No-Kill Shelters

     ---Some people think that every animal shelter will euthanize their animals once they get too full, after they've been there too long, or they get too old. As this may be true with "Kill Shelters" a "No-Kill" Shelter (such as RRAR) will keep an animal as long as needed for them to be adopted. To be classified as a No-Kill, a shelter must euthanize less than 10% of the animals it receives in a year. Shelters who will not euthanize an animal for absolutely any reason are known as "Never Kill" Shelters. Sadly, most shelters in the US fall under the "Kill" category. This isn't to say that on rare occasions an animal won't have to be euthanized in a no-kill shelter, but it must fall under a certain criteria.

   1. The animal must be extremely aggressive to the point it is deemed a safety risk to either the people, or other animals in the shelter. Most animals will show signs of aggression when they first arrive at a shelter, but this is usually caused by fear. There's a good chance that adorable little stray puppy you adopted could've been a nasty and vicious dog just weeks before. All it takes is time, proper care, and affection. Once an animal knows it is safe, it will be more comfortable with it's surroundings. Minor aggression issues can also be worked with, and many animals are trained to stop this kind of behavior. We will always do our best to work with these animals and their aggression issues.

   2. The animal must be extremely unhealthy to the point where they are suffering, and it is more humane to euthanize them (for example, if they have a severe case of cancer). We will always attempt to treat an animal to the best of our ability, we medicate animals with awful diseases and are able to adopt them out (such as the dog Kanook on our Success Stories page), but we are not inhumane. If an animal is in extreme pain and in horrible health, we must make the difficult decision to put them to sleep, and it is never an easy one.

​

   Spay/Neuter

     ---Nearly 3 million adoptable animals are euthanized every year in the US alone. This is because shelters in larger cities are not able to accommodate the insanely high number of animals they receive. This can be prevented by getting your animal spayed/neutered to prevent unplanned litters. Source: The Humane Society of the United States.

     ---An Ovariohysterectomy, commonly called "Spay," is to remove a female animal's ovaries and uterus so she is no longer able to reproduce. Whereas a "Neuter" is to remove a male animal's testicles so he is no longer able to reproduce. While neuter can be used to describe either sex, it is more often used for males. Both are also referred to as "Being Fixed."

     ---Pets are able to be fixed at roughly 4-6 months. It is best to do this early on to reduce the chance of other problems other than just accidental litters. Other problems that can occur if you do NOT get your pet fixed include aggression issues (due to higher testosterone levels), marking their territory with a very strong scented urine, higher chances of testicular and ovarian cancer, and higher chances of wandering/running away from home. Getting your pet fixed can greatly reduce the risk of all these things. Source: American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals "Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet."

     ---Over the course of 8 years, just one female cat and her mate/mates with an average of 2 litters per year and 3 surviving kittens of those litters (who then proceed to have 2 yearly litters with 3 surviving kittens, etc.) can produce over 2 million cats! And one female dog and her mates can produce over 60,000 in 6 years. Now, notice I said "can" produce, and not "will." These numbers are dependent on certain factors, such as breeding during every heat cycle, and may not always be 100% certain. But the possibility of these numbers is very real, and can easily happen. Source: adoptpetshelter.org

​

   Other Animal Facts

     ---Not interested in a mixed breed? Roughly 25% of all shelter dogs are purebred! There are even many breed specific rescues all over the US. Also, the average age of animals entering shelters is just 18 months, meaning many of them are at an age where a previous owner has possibly already had them reasonably house-trained and obedient. Source: humanesociety.org

     ---Roughly 8 million animals are brought into shelters every year. That's a lot of new sights and smells for an animal to handle! Many people will be turned off by the bad behavior this can bring out in a shelter environment. Once an animal goes home, their personality can, and likely will, change for the better. Many shelters offer fostering or trial periods before adoptions to give the adopters a chance to get their pet accustomed to its new home. Some pets can take weeks, or even months to get used to a new home, depending on their past experiences. All it takes is an owner patient enough to handle them. Source: The ASPCA

     ---Many people think animal abuse is as simple as beating an animal, or fighting them, but that's not the only case. Abuse can be many things. Never grooming your pet falls under the definition of abuse. Letting their hair grow too long will eventually cause it to become matted. Matted hair is very difficult to cut off of an animal, and can be extremely painful. It is also a dirty breeding ground for bacteria, and an easy place for fleas and ticks to hide. Also, if their nails aren't regularly trimmed, they can overgrow into the pad of the animals foot and puncture it. This is extremely painful on its own, not to mention the high risk of infection it causes.

     ---Adopting an animal from a shelter can save you thousands of dollars! Most shelters prices will usually run anywhere from $75-$400 depending on the animal, breed, age, etc. and this price includes shots, spay/neuter, and other small perks your shelter may provide. Whereas breeders usually have a starting price of $400, with nothing included, and for more rare breeds it can run over $1000! Source: thefinancegeek.com

     ---Years ago, animal shelters were more commonly called "Dog Pounds." Dog Pound originates from agricultural communities in England and colonial America. Livestock were allowed to roam free without any kind of fencing, and stray cattle would be rounded up, or "impounded," by the local authorities and kept in an enclosure called a pound until their owners payed a fee to claim them. Just like shelters do with dogs and cats now. Source: care2.com