Tomorrow I’ll be traveling back to Prescott AZ to visit the Yavapai Humane Society. This will be my 3rd visit since The new No-Kill ethic has been put into place by Ed Boks and the results are staggering. The kill rates at this small shelter are among the lowest in the country. This is due to the hard work of staff and volunteers and the leadership steering the way. The number have tumbled in double digits over the last year and are something everyone should look to emulate.
When I first visited YHS we had a list of dogs awaiting their fate, but none were to be killed until their behavior could be properly evaluated. Needless to say, not one of those dogs ever saw the needle, and since then it is the very rare exception that dogs with behavioral issues are killed. In fact, I don’t know of any.
No-kill is not easy to achieve, especially when dealing with a shelter. There are some big organizations that boast no-kill, however they do not have intake from public and don’t take in dogs that they don’t think they can place. They also have millions of dollars to do their marketing. That’s the easy way. The hard work comes in when you deal with a history of killing and now you want to change it. I admire those shelters and humane organizations that focus on creative ideas and hard work to save those that most need to be saved.
Last month I worked with the Ventura County Animal Control as well as The Heigl Foundation. These are organizations that are open to the new ideas and are fed up with the old way.
Bella was a pit-bull at VCAS that had some behavioral issues. However, I knew they could be addressed and resolved. Shelter management was committed to helping Bella. With this help and a Shelter Angel Video, Bella is now in rescue and training and will be placed in a new home very soon. Click here to watch Bella’s Video.
It’s time to “join the revolution!” Killing dogs at shelters should be a thing of the past.
It’s also time to address those that abuse animals. We know that the people who abuse children don’t fare well in the prison system, perhaps we need to create a system where people who abuse animals don’t fare well on our streets. A place where compassion resides for all of creation is a place where I’d like to live and a world that I imagine.
Best,
Robert Cabral