No-kill shelter

A no-kill shelter is an animal shelter that does not euthanize healthy animals or those with treatable illnesses. Despite the name, no-kill shelters do euthanize animals, however. A no-kill shelter can kill up to 10 percent of the animals in its care each year and still retain the no-kill designation. Most no-kill shelters maintain that the animals they euthanize are unadoptable because they are either seriously ill or aggressive.

Converting all animal shelters to no-kill shelters is a goal of communities throughout the United States. This no-kill shelter movement has cast a shadow on traditional shelters that euthanize animals because of space constraints. These shelters have been dubbed “kill shelters” or “high-kill shelters.” Those who work in traditional shelters consider such labels unfair. Traditional shelters are open-access, which means they take in every animal that is brought there. No-kill shelters, on the other hand, are limited-access. They turn away animals when they do not have space.

Background

The effort to convert all kill shelters to no-kill shelters began in the 1990s. At this time, many individuals and animal caretakers in shelters began to voice their opinion that killing millions of healthy cats and dogs was not the best way to solve the pet overpopulation problem in the United States.

Some of these individuals established small rescue groups that focused on giving homeless animals a lifetime of care. As time passed, more and more of these rescue groups formed throughout the country. They all had the same goal—to keep unwanted cats and dogs from being killed in animal shelters. The first No Kill Directory was created in 1994 to help these groups connect with one another. The directory eventually led to the first no-kill conferences.

Also in 1994, San Francisco became the first no-kill city in the country. Richard Avanzino, then president of the San Francisco SPCA, made an adoption pact with animal control to find every healthy cat and dog a home. Avanzino later served as president of Maddie’s Fund, a foundation that awards grants to organizations that are helping to create a no-kill nation.

These are a few of the many changes created by the no-kill shelter movement:

• In 2000, Utah launched a statewide no-kill campaign, which led to the establishment of twelve no-kill communities in the state.
• In 2005, Tompkins County, New York, became a no-kill community based on the principles established by Avanzino at the San Francisco SPCA.
• In 2008, the Nevada Humane Society created the largest no-kill community in the country.
• In 2010, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter in Georgetown, Texas, which is open admission, achieved no-kill status.
• In 2013, Los Angeles reduced the number of animals killed in its shelters by 50 percent.
• In 2014, the city of Jacksonville, Florida, achieved no-kill status. It is one of the largest no-kill cities in the United States.
• In 2017, Best Friends Animal Society determined that the number of cats and dogs euthanized in US shelters dropped from 17 million annually in 1984 to 2 million.
• In 2019, the number of cats and dogs euthanized in US shelters per year dropped below one million for the first time.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, many people adopted dogs, sometimes referred to as "pandemic puppies," as they found they had more time at home amidst nationwide lockdowns and school closures. However, after the pandemic ended, the number of animals killed in shelters began to increase as many Americans returned to work and school and could no longer care for their animals. In 2023, over 359,000 dogs were killed—a five-year-high. Though such numbers began to trend downward by the mid-2020s, animal activists worked to increase shelter adoptions, which continued to lag amid high inflation and housing costs. By 2025, nearly 2,500 animal shelters in the US were designated no-kill shelters, according to the Best Friends Animal Society. Advocacy groups continued to work to designate 100 percent of all shelters in the US as no-kill shelters.

Overview

No-kill shelters have saved the lives of millions of cats and dogs but have also received their share of criticism, most of which is directed at their limited-admissions policy. If a no-kill shelter is filled to capacity, it will not accept additional animals. This means that it will turn away people who are trying to surrender their pets. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) feels that a limited-admissions policy puts unwanted animals in danger. Pet owners who are turned away from a no-kill shelter may abandon their animals, dumping them off in a desolate area to fend for themselves. Animals disposed of in this way almost always suffer and die. Furthermore, if an animal is not spayed or neutered, it may bring more unwanted animals into the world. The fate of these animals is often far worse than being euthanized in a shelter.

In some cases, pet owners have harmed or even killed their pets after being turned away from a no-kill shelter. PETA points out that sometimes “no kill” means “no help” for animals in perilous situations.

No-kill shelters have not yet found a way to ensure the safety of the animals they turn away. Many will put a pet owner’s name on a waiting list. However, this means that an animal is being returned to a situation in which it is unwanted. It might be kept on a chain or in a crate. Many no-kill shelters refer pet owners who are turned away to open-admission shelters, where the animal may or may not be euthanized but at least will be treated humanely.

Some no-kill shelters are open admission. However, some of these shelters are filthy places that hoard animals and deny them much-needed veterinary care. In 2006, members of PETA went undercover at All Creatures Great and Small (ACGS), a no-kill shelter in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where an estimated four hundred dogs and three hundred cats were kept in squalor and constant confinement. Animals’ injuries and illnesses were ignored, and some were left to suffer and die. PETA published photographs and videos of the horrible conditions at ACGS, and the shelter was eventually shut down. The animals were taken to reputable shelters and organizations where they received necessary veterinary care. ACGS is just one of many no-kill shelters that has been shut down for hoarding animals. According to PETA, the line between hoarding and no-kill rescue is often a blurry one. However, advocates of no-kill shelters say places like ACGS are not the norm. Most no-kill shelters provide animals with good care.

Animal advocates stress that the key to helping homeless animals is to increase the demand for shelter cats and dogs and decrease the supply by spaying and neutering all pets. Many no-kill shelters try to do this. They offer low-cost spay and neuter services and an adoption guarantee—a promise that every healthy animal in the shelter will find a loving home. They advertise and stay open late to accommodate working families. They also rely heavily on volunteers and foster homes, and offer retention services to help new owners deal with their pets’ behavioral problems so the animals do not end up back at the shelter.

Bibliography

Castle, Julie. "More Shelter Pets Adopted in 2024, but the Fight Isn't Over." Best Friends Animal Society, 13 Feb. 2025, bestfriends.org/stories/julie-castle-blog/more-shelter-pets-adopted-2024-fight-isnt-over. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

Greenwood, Arin. “What’s a ‘No-Kill’ Animal Shelter? The Answer Is More Complicated Than It Seems.” Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/01/23/whats-a-no-kill-animal-shelter-the-answer-is-more-complicated-than-it-seems/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0dca87bd0f8e. Accessed 14 Apr. 2019.

Hill

Mithers, Carol. “Are We Loving Shelter Dogs to Death?” New York Times, 8 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/18/opinion/shelter-dogs-no-kill-policies.html. Accessed 14 Apr. 2019.

“No-Kill 2025.” Best Friends Animal Society, bestfriends.org/no-kill-2025. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

“Our Work,” Maddie's Fund, www.maddiesfund.org/our-work.htm. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

Ramirez, Marc. "How Many Dogs Are Euthanized in the US Every Year? In 2023, the Number Surpassed Cats." USA Today, 20 Feb. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/20/more-dogs-euthanized-than-cats-2023/72633423007/. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

“Turned Away: A Closer Look at ‘No-Kill’ Animal Shelters.” PETA, www.peta.org/features/turned-away-closer-look-kill/. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

“What Is No Kill?” No Kill Advocacy Center, nokilladvocacycenter.org/no-kill. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.