No Kill

A no-kill shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety. A no-kill shelter uses many strategies to promote shelter animals; to expanding its resources using volunteers, housing and medical protocols; and to work actively to lower the number of homeless animals entering the shelter system. 10% of animals can be killed in a no-kill shelter and still be considered a no-kill shelter.

As we have always kept this principle in our 40-year history, we also want to emphasize that we do not euthanize for time or space.

Our Live Release Rate (LRR) is based on the national standard of measuring a shelter or community's progress towards being no-kill which is 90% LRR or higher. Our organization has always been no-kill in an effort to save as many animals as possible. As a no-kill shelter, euthanasia is considered for only two reasons: any animal’s irresolvable aggression towards any human/animal and any animal’s untreatable terminal illness or pain. No healthy animal is euthanized for its length of time in our care or space available.

The Live Release Rate is calculated by dividing the total # of Adoptions + Transfers + Return to Owners by the total # of Adoptions + Transfers + Return to Owners + Euthanasias. As a Best Friends Network Partner, visit our Pet Lifesaving Dashboard for more details.

In 2022, Our Live Release Rate was 94%.