Know someone planning to drop off their pet at a shelter?
You might want to share this with them. Although it's easy to vilify someone who surrenders a former companion to a shelter, we know it's not so black and white. There are a host of reasons why people do it. Frequently, it's the harsh reality of an economic situation. Or an unexpected health issue. But there are alternatives. The American Humane Society offers a wealth of options on its website worth checking out - before you check in at the shelter.
And Craigslist, as we've seen over and over again, should never be an option. For anyone who has ever dropped off a pet at a local shelter, it's mostly a passing hell.
There's some paperwork. Probably some tears. Occasionally, people from a local animal welfare group will camp out front, hoping to change your mind.
No shelter, of course, can refuse an animal. But they can euthanize them - and often do, in a matter of days. Those days can be some of the most stressful, confusing and sad days of a dog's life. Do people who drop their pets off at high-intake shelters really know what they are doing? If they knew just what happens to dogs after their owners walk out the door, shelters might be a lot more empty. If you can no longer keep your pet and want to find him a good home, dumping him at a shelter may not be your best option. Every year, around 1.2 million dogs are put down at shelters across the U.S It's simply a matter of volume. Zach Skow, founder of California-based rescue Marley's Mutts can't say it loudly enough: "The vast majority of dogs don't make it out alive." They are up against the greatest odds. No dog deserves to end up with the cards stacked against him - especially one who was once cherished as a family member and stalwart companion. Public shelters take in way more dogs than they adopt out. There are about 13,600 community animal shelters across the U.S. managing an intake of about 7.6 million pets ever year. And how many animals actually leave the system in that span? Around 2.7 million. To be sure, there are a handful of heroic shelters that manage to uphold a no-kill policy. But a shelter is only as good as its volunteers are plentiful. Some shelters simply become inundated. A shelter dog is a scared dog - which makes him even less adoptable For a dog, the shelter is an immediate sensory overload. A dizzying diversity of scents, sounds and strangers. What you can expect is your dog to be put in a very loud, very sensory-overloaded environment that will, no doubt, have a dog out of its element and experiencing various levels of fear. And what does fear do to a dog? Well, at the very least, it ensures a first impression with shelter staff is not a true one. A scared dog won't behave like himself. He may not get along with other dogs. He may cower. Or resist human touch. It all rings up a less-than-stellar first impression with animal control staff - people who only want to see a dog find his way out of there, but haven't the time to wait. If your dog has any sort of behavioral problems where they don't react well to a shelter environment, your dog has very little chance of survival. They can't adopt out dogs that don't show well. One way or another, a dog gets out of the shelter. Within days, sometimes hours, of arrival every dog is given an exit date - the all-important day when a dog can be put down. The hold to find their owner is only 5 days. Along the way, that date can change. Depending on a slew of other numbers and letters. Like how many people have shown interest in a dog. Or, how a dog fares in a series of tests. Foremost among them? The temperament test, which basically measures a dog's responses to humans and other animals. The ones who score an A are obviously desirable. And those who fail? They're deemed a danger to the public. Rescue-only. Only approved organizations can adopt them. Trouble is, a dog can fail for so many reasons that are actually developed within shelter walls. It could be a failure because they become food aggressive and any dog can become food aggressive if they're in a shelter and they share a kennel with three other dogs. Some dogs are just born under a bad sign. Or breed. Or color. Or anything that may mark them as imperfect to a potential adopter. If your dog is old or an undesirable breed, you can expect him to be euthanized. Any sort of bully breed dog has very little chance of being adopted. According to dog advocacy group C.H.A.I.N.E.D., pit bulls are the most overbred dogs in the U.S. They also are the hardest dogs to find homes for, with only one in 600 pit bulls finding their way out of the shelter. In some areas, like Prince George's County, Maryland, breed-specific legislation results in their automatic euthanization with no chance for adoption. Color can be another strike against a shelter dog. Black dogs are 50 percent less likely to be adopted. And age? It's not a dog's best friend. A dog's likelihood of leaving a shelter drops precipitously with each passing year. If anyone has the best chance of making it out of the shelter alive, it's puppies. Unless there's a deformity or major injury, those usually get out pretty quickly. And even the ones with medical needs will often be saved by a rescue group because puppies are highly desirable. Seniors, not so much. As grim as the reality of shelters is, there is hope in their eyes. You'll see it in tails wagging, even at the busiest shelters. And you'll see it in the army of animal lovers and organizations who dive into shelters, looking to give even the oldest, saddest, least desired dogs a second chance. If the steady stream of unwanted dogs into shelters makes you angry and sad, you can help the people working to slow it. Just about every animal shelter and rescue in the world is looking for a few good hands. In fact, as we've so painfully seen, the quality of a shelter dog's life is directly proportional to the number of volunteers at a shelter. So reach out to your local shelter through its website. You can also, of course, give an incarcerated dog the greatest gift of all: Freedom. Take one home. And, for an overall joyful feeling that washes over both dog and human nicely, never underestimate the transformative power of foster care.
https://www.thedodo.com/dog-shelter-guide-adoptions-1532460278.html
The Truth Behind the Typical Shelter Dog
Shelter Dog by Mira Alicki
Every year 7.6 million pets in the United States enter the shelters out of which 2.7 million get euthanized each year. The statistics are staggering and for the dogs to get a second chance in life and find a loving forever family equals having a lot of luck.
If you are a shelter dog, you will find yourself in one of these three situations:
High Kill Animal Shelter
High kill animal shelter, where currently in the US only one in five dogs has a chance to survive and be adopted. Many dogs in those high kill shelters are given one to five days to get adopted before they will be euthanized to make room for new arrivals. By surrendering older dogs that are considered dangers to one of these shelters you are giving them a death sentence.
In the United States, each day 5,500 dogs get euthanized in high kill shelters.
No Kill Shelter
No-kill shelters are privately owned, non-profit organizations where the majority of their working capital comes from private donations. Some of these agencies will rescue all type of dogs regardless of age or breed, others specialize in senior dogs, large breeds or specific breed mixes.
Dogs that end up in the no-kill shelters sooner or later will get a second chance in life and end up with their forever family.
Foster Family Based No-Kill Animal Charities
Usually, these organizations' working capital is too small to build home base shelters, or their foster parent's network is large enough to handle all the rescue dogs, and there is no need for shelter facilities.
Dogs that are saved by this type of organization are placed with foster families and stay there until they are matched with their new forever family.
Adopting Shelter Dogs
Adopting a dog from a regular shelter is quite simple, most of them require you to fill out a short application and pay a minimal fee, and you can walk out with your new family member. On the other hand, most of the no-kill charities will put you through a more vigorous application process. Many will even send someone to your home to check your living environment. The adoption cost is usually a few hundred dollars.
Why is it so much harder to adopt from the no-kill charities and rescues vs. the kill shelters?
The no-kill and rescue agencies put a lot of time and effort into matching the dog with its new forever family, they want to make sure that these dogs never end up back in shelters.
Shelter Dog Statistics
If you ask yourself which breeds are most likely to get adopted, size matters. Here are some statistics;
52% of adoptions are dogs less than 25 lbs
22% adopted dogs 26-50 lbs
15% dogs 51-75 lbs
11% dogs 75 lbs or more
As you can see smaller breeds are more likely to find their new families and receive a second chance in life.
Locating Your New Best Friend
If you are in the market to expand your family by adopting a furry friend and need help finding the right rescue organization in your area, here are some resources that may help you:
Adoptapet.com is North America's largest nonprofit pet search site that helps thousands of animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies find loving homes for homeless pets.
Many of the organizations also list their dogs on a Petfinder website. If you are interested in a specific breed, age or gender, this is a good resource and can link you up with a specific pet and method of contacting the agency who is holding the dog.
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