Every year millions and millions of animals are euthanised in pet shelters, veterinary surgeries and pounds around the world. The true number is too great for anyone to be able to calculate accurately.

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The animals that are destroyed come from many different circumstances. Some are mistreated or abused animals rescued by the shelters but unable to be re-homed. Some are merely unwanted pets that have outgrown their cute phase. Every year after Christmas animal shelters are flooded with unwanted cats and dogs whose owners have discovered that looking after a pet requires effort.

Supposedly animal-friendly Organisations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) blow a lot of hot air regarding the killing of animals in shelters, but the truth is that even PETA has rescued animals, run out of room to house them and subsequently euthanised them. You can’t believe everything you hear.

The good news is that there are animal shelters shining through the mud of animal rescue that are true No-Kill shelters. They rescue pets from death row in other shelters, raid torturous puppy factories, rescue other abused animals, and house them in clean enclosures, give them love and exercise while endeavouring to find them new homes.

However, the definition of “no-kill” can be loosely applied by shelters that will only accept or re-home healthy and well-adjusted animals. Try to look for a No-Kill shelter that goes above and beyond the required no-kill policy to include more challenging animals.

A new family is very difficult to find for animals with disabilities that regular pet-seekers don’t want, but some No-Kill shelters will not destroy disabled pets but re-house them with volunteer host families until a new home can be found – even if a new home is never found. Some animals, particularly abused dogs, require a great deal of retraining and care before they can be re-homed, but there are No-Kill shelters who will take on the challenge.

Some pet owners choose to re-home their pets directly through No-Kill shelters who offer a no-questions-asked acceptance rule that allows pet owners to discard their unwanted pets without fear of judgement. This makes No-Kill shelters a very desirable choice for pet owners whose female dog or cat has had unwanted babies. Therefore, many No-Kill shelters have perfectly cute, cuddly, adorable pets including puppies and kittens.

So if you care about animals, and you want to make sure that you are making the most ethical choice when you adopt a new pet, take a look at your nearest No-Kill shelter before you look anywhere else. You will find the perfect best friend, you’ll probably find it hard to choose but at least you know that when you chose any pet from a No-Kill shelter, you are not abandoning the other pets to a terrible fate, and by supporting the No-Kill shelters directly you are helping them to continue re-homing animals that will, otherwise, end up dead.

Here are some sites to get you started:

http://www.petrescue.com.au
http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org

If you have any experience with a great No-Kill shelter, please leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.