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coco labushe Easy way to help animal shelters May 27, 2009 9:58 PM When doing your internet searching, try using www.dogreatgood.com. When you do a search with that engine, a donation is made to pet rescue groups. So far they have donated $400,000 to various groups. It's nice to see companies giving back to charities.
HotRodBlondie82 Looking to Volunteer Jan 15, 2008 9:51 AM I live in Elk Grove Village, IL, and was looking for some place local like a shelter or animal hospital where I could volunteer some time. I used to volunteer at an animal hospital in Des Plaines, but the drive just got to be too long and I could be there as much as I wanted.
foxie Love of animals vs. Love of pets Nov 30, 2007 8:25 PM What is your attitude about eating meat and why?
kiddylnd Animal Sheltering - Kill vs No Kill Oct 24, 2007 11:07 AM Right now a popular question in animal sheltering is ‘Are they a No Kill Shelter?’ Although a common question, many people don’t really understand what’s behind it. While the euthanasia rate in the US has dropped dramatically – from around 350,000,000 a year to 3,000,000 a year – there are factors into how those numbers get reported and why these animals are being euthanized. The bigger question is not if a shelter is No Kill, but if the shelter is Public or Private. This distinction is the most important question when going into a sheltering situation. In every community you will find rescue groups and shelters. In many communities you may have places like a Humane Society, PAWS, or an SPCA. You may also have a City or County Animal Shelter. For the most part City and County shelters do not have the ability to turn away any animal that comes in from their jurisdiction. This means that every animal that is dangerous, every animal that is too sick to be rehabilitated, every animal with severe behavior issues, every animal that is too feral to be homed is taken in. No matter the size, breed, age, or temperament, these animals have to be accepted. For the most part a Humane Society, PAWS, SPCA or other rescue group has the right to refuse animals. They don’t have to take any animal they don’t think they can find a home for. They don’t have to take any animal that would suffer for being in a shelter. They don’t have to take any animal who’s history is unknown. What this means for the No Kill movement is huge. In a Publicly run facility, they have a citizen obligation to keep the community safe. They have a liability to not adopt an animal out who is known to be vicious. Many Public shelters are also the only place that a low-income citizen has to bring her or his own pet to be euthanized when the time comes, as private euthanasia and cremation is extremely costly. The reasons that many Public facilities euthanize animals are the same reasons that you or I would want an animal euthanized: for the benefit of the animal and the safety of the community. On the flip side, a Private run facility can deny entry to any animal that they choose, thus making it so that they don’t have to make a choice of weather or not to keep an animal in it’s care. When you can take in only the fluffy, cuddly, loved animals and find them homes, you don’t have to euthanize them. There is no public safety to bear in mind, there is no health hazard to worry about. You have the freedom to do what is always seen as good and right, every time. Private shelters don’t have the pressures that public shelters do. In a No Kill situation, many times animals spend the rest of their life in a kennel, with little socialization, little human companionship, and with little hope. There are of course, exceptions to the rule. There is a growing network of families that will take in these animals, but as they fill up, where do the rest go? Any way you look at it, some animal will be displaced. Is it better to let the animal that will suffer live out a life of nothing or is it better to let a healthy animal loose it’s life? Nobody wants to make that choice, but often shelters don’t have one. So when you go into a sheltering situation, don’t ask if they are a No Kill facility, ask what the entry policy is, and what the euthanasia policy is. Just because they have to make a choice for an animal, doesn’t mean it’s the wrong choice. Everyone in the Animal Care industry is (or should be) after the same goal: to place as many homeless animals properly as they can.
JBlondie Local shelters :( Jun 1, 2007 10:21 AM Ok, so this is kind of a sad story to hear on Friday but it's really been on my mind. I have a deep love for all animals and this just breaks my heart. On the news last night here in Nashville they did a story on our local shelter. The number of animals coming in is so high that they are having to put 40-60 animals to sleep EVERYDAY!! I am sure this goes on in other cities but it really broke my heart. I was up all night last night trying to think of ways to give these puppies and kitties a chance. Ok, just had to get that off my chest!

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