved and staffs those programs?

VI Pet Retention - As an open admission public shelter MDAS has a major problem with owners surrendering pets at the shelter.  Specifically what programs does NKN recommend to alleviate that problem?

VII Medical and Behavioral Rehabilitation - Who picks up the cost of evaluating and treating the 100 dogs/cats that enter the shelter each day?  What are those costs projected to be?  If we use a figure of $100 per dog/cat for a physical exam and shots wouldn't the cost projection be in excess of $3.5 million?  This area alone could easily add two to three times that amount to the expense of running the shelter?  Can the county justify that expense during an economic slowdown where many social programs are facing serious cutbacks?  Of course, that figure would not include treating/rehabilitating the huge number that enter the shelter lacking any type of medical care by their owners.  Considering the fact that the county ordered budget cutbacks that resulted in cutting the shelter's innovative volunteer program how does NKN get the commissioners to reverse the budget cutbacks?

How does one control disease in a high volume shelter that was never designed for this purpose?

VIII Public Relations/Community Involvement - this is one area where common ground dictates success just as was witnessed with the recent effort to save those who potentially could be exposed to the distemper outbreak.  Can the shelter management team rely on the community to step up next week when there isn't a crisis?

IX Volunteers - The volunteer program has been expanded dramatically under Dr Pizano's watch.  Specifically what programs have been overlooked?

X Proactive Redemptions - How does the shelter overcome the problem of owners surrendering pets in huge numbers that has plagued MDAS for years?

X! A Compassionate Director - Who specifically does NKN have in mind when it suggests a "compassionate" director will be able to end the killing?  What can and should that director do differently to overcome the limitations placed on the shelter operating with the same budget and regressive animal ordinances - including the ban on pit bulls.  How do you increase the number of pits and pit mixes rescued when there is a breed ban that needs repeal?

These are the questions that NKN leadership works diligently at dodging.  These questions are NOT welcome on the NKN Face Book question.  If implementing the No Kill Equation is so simple why aren't the answers to advocates questions quite as simple to find? 

Please educate yourself.