Deep Roots: Animal Rights Blog

A state that no longer has to euthanize healthy animals has been a goal of Deep Roots since the founding members first came together nearly four years ago. We have far greater plans than merely hoping for such a day. We have begun to work on a plan, a time-line for realizing that goal and we are now starting to talk to other organizations and shelters throughout the state to figure out how best to go about such an lofty goal. So this will undoubtedly be the first in many such posts.

First, let me thank Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, for stepping in to what has become a very heated debate in the animal rights movement. As Pacelle said, if you aren’t familiar with the debate, you are probably better off. But we can’t just ignore the debate and expect things to fix themselves. Both sides have valuable points and we need all actors to make this play a success.

Let me first say, that I’m writing this in the same vain as Pacelle’s post. I’m asking that we set aside semantics for a moment and focus on the goals. With that said, I agree with Pacelle’s claim that “no kill as a philosophy is noble; no kill as an objective or aspiration is essential. Really, nothing else can be our goal.” So how to we get to that goal?

Obviously, we need to look at the causes of the high euthanasia rates (3-4 million cats and dogs a year). While I have little doubt that some shelters are unnecessarily euthanizing some animals, I find it hard to believe that they are unnecessarily euthanizing 3-4 million a year. So why are so many animals ending up in shelters? For one, domestic cats and dogs are not a part of the natural ecosystem and therefore don’t have the usual checks and balances of animals that do (natural predators, selective birthing rates, etc). This means that domestic cats and dogs are able to reproduce in great numbers without ecology stepping in to correct the imbalance. This is why spay and neuter programs must be implemented that are affordable and thorough in their reach. Trap-Neuter-Release programs for feral cats will help to regulate feral cat populations without having to take them in to shelters where, due to their undomesticated and unadoptable status, they will almost certainly be euthanized.

Another source of the problem are breeders. Puppy mills and backyard breeders in this state are largely unregulated bodies that are able to force dogs and cats into pregnancies that create an unsustainable population. Thus leading many cats and dogs to be euthanized. That 3-4 million figure doesn’t include the number of companion animals that are killed each year by breeders and others because they are deemed unprofitable. The solution to this is two-pronged.

One, increase the percentage of companion animals adopted from rescue organizations rather than from breeders. Even a small percentage change can save millions of lives. Two, we need to stop the breeding industry. This won’t be done over night, but it can be done by first regulating their practices and decreasing their sales and profitability.

I believe we must except the fact making shelters no-kill (or limited admission) without focusing on the source of discarded animals won’t solve the problem of killing domestic animals. What it will do is to skew our numbers by encouraging more people to take killing domestic animals into their own hands. Without higher adoption rates or increased funding for shelters, we are also looking at a problem of animal hoarding.

We also must be honest with one another in the movement and outside. Transparency is the only way we will be able to gain the trust of each other and our communities. We have to be honest about the rates of euthanasia, the turn-away rates, and our finances. In order for transparency to work, however, it should not be used as another wedge to split us apart. It should be used as an honest tool of discussion, growth, and strategy. We must be willing to set aside some differences in order to focus on working together to meet our shared goals. Working against each other and outright dismissing one another only slows down our progress. We also have to be careful not to be too judgemental. Constructive criticisms should be welcomed, but judgement should be left outside.

The most important thing to remember is that this won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen just because we want it to. We need to work together to create comprehensive plans that fully engage our communities in the process. Most shelters in this state and the country don’t have the resources that are necessary to simply end all euthanasia. They need the help of volunteers and coalitions of other groups. This means we must break down the defensive barriers that we have begun to build around ourselves.

This is merely a small portion of my thoughts on this topic. As I said, I will continue to write about the subject. You should also expect to see some official Deep Roots information on the topic as our coalition begins to solidify its strategy. I encourage all voices in this discussion.