Animal Shelter Revolution, New Cause, Devoted to Saving Every Homeless Animal

Working to remedy an animal shelter system they regard as “broken and beyond repair”, Randy, his family and a small number of like-minded pioneers are a unique group of animal activists who are working hard to make this goal a total reality.

Since Randy is calling for a pervasive Shelter Revolution to keep him and his family safe, he will only be referred to by his first name. The group is fighting desperately to save every homeless cat and dog in the United States from being housed in a traditional animal shelter system.

According to the Shelter Revolution Movement, "Current municipal animal shelters are prisons that breed anxiety, depression and aggression in homeless pets". Presently in the majority of traditional animal shelters, dogs are kept in isolation from one another, or in crowded cages. Both cats and dogs are often caged under "warehouse" conditions and if not adopted in a timely manner are all too frequently euthanized, even if they are healthy and present no major behavioral problems.

Randy believes that in the majority of cases, the current animal shelter system's main purpose is geared towards keeping stray animals off the streets and it in itself cannot be rehabilitated. What he feels is needed is a total restructuring of the entire system.

Shelter Revolution's solution to these problems is structuring a system based on human day care centers, and doggie day centers.  The Adoption Center concept permits animals, separated by size and personality, to live in more natural surroundings in "communal" dormitory settings, where they can interact and exercise with one another in outside play areas.   According to Randy, "Research shows these settings can promote calm, balanced pets that are more easily adopted".

In fact the concept of communal living is no longer just a theory. It has become a working reality in the more than dozen privately owned shelters and sanctuaries that have teamed up with Shelter Revolution.

One such example is The Cat House on the Kings, located near Fresno, CA. The no-kill facility in which close to 800 cats and 50 dogs reside is run like clockwork by Lynea Lattanzio.  The sanctuary maintains an on-site medical center and separate quarantine areas for both newly arrived animals and those animals who are sick. It also strongly relies on volunteers that assist in the day-to-day chores and who work with the animals, socializing and training them to facilitate adoptions.

Some of the other facilities that are involved are: Heart and Soul Sanctuary, Baja Animal Sanctuary, Second Chance at Love Humane Society, FOUND and Olympic Animal Sanctuary.

But the startup cost to open an Adoption Center is close to $1.3 million. However, Shelter Revolution claims the current animal shelters are even more costly. For those interested in getting aboard this movement, check out their website  for more details about how to start a Shelter Revolution Community.

To learn more about the Shelter Revolution watch the fascinating video uploaded to YouTube by ShelterRevolution.

What do you think about the Shelter Revolution? Share your thoughts in a comment.