No-kill Shelter

No-kill Shelter

A "No Kill" shelter is an animal shelter that does not euthanize animals who can be adopted or when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for animals who are terminally ill or considered dangerous.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimated in November 2009 that approximately three to four million animals are killed yearly in shelters across the United States. No-kill shelters are trying to end this killing by increasing the demand for shelter dogs and cats. The demand increase could be achieved by an event called Spay Day. "Every year Spay Day encourages people worldwide to help animals by spaying or neutering their pets." By decreasing the amount of new born cats and dogs the demand for the ones already in shelters will increase.

The no-kill concept received a legal boost in 1998 when the state of California passed three pieces of legislation directed to reduce animal suffering at shelters in California: the Vincent Law, which requires shelters to spay or neuter animals prior to adoption; the Hayden Law, which requires improved shelter accountability; and the Kopp Law, which prohibited the use of carbon monoxide to euthanize animals. No-Kill shelters received a financial boost with the establishment of Maddie's Fund in 1999, from which a number of communities in the United States have since received millions in financial grants.