Q and A with PetPAC Chairman Bill Hemby on Why Support "No Kill?"

November 14, 2008

Q. Bill, PetPAC’s latest email talks about introducing new legislation in California to push the “No Kill” animal shelter method as devised by Nathan Winograd. Has anyone responded?

A.Our email has evoked a number of questions from our supporters. I thought this would be a good time to explain why supporting “No Kill” is such an important issue to those of us in the pet community.

Q. Your email also casts HSUS and PETA as the bad guys” Why is that?

A. There is a feeling in this country promoted by both the "Humane Society of the United States" and the "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" that the way to “save” dogs and cats from euthanasia and reduce the animal population, is to spay and neuter them. This is a simplistic answer to a very complex problem.

Unfortunately, these organizations have a more devious intention than the reduction of pets. HSUS and PETA both have been very vocal that the total elimination of our dogs and cats is their real goal. Universal Spay and Neuter, as they call it, would achieve that end.

This is just the first shot across the bow in their crusade. That is why both HSUS and PETA drafted and supported the Mandatory Spay and Neuter Bill AB 1634.

PetPAC proved during the fight to kill AB 1634 that MSN doesn’t work. Our research showed MSN in fact, promotes more shelter killing. Pet owners faced with huge fines will surrender their pets to the shelter where they most likely ended up being killed. Everywhere MSN was introduced resulted in more euthanasia's, shelter over-crowding, a drop in licensing and immunizations. That is why the California legislature defeated AB 1634.

Q. If PetPAC killed AB 1634, why is there still a problem?

A.Both HSUS, and PETA, along with many animal rights organizations, still fervently believe in MSN as the solution to achieving their goal of pet elimination. They will not give up. They have publicly stated they will continue to push their agenda in the political arena. They have the financial resources from millions of misguided pet owners who unknowingly continue to support their agenda.

Q. OK, But why push No Kill?

A. Throughout the 18 months we fought AB 1634, the mantra of its supporters was MSN was needed to stop the killing of millions of dogs and cats in our shelters. PetPAC felt it wasn’t enough to just stop AB 1634. We have a moral responsibility as pet owners to come up with a solution to stop the killings.

Q. That may be so, but why would the majority of pure bred dog and cat fanciers care about the fate of shelter animals?

A. Besides our moral responsibility, the pure bred dog and cat fancy were cast as the villains by both HSUS and PETA. They argued it was the fault of dog and cat breeders there were too many animals in our shelters. Breeders produce huge numbers of puppies and kittens; make $millions in sales; pay no taxes and most of their pets end up being killed in shelters because of overcrowding." We had to convince lawmakers breeders were compassionate, caring and worked hard to assist shelters in rescue and adoption programs. In fact, every dog breed club supports and finances its own rescue program.

Another consideration was, If PetPAC didn’t address the euthanasia numbers in a more logical and compassionate fashion, PETA, HSUS and the hundreds of animal rights groups would continue to come back each year until they won MSN.

Q. So, This is where "No Kill" comes in?

A.Yes. The “No Kill” animal shelter method was devised by Nathan Winograd at the San Francisco SPCA. “No Kill” sets down certain criteria to achieve a 90% or better save rate for all animals. (please see below) If we could bring “No Kill” on line at every animal shelter we would achieve the goal of saving hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats, and place them in loving homes.

Q. This No Kill sounds perfect. Why hasn’t it been put in place before now?

A.While the “No Kill” Shelter method has been shown to work everywhere it's been tried, both HSUS, PETA and a number of animal shelters continue to oppose it.

Q. That’s crazy! What can they possibly find wrong with saving over 90% of our shelter animals?

A.Its easy to understand why PETA opposes “No Kill”. When you understand their objective is to release all pets from being “enslaved” by humans, and their goal is the elimination of all pets, then you begin to understand their motives. HSUS has a similar motive. They too have adopted the vegan philosophy. That is, we eat no meat, fish, poultry or animals; no drinking milk or eating milk products. They support wearing no clothing made from animals and owning no furniture made from animals. HSUS, contrary to logical thinking, runs no animal shelters. They advocate euthanasia as the most compassionate way to dispose of sheltered animals. They blame pet owners for animal shelter populations and the killing of animals in shelters. “No Kill” would blow that philosophy all to hell.

Q. OK, So what is the “No Kill Shelter method legislation you are planning?

A.As set down by Nathan Winograd in his latest book; “Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution In America. “ The No Kill method includes a program that has been successful in a number of cities throughout the United States. In every case the numbers of shelter animals killed has been reduced to more than 90%. Of prime importance is “No Kill” actually cost less to run than a regular “Kill” shelter!

This is Mr. Winograd’s program:

Formal, active commitment by shelter directors, management, and staff to lifesaving programs and policies, and dedication to promptly ending mass killing of shelter animals;
Implementation of the following programs by all publicly funded or subsidized animal shelters:
High-volume, low- and no-cost spay/neuter services;
A foster care network for under-aged, traumatized, sick, injured, or other animals needing refuge before any sheltered animal is killed, unless the prognosis for rehabilitation of that individual animal is poor or grave;
Comprehensive adoption programs that operate during weekend and evening hours and include off-site adoption venues;
Medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs;
Pet retention programs to solve medical, environmental, or behavioral problems and keep animals with their caring and responsible caregivers;
Feral cat Trap-Neuter-Return or Release (TNR) programs;
Rescue group access to shelter animals;
Volunteer programs to socialize animals, promote adoptions, and help in the operations of the shelter;
Documentation before any animal is killed that all efforts to save the animal have been considered, including medical and behavioral rehabilitation, foster care, rescue groups, neuter and release, and adoption.
An end to the policy of accepting trapped feral cats to be destroyed as unadoptable, and implementation of TNR as the accepted method of feral cat control by educating the public about TNR and offering TNR program services;
An end to the use of temperament testing that results in killing animals who are not truly vicious (e.g., shy/timid cats and frightened dogs) but who can be placed in homes, or are feral cats who can be returned or released;
Abolishment of trapping, lending traps to the public to capture animals, and support of trapping by shelters, governments, and pest control companies for the purposes of removing animals to be killed;
An end to owner-requested killing of animals unless the shelter has made an independent determination that the animal is irremediably suffering or cannot be rehabilitated;
The exploration of animal control ordinances such as cat licensing, pet limit laws, bans on feeding stray animals, and bans on specific breeds. Are these ordinances effective?

Q. That’s quite a program. Is there somewhere people can find out more about the “No Kill” program?

A.Sure. Most of my data and information comes from Nathan Winograd and his book: “Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution In America."

I urge anyone concerned about animal welfare to purchase this most informative book. Redemption is the strory of animal sheltering in the United States. It is the story of the “No Kill” movement which says we can and must stop the killing.