There is the latest newsletter from the No Kill Advocacy group in California. Their web site contains a lot of information about no kill shelters (actually almost no kill shelters).
You can sign up for their newsletter at www.nokillsolutions.com.
King County (WA) Embraces Bold No Kill Initiative
The King County Council votes to embrace the No Kill philosophy and mandates that its animal control shelter save 85% of all dogs and cats within two years.
In a historic vote for the animals, the King County (WA) Council voted to embrace the No Kill philosophy and require King County Animal Services to save 80% of all dogs and cats in 2008 and 85% in 2009. In so doing, it embraced the programs and services of the No Kill Advocacy Center's No Kill Equation, the only model nationally that has been successful in creating a No Kill community and the model responsible for success in Washoe County, NV (saving over 85% of dogs and cats this year), Charlottesville, VA (saving 92% of dogs and cats), Tompkins County, NY (saving over 90% of dogs and cats since 2002), and other communities.
The Coalition for a No Kill King County spearheaded the effort locally after it was introduced in the Council. The No Kill Advocacy Center worked closely with the Coalition for a No Kill King County, the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project, and King County Council Member Julia Patterson's Office to set a target of 85% within two years and to include the programs and services of the No Kill Equation as the framework for the future.
As a result, programs like Trap-Neuter-Return for feral cats, working with rescue groups, off-site adoption events, foster care programs, medical rehabilitation and behavior socialization programs, and working with volunteers are now official policy in King County.
The effort also received broad and overwhelming support from other shelters, rescue groups, and animal lovers from the Seattle/King County area and nationwide.
Unfortunately, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation's wealthiest animal protection organization, attempted to stop this week's vote. In a formal letter and testimony to the Council, HSUS officially asked the Council "to abstain from voting on the proposals at this time," disparaging the No Kill philosophy, and arguing for more study and analysis.
The No Kill Advocacy Center responded to HSUS' allegations showing that communities which embrace the No Kill philosophy and comprehensively implement the No Kill Equation can save in excess of 85% of animals in less than two years.
We also argued that:
“Not only should the council ignore HSUS and not abstain from voting, it should signal its desire to end the killing by unanimously voting to achieve it by 2009. King County has the power to build a new consensus, which rejects killing as a method for achieving results. And the animals and citizens of King County can look forward to a time when the killing of savable animals in shelters is viewed as a cruel aberration of the past...”
“A ‘yes' vote (and follow-through by the animal services agency) will have two profound effects. First, it will save thousands of dogs and cats in King County who would otherwise be killed. Second, it will cement the County's place historically nationwide and encourage others to embrace the No Kill philosophy as well: ‘ If they can do it in King County, we can do it here!'”
Thankfully, the voices of compassion prevailed. And No Kill is now official policy in King County. The next - and vitally important step - is to ensure that the Council's mandate is carried out by the King County Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and King County Animal Services.
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To read the No Kill Advocacy Center's letter to the King County Council in response to HSUS, click here.
To learn more about creating No Kill in your own hometown, contact us at the No Kill Advocacy Center by clicking here.
To learn more about the effort in King County, contact the Coalition for a No Kill King County by clicking here.
If you are from the King County (Seattle) area and want to help feral cats--or if you are from another County or State and want to learn more about saving feral cats--contact the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project by clicking here.
The Power to Change
Remember: 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
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