Some call it Pound, some Shelter... some even call it Sanctuary, and if putting a roof over animals' heads is sheltering then yes Shelters they are... and yes most of them are terrible places, where death is a salvation not a sentence. Is the public mislead? I don't think so. What I do think is that the public does not care one way or the other. Is it disturbing? To some yes, but most will plead ignorance, look the other way and move on. Except for a few Animal Welfare Organizations, I have yet to see an outcry from the public en masse, about the conditions most animals are kept in at "Shelters"... It is not a catchy subject for the media even on slow news days; it is not a favorite topic of councillors and mayors; definitely something to be avoided for kennel operators and contractors; and possibly not a priority for tax payers. No doubt about it, whether they are called shelters or resorts, conditions in all of them have to improve significantly. It is expensive, it requires a great deal of know-how, and has to be brought out into the open not only by Animal Advocates and Rescue Groups, but also be supported by the general public. The public has to get involved, visit their local "Shelter", ask relevant questions, and put pressure on their elected officials to get things changed. Then and only then that can we go into the specifics of how we want to call them.
Ali