Saving More Dogs and Cats than Ever Before…
After only a few months of launching an ambitious No Kill initiative, Washoe County (Reno) NV is saving 92% of dogs and nearly 80% of cats. Read how No Kill is happening virtually overnight.
Nevada Humane Society Takes a Giant Leap for the Animals
The Community: Washoe County (Reno), NV
Our Assistance: We helped recruit a new Executive Director and senior management team, did a ten-day onsite evaluation of operations, and helped formulate policies and revamping of operations.
The Players: A new leadership team at the Nevada Humane Society (NHS) headed by Bonney Brown, a comprehensive network of rescue groups and volunteers, and staff at both NHS and Washoe County Animal Services.
The Results So Far: Dog deaths down 44%, cat deaths down 43% county-wide (inc. animal control) for the same period as last year. Overall, 92% of dogs and 78% of cats being saved for the first quarter of 2007.
In Summary: In December 2006, the Nevada Humane Society (NHS) asked us to help guide them into the future, including assisting them in hiring a new management team, performing a ten-day onsite evaluation of operations and participating in the development of new policies and procedures.
We recruited and recommended Bonney Brown, formerly of Best Friends and Alley Cat Allies, to be the new Executive Director of NHS. She embraced the programs and services of the No Kill Equation, worked with us to formulate new policies, and is now running NHS in line with the No Kill Declaration, which - among other programs - includes partnering with volunteers and rescue groups, and comprehensive adoption programs including evening and weekend hours, and offsite events.
Her first quarter results are in. And while many communities promise similar success in five years or ten years, Brown reports the following after only a couple months on the job:
[T]he first three months of 2007 has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of dogs and cats dying in animal shelters in Washoe County. For dogs, there has been a 44% drop and for cats a 43% drop in the number of animal being killed in the area shelters.
Over all, 92% of the dogs who came into the sheltering system (including Washoe County Animal Services) during the first three months of this year have been saved. That puts Washoe County up there as one of the safest communities in the nation for dogs.
We still have some considerable work to do for our feline friends as the save rate for them, while dramatically better than last year, was 78%.
Bonney Brown's Goal: Making Reno, NV the safest community in the U.S. for dogs and cats.
We Say: Congratulations to the new leadership team at the Nevada Humane Society, all the rescue groups and volunteers, and staff at both NHS and Washoe County Animal Services.
Make the Story of Reno, NV the Story of Every Town in America.
If your shelter has a high kill rate, the power to change the status quo is in your hands. No Kill will be achieved when citizens demand that their shelters fully and rigorously implement the programs and services of the No Kill Equation.
If you want to make a difference, do the following:
Get informed: Read Building a No Kill Community.
Be thorough: Follow the step-by-step guide Reforming Animal Control.
Be successful: Use the proven model of the No Kill Equation.
Don’t settle: Demand endorsement of the U.S. No Kill Declaration.
Require accountability: Seek passage of the Companion Animal Protection Act.
All of these documents are available on the No Kill Advocacy Center’s website in the “Resource Library” section: www.nokilladvocacycenter.org.
To make a secure online donation to help our work in creating a No Kill nation, click here. To make a donation by check, click here.
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www.nokilladvocacycenter.org