By Treva Harper, candidate for Amarillo City Council Place 2
After researching the program and the results other cities have had when they implemented the program, I support a no-kill shelter. It will take some work and the changing of the dogma (pardon the pun) associated with our current system. Educating the public on the program will be important. I believe once folks understand what a No-kill shelter is really all about then we can come together and make the change here in Amarillo as successfully as any other city has been able to.
So, let’s take a look at the No kill Shelter idea and see if it really is worth it.
First, we need to dispel some falsehoods about a No-Kill Shelter that have some misinformed. A No-kill Shelter does not spare every single animal. Those that are terminally ill, aggressive and unable to be rehabilitated would be put down. The goal is to have a 90-95% live release rate. So the idea that the No-Kill philosophy never puts down any animals is false.
Cost is another area many fail to see as viable. As we are now, we are spending money to euthanize as many animals as can be justifiably (or not in some cases) put down. Adoption fees will offset much of the expenses of operating the shelter. A no-kill shelter brings in revenue and once things are going smoothly, some cities have further increased revenue instead of operating with a loss. Additional programs can be implemented to generate funds as well. Last, but not least, there are grants that can also assist the funding. So, when you consider this then you can see a more complete picture of the costs of saving lives.
Here are some more things that a no-kill shelter can do to facilitate the success of the program: fostering, barn cats, programs like “Hope Lives Here” and others can help find homes for many animals. Volunteers may increase with the no-kill approach as people will be more willing to volunteer for a program they believe in. An aggressive neuter and spay program will reduce breeding.
Those who are opposed to making the change are not looking at the bigger picture, are failing to show compassion or simply do not know the facts. Perhaps with some more information we can see the benefits of making the change.
So, to sum it up, a no-kill shelter can not only save lives and make it less foreboding for a missing family pet to get found, but it can also generate funds to pay for itself. These are some of the reasons why I support a no-kill shelter.
