AP-Petside.com Poll: Americans Favor No-Kill Animal Shelters
Published January 5, 2012
No-Kill Animal Shelter: Getty Images
According to a new AP-Petside.com poll, most Americans favor no-kill animal shelters.
According to the poll, 71 percent of pet owners feel that shelters should only be allowed to euthanize animals when they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be adopted. Only 25 percent said that euthanasia should be used as a means to control the animal population.
"The poll makes it clear that the majority of people would like to see communities do whatever it takes to find homes for all adoptable pets," said Kim Saunders, Vice President of Shelter Outreach and Public Relations for Petfinder.com. "This is great news because ending euthanasia is really a community effort, requiring resources and support for both increased adoption programs, outreach and accessible, affordable spay/neuter."
The poll's statistics reflect an increased feeling among Americans that more adoptable animals should be given a chance at life in a forever-loving home rather than being put down. And the numbers prove it.
In the 1970s, 12-20 million animals were being euthanized annually. Today, euthanasia numbers have declined greatly, and more animals are being adopted than ever before. These improvements are partly due to animal shelters working to ensure that their habitants find permanent homes without the threat of euthanasia if they do not.
What are your thoughts on no-kill animal shelters vs. regular animal shelters? Should euthanasia only be used when necessary or as a means to control animal population? Share your thoughts in a comment!
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Comments (18)
If the shelters would just put all cats and dogs to sleep that would solve everyones problem,their not human (we are) taking the easy way out doesn't solve the problem of so many being euthanised for no other reason than their are to many of them.Its a shame that as the human race we can't find another answer for helpless animals whitch in most cases there only crime was to be born. n
All the people on here making excuses for killing, very sad..inept and uncaring shelters are the CAUSE, if there was huge and rampant overpopulation, people would not still be selling puppies for thousands of dollars, it basic supply and demand economics.The dollar value of a dog/puppy would be zero. But more often then not it comes down to convenience, I have personally referred prospective adopters to specific shelter dogs..and after the "shelter" not returning multiple phone calls/messages and not being given any assistance by the shelter in adopting the dog or even meeting the dog at the shelter....someone who had dogs/puppies available made it easy for them to select a dog and buy it for about the same amount as the shelter was charging. Do you wonder how many times a day this happens?
And do you wonder why the shelter would not have the "time" to return calls? Or make their adoptable dogs available to the public?