Rescue Journal

"no kill" is bullshit to help everyone feel good.

Carol  ·  Aug. 24, 2012

it looks like i now will get the weekend off..apparently i was double booked and i jumped at taking both days off.

still struggling to figure out the staffing levels here to best meet our animals needs.

feeling pretty damn crappy about losing onesey this morning.

there are a couple of animals hoping to get in here but i think i will need to say no...we simply cannot save every single senior or special needs animal who is unlucky enough to not have a decent and committed home.

i was talking to the vet yesterday about the whole public popular no-kill philosophy. it does not exist ANYWHERE..it is a figment of our imaginations because as a species we are incredibly emotionally weak and cannot face the ugly reality.

there are not enough appropriate homes for all of the homeless animals. there are not enough spaces in rescues or shelters to house forever the "no one wants" ones.

i am going to say no today to a needy and unadoptable senior shelter dog up for euth. and when he dies by my refusal because we were his last resort, i did knowingly become part of the kill.

i get so pissed off by the "we are no-kill" marketing to appease the public's delicate sensibilities...every shelter kills animals they cannot safely or humanely manage or that will never find a good home....every "no-kill" rescue says no to somebody who is about to be killed.

it is not the fault of the shelters or rescues that directly or indirectly we all participate in the actual kills...our fault lies in that we hide it, sometimes we deny it or lie about it, even to ourselves.

animals who don't have to die are dying every day. they are dying because there are too many of them and we don't have enough financial or human resources or physical appropriate space.

"no kill" is a fantasy ploy to tell you and us all that we are all doing ok. well the truth of the matter is...none of us (especially the dead animals) are doing all that great.

Comments

Maggie

You're very welcome, Lynne I'm looking forward to hanging out with your girl.

lynne

i am grateful that the mission pound kept my adopted dog for 14 months or i never would have met him and gave him a home that he loves. oh i was at maggies today with big bambi as she is going to take care of her for a few days, hope that is okay with you carol. she absolutely loved it there, do not think that she wanted to come home. she liked the openness of everything and no stairs, thankyou again so much maggie.

Curt

Thanks Ann, I had found the site before, I guess I should have specified where to find it or which date (if it is under that)

Ann

https://www.facebook.com/OWNCanada -- i 'liked' Bunny's comment...hope lots of us do! who knows why Oprah wants this info though...

Tracey

We have absolutely NOT achieved No Kill in our Province.

Organizations who are truly "No Kill" (as my understanding of the term as there are many definitions to suit whomever may be wanting to ride it's coat tails) DO understand that by saying "No" to animal because they are full and that animal dies, it does not mean their hands remain pristinely clean and those of the shelter who killed the animal are tarnished and dirty.

Contrary to what the public may want to believe, we as a society are not there yet. But if it is ever to become a reality, we must first WANT it and we then must believe it to be possible.

Leila

Was going to write something but to pissed to be polite. No kill is a bull shit fantasy.

shelagh f

gosh, in daydreaming land, Oprah Winfrey likes animals,
maybe she could read your blog and say, I could help
those guys. Wouldn't that be nice.
So sorry about the loss of another piglet. Enjoy your
weekend off, maybe do something fun, take some R&R, does
your grandchild live close? Just a thought

Mo

I wish there was more truth out there about the plight of so many of our domesticated companion animals. The commercials that have a sad pooch & sad song to go along with it are generated to pull at the heartstrings of the public in order to get them to donate. I wish they would make shocking clips of what occurs when these so called family members end up in an irresponsible home, the home that doesn't spay or neuter, doesn't socialize or excerise, left on a chain or behind a fence all day & night...we need for more people to grasp that these are sentinent beings., they feel just as we do, they experience fear, lonliness, confusion,frustration, love, joy, saddness... If they can put those crappy pictures on a smoke pack in order to discourage smoking...how about some shocking truths of what is occurring in our shelters...and why.

Sorry you are stuck having to say No..too much saddness the last couple days..I need a feel good SAINTS moment..like little Tina giving me her smile or Smokey bootin it out to the barn first thing in the morning..or Mystic flying like the wind down to the pond in hopes of chasing off a duck or Jessy taking his ritual roll in the grass after treats in the Memomrial Garden..

Nicole

Carol, I know you're busy but please check your email. I forwarded you a response from one of the job candidates that you may want to look at.

Bunny Horne

Carol, Oprah Winfrey's OWN Canada facebook just asked for Vancouver area bloggers to link to her OWN Canada site. I just posted -
You've got to check out the blog of Carol Hine, founder of Senior Animals in Need Today Society. Carol's blog will bring you to uncontrolled laughter and make you shed tears as she writes about the daily activities of the rescue. I check in numerous times a day. And of course the link to your website.

Bunny Horne

I just posted to VanCity's Twitter and Facebook that I very easily without any pain transferred my Visa Reward Points to Senior Animals in Need Today Society. I'm hoping it makes others think "hmmm - how many kitchen utensils for 1000s of points do I really need - I think I will donate them". Gotta go start spending on my Visa to collect some more points.

Carol - Brent and I are going to be on site on Sunday so if you have projects for him start making a list.