Every animal must be guaranteed a life of safety and love.

No More Mass Euthanasia

We don’t like to speak about the current euthanasia of pets in our country. We pretend it doesn’t really happen. We tell ourselves that there is no other way. We use the word euthanasia to soften the truth of the reality of what it actually is.

Those who see euthanasia as part of the solution to animal overpopulation are largely basing their philosophies on antiquated business models which state that the only way to overcome the pet overpopulation problem is to simply destroy the excess.

To these people, it is not just a solution to overpopulation, but also a financial solution to costs associated with maintaining their shelters.

Shelters must focus on humane work, while animal control should be a separate entity focusing on keeping the communities safe with respect to animals.

The real solutions lie in the following challenges:

•Spay and neuter must be mandatory for all pets
•Breeders must be properly licensed to breed – this creates a tremendous opportunity for breeders to stand out as experts as well as eliminating breeding from irresponsible or unethical breeders
•Puppy mills must be closed. The act of maintaining puppy mills should be illegal – it is already immoral and unethical, and one of the key contributors to overpopulation, inhumane treatment, and euthanasia.
•Schools must expand on their teachings regarding humanity, kindness and respect for all living beings. This kind of education empowers children to make ethical and moral decisions based on what they know is best from inside of themselves.
•Shelters and animal societies must expand their efforts to be financially responsible without euthanasia as well as expand their educational programs to include proper behavioral training before the adoption. When animals are more adoptable, they are less likely to be returned to the shelter – there are many shelters all over the country that are doing this already.
•Animal cruelty and animal neglect must be reported and halted. Cruelty to animals generally falls into two categories, direct violence and neglect. Direct violence consists of beating, mutilating, torture, or extreme, excessive force. These acts ultimately almost always result in death for the animal. Neglect consists of denial of food, water, shelter or medical care.

If you believe that you know of anyone mistreating animals in any way, please call your local shelter immediately – and always call a no kill shelter before the very last resort of calling a kill shelter.

•Relationships and bonds must be created within the animal community.

When likeminded groups unite, powerful changes are possible. Local animal control, trainers behaviorists, veterinarians, wholesalers and retailers, among others, must join together in partnership toward the creation of unifying goals for the good of the group. As wolves teach us, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

The goal of no more homeless pets, and no more murder disguised as euthanasia is closer than we can imagine. Let’s make sure that every animal can be guaranteed a life of love, leadership, safety and happiness.

A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as that of his fellow men, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help." --Albert Schweitzer