There are no accidental killings in shelters

News and headlines for November 27 - December 3, 2022

The Louisiana SPCA killed a family’s dog even though they were on their way to reclaim him. The SPCA called it a “mistake,” but it isn’t. “Accidental” killings of beloved pets happen every day in shelters in this country.  It’s not a “mistake” when it happens over and over again. While nothing can bring the dog back, we must work to ensure that this kind of tragedy never happens again. And we do that by firing those involved and making the killing of healthy and treatable animals illegal.

These are some of the stories making headlines in animal protection:

The shelter director in Centerton, AR, was fired for killing two dogs he claimed were aggressive. They weren’t.

Lt. Keith Lawson with the Cave Springs Police department said he brought two stray dogs to the Centerton Animal Shelter... The goal was to find the owners or a new home. The next day he was told that the dogs had been euthanized because they were destructive.

Lt. Lawson disputes it: “We had the dogs for a week and we didn’t have any issues with them. They were well-socialized animals.”

Pound directors often falsely claim dogs are aggressive to kill them. But experience and studies prove that more than 99% of dogs brought to shelters can be safely adopted.

“Centerton Police Captain Christopher Kelley said a criminal investigation is underway to determine if state animal cruelty laws were violated.”

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A new report says Millennials and GenZ are almost twice as likely (61%) to acquire a pet via adoption or rescue compared to Gen X and Boomers (36%). While that is good news, several barriers stand in their way, including the availability of pet-friendly housing and the practices of the shelters themselves.