'no kill' shelters?

zyndacyclone

Since this is an idea that isn't familiar to everyone, a definition: a 'no-kill' shelter is an animal shelter where animals are only killed if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be adoptable.

I've recently moved back to Ireland from the USA (where these are more common). I'm interested in learning more about no-kill, and only no-kill, shelters in the greater Dublin area, with a view to volunteering or supporting in other ways.

So far my list is: PAWS

...er...that's it.

Any additions?

ISDW

Dogs Trust, Dogs Aid, alot of rescues in Ireland don't have shelters as such, they are run by volunteers, fostering dogs in their own homes.

mymo

There are lots of places, some small and run from peoples homes, some large ones.
So far as I know only the dog pounds pts dogs, shelters and rescues are a different story.
Also I think PAWS is in Tip not Dublin.

morganafay

I know the CSPCA puts animals down.

And I've heard that the DSPCA will aswell, but I don't know.

seamus

The DSPCA are a no-kill shelter. Only incurably sick or extremely aggressive animals are euthanised.

Sick animals are usually given a chance to survive, provided that they're not suffering massively.

morganafay

seamus wrote: »

The DSPCA are a no-kill shelter. Only incurably sick or extremely aggressive animals are euthanised.

Sorry my mistake.

I was just going by what someone else said.

And saw an ad on the internet for someone giving away a rabbit, in Dublin, and they said they asked the SPCA to take it but they said they'd put it down. But they might have been just saying that, or maybe it wasn't the DSPCA.

The Sweeper

Be careful what you assume about a rescue or shelter until you speak to them yourselves.

The RSPCA in Victoria do a lot of advertising about how they rehabilitate young animals and they ask for funding and sponsorship for such things.

What lots of people don't know is the RSPCA put to sleep any kitten that comes to them weighing under 600g. That's any kitten up to six weeks of age that comes in without its mum. As someone who has done a bit with feral kittens, I can tell you that they can be weaned and viable from 4-5 weeks onwards, and turn into excellent pets, but the RSPCA would put them to sleep.

So if you want to know for definite, call and request a statement from the shelter or organisation you're looking at - you can assume nothing.

TooManyDogs

I was told by someone who was trying to rehome their dog that when they rang the DSPCA about taking their dog they were told that they could leave the dog in but that it would more than likely be pts as they were very full, needless to say they didn't leave the dog in.

I think the problem is what each individual shelter defines as 'no kill'. It can often depend on the amount of time/effort the shelter is prepared to put into very young, very old or very damaged dogs. In my experience the smaller places tend to be more true to the 'no kill' policy.

Qualitymark

seamus wrote: »

The DSPCA are a no-kill shelter. Only incurably sick or extremely aggressive animals are euthanised.

Sick animals are usually given a chance to survive, provided that they're not suffering massively.

This certainly wasn't true a few years back when the officemate of a friend went away on holidays when her dog was missing. She left *five* contact numbers, including her mobile. They apparently texted her, but the text only arrived days after she came home; when she got the text and rang the shelter she discovered that her beloved elderly dog had been found and handed to the shelter, and had been put down the day before.

Victoria.

ASH Animal Rescue

antomagoo

Victoria. wrote: »

ASH Animal Rescue

+1
Even if the dog is considered too aggressive they will keep the dog themselves for the rest of his/her life

seamus

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I was told by someone who was trying to rehome their dog that when they rang the DSPCA about taking their dog they were told that they could leave the dog in but that it would more than likely be pts as they were very full, needless to say they didn't leave the dog in..

Qualitymark wrote: »

This certainly wasn't true a few years back when the officemate of a friend went away on holidays when her dog was missing. She left *five* contact numbers, including her mobile. They apparently texted her, but the text only arrived days after she came home; when she got the text and rang the shelter she discovered that her beloved elderly dog had been found and handed to the shelter, and had been put down the day before.

Friend of a friend stories tbh, with no offence intended. People very often mix up the ISPCA and DSPCA.

I can't vouch for "a few years ago" - from what I remember, until 2003 the DSPCA were in very cramped conditions, operating out of portakabins and prefabs. At least since they've moved to the larger premises, they operate a no-kill policy. But I can't speak for them before that date.

They are huge though and see a lot of animals - I have no doubt that some "controversial" decisions have probably been made, such as a sick animal being PTS when not all of the staff agree that it's necessary, but I imagine the same is true of any shelter with more than 5 staff members.

Orla K

Kildare animal foundation is one

and it's not just dogs and cats they have. They care for anything that isn't human that is either sick or injured

Eibhin

www.dogsindistress.org

They are fantastic. I have one dog from them and am fostering another one. They don't have a premises but foster dogs out to ensure their safety from being put to sleep.

Log onto their website as they have a great fun day out coming up on Sunday 12th September where you will be able to meet the main people who run it and ask about getting involved.

I also have a dog from www.ashanimalrescue.com- another amazing couple, Helena and Remi who run this from their home.

TooManyDogs

seamus wrote: »

Friend of a friend stories tbh, with no offence intended. People very often mix up the ISPCA and DSPCA.

I can't vouch for "a few years ago" - from what I remember, until 2003 the DSPCA were in very cramped conditions, operating out of portakabins and prefabs. At least since they've moved to the larger premises, they operate a no-kill policy. But I can't speak for them before that date.

No offence taken but I was talking to the person who made the phone call to the DSPCA, not ISPCA, and it was only 2 weeks ago! So it's not a friend of a friend of a friend at all....

Whispered

A woman I do a bit of volunteering for has asked me to recommend not handing animals into the DSPCA if not in absolute perfect health as they will be put down if there is any reason to do so.

EGAR

As in regards DSPCA, I was contacted independantly by 2 volunteers there and the mother of a girl who did work experience about a Bull Breed pup there. The pup was due to be pts'd solely due to the fact of being a Bull Breed. I offered to take the dog, she was pts'd regardless. Both volunteers left the DSPCA because of it and the mother took her daughter out of the work experience as she was heart broken.

THAT is nothing new in the world of rescue. Being a Bull Breed is the worst thing that can happen to a dog as very few rescues will help you out. Not exactly the meaning of rescue, is it?

seamus

Well then I'm not going to try and telll everyone that what they've heard is wrong

I suspect that these are decisions being taken by whoever in back rooms and not as general policy. Most of the full-time staff would walk if they knew or thought that healthy animals were being put down; it's simply not what they signed up for. Most of them own RB's, so there's not a biased attitude against bull breeds up there.

Vel

seamus wrote: »

The DSPCA are a no-kill shelter. Only incurably sick or extremely aggressive animals are euthanised.

Sick animals are usually given a chance to survive, provided that they're not suffering massively.

I am a former volunteer with the DSPCA and they do not adhere to their publicly stated policy as you have described above. As a result I could never recommend them to anyone who wants to volunteer at a rescue who only euthanise incurably sick or extremely aggressive animals, as I have seen with my own eyes that this is not the case up there and one of the reasons why I stopped volunteering for them

Stella2010

I've worked with Dogs Aid for ten years - def a no kill shelter

www.dogsaid.ie

sionnaic

ASH in Rathdangan, Co. Wicklow have a strict no-kill policy - and as it's privately run I'd say they're always in need of volunteers. The couple who run it really do give everything to the rescue.

zyndacyclone

sionnaic wrote: »

ASH in Rathdangan, Co. Wicklow have a strict no-kill policy - and as it's privately run I'd say they're always in need of volunteers. The couple who run it really do give everything to the rescue.

Anyone have personal experience of PAWS?

Discodog

With 6500 Pound dogs being killed last year the idea of "no kill" needs to be put in perspective. Say I have a rescue (I don't) & I have a no kill policy. If I take in a dog that will be very difficult or impossible to rehome I permanently fill a kennel that could be used for rehoming.

So yes I am saving one dog but if that dog occupies a long term space then it may reduce the number of dogs that I could take from the Pound - so saving this dog may inadvertently kill more dogs.

People sometimes criticise the rescues that have a selection policy. The reason they do this is to only take dogs that they know that they can rehome thereby clearing a space for the next dog.

Say a rescue rehomes a dog in an average of 2 months (I have no idea of the real figure) then one kennel space could "save" 6 dogs in a year. If a dog occupies that space long term like 5 years, this could mean that 30 more dogs could of been saved.

boxerly

seamus wrote: »

The DSPCA are a no-kill shelter. Only incurably sick or extremely aggressive animals are euthanised.

Sick animals are usually given a chance to survive, provided that they're not suffering massively.

Have to disagree:) they do and I know this personally x

TooManyDogs

Discodog wrote: »

With 6500 Pound dogs being killed last year the idea of "no kill" needs to be put in perspective. Say I have a rescue (I don't) & I have a no kill policy. If I take in a dog that will be very difficult or impossible to rehome I permanently fill a kennel that could be used for rehoming.

Say a rescue rehomes a dog in an average of 2 months (I have no idea of the real figure) then one kennel space could "save" 6 dogs in a year. If a dog occupies that space long term like 5 years, this could mean that 30 more dogs could of been saved.

That's fair enough, and some rescues do choose to be a rehoming centre rather than a sanctuary but the problem I have (and I think some of the other posters) is when a rescue states they are 'no kill' but actually do put healthy dogs down because they're old, or have minor behaviour problems or aren't being adopted quickly enough. Don't state yourself as 'no kill' if your policy is to give dogs a certain lenght of time to get a new home or else they'll be pts.

Discodog

Another aspect that has to be taken into account is quality of life. Many people believe that being stuck in a kennel must be a short term measure & is not a suitable or fair long term home. Rescues should never be zoo's for dogs.

If rescues operate an emergency, help all policy, then it would be impossible to be no kill. You can't have an SPCA saying that it can't help in an emergency because it is full. When our PTS numbers are down to the level of other countries then we can try to save every dog.

I agree that shelters that kill should be open about their policy but it is so easy for people to think about the dog that is going to be put down & ignore the others that will die because of a lack of rescue space. The focus has to be on rehoming. Because a rescue kills some dogs it may not make it a bad rescue. If as a result they rehome more dogs then they will of saved far more dogs than they will of killed.

wolfpawnat

morganafay wrote: »

I know the CSPCA puts animals down.

They do, there are two places I know in Cork that do not put ANY healthy animal to sleep.

Animal Care Society

and


Glansillagh Animal Rescue Centre

ButtersSuki

A Dog's Life
http://www.adogslife.ie/

And

Westie Rescue
http://www.westierescue.ie/

I help out both when I can and can vouch for both.

seamus

boxerly wrote: »

Have to disagree:) they do and I know this personally x

Well my opinion has changed in the last two months since I put up that post.

The DSPCA can't strictly be called a "no-kill" shelter. They aim towards a no-kill policy, but there are certain select circumstances where they have (and will) euthanise an animal which is not terminally ill, but cannot be fostered or sheltered in order to recuperate.

The quality of the staff on the ground there are few and far between. Some of them have been there donkey's years and basically hate other human beings. So if you ring them up, the quality of the responses you will receive can vary - some staff will be straight down the line with you, others will trot out threats like, "We'll put your dog down if you surrender it to us" in order to discourage people from surrendering the dog, even though it would never be put down.
I think even the older staff's attitudes to the policy can vary - those in their 50's and 60's might consider putting down an elderly (but otherwise healthy) dog to be in the "no-kill" spirit, but the younger staff wouldn't.

Their major problem is that they expanded very quickly and I think they still have to get to grips with building a business and a proper process-based structure. This is why on a given day, one animal might be treated differently to an identical animal the next day, depending on the mood of the staff who are in, or indeed depending on which members of staff are in.

Smaller rescues don't really have the same problem because in generall all of the staff are on, all of the time and can agree actions between themselves.

blondie7

All these people who say the DSPCA are not a no kill shelter then why did they spend so much money and time trying to save the kitten i adopted out of there last year. My kitten had been in a terrible accident and was brought into the DSPCA with his tail and leg hanging off. Why did they amputate his tail and put stints in his leg and nurse him back to health when he had cat flu if they put animals to sleep? Surley they wouldnt have bothered trying to save him at all! All of you out there are talking about friends of yours not you personally. The DSPCA do fantastic work in the Dublin area and there all very friendly people down there. Unlike other rescues i have been in contact with, even a certain one that doesnt even get back to people about adopting a pet!

Discodog

The following SPCA's/ISPCA operate dog pounds so they cannot have a no kill policy.

Carlow
Cork City
Donegal
Kildare
Kilkenny
Laois
Offaly
Wicklow

Already the idea is emerging that we should support no kill shelters above those that kill which is probably why they are not open about it. It is so easy for emotion to actually end up killing more dogs.