I work at a shelter that you’ll actually be visiting this week and a HUGE problem that I’ve seen in multiple shelters is that they try to “save them all”. Why is that a problem, why does it backfire? Because when a shelter or rescue tries to save very aggressive dogs, all they are doing is causing that animal to be in an extremely stressful situation for a prolonged period of time, which takes up kennel space so they’re turning social/adoptable dogs away which causes the problems you discussed in this video, and then if it ever gets adopted, the likelihood of it attacking someone is very high. And that will end up in it being put down anyway and now a person has been injured or killed and that leads to worse reps for shelters and less adoptions. Another group of animals that should just be put down is ones that come in with illnesses or injuries that are very expensive to treat and heal. Most shelters are running on fumes so how can they justify spending thousands of dollars on one animal that many times will die anyway? How many animals in the community can be fixed/chipped/vaxxed with all that money? A ton! But no. Shelters would rather try to save just one animal with those scarce resources. The previous director at my shelter was great in a lot of ways. But he failed miserably in those two ways. He tried to save a sick/injured dog with tons of vet care and that dog died six months later anyway. Guess how much he spent? $10,000!!!!!! On ONE dog! He also hung onto aggressive dogs instead of putting them down. One stayed in the shelter in a tiny kennel for FOUR YEARS and finally went to rescue and guess what? Within a week he mauled someone and that rescue euthanized him. He should have been put down as soon as the director realized he was as aggressive as he was and that would have meant that in those four years, that kennel space could have been used to house and save countless other dogs that were actually social and safe to adopt out, AND that person wouldn’t have been mauled. When shelters and rescues focus so much on saving aggressive and expensive to heal animals, that decision right there leads to thousands and thousands of social, healthy animals dying on the streets. So they’re doing more harm than good just to appease their own emotions. Please don’t reference my comment this week because I don’t want to get in trouble, but this is some reasoning that ALL of these shelters need to hear and listen to. And when it comes to feral cats, if there’s not a colony they can be quickly added to after a quick spay/neuter, then they should be put down. They should never have to spend weeks or months in a shelter setting. It’s torture for them and space and resources are used on them (unadoptable animals) while others are being turned away which leads to people dumping their pets which leads to more feral cats and dogs being born.
Excellent video!! Suzy and all members of her rescue do so much good work in Memphis. The director at MAS needs to get off her high horse and LISTEN to Suzy!! I do follow your organization, Who Let The Dogs Out, and appreciate the work you all do, too. In the words of Bob Barker, from many, MANY years ago, "There aren't enough homes for them all. Spay or neuter your pet."
Thank you all for bringing awareness with this discussion and video. Thank you for all yall do.
I work at a shelter that you’ll actually be visiting this week and a HUGE problem that I’ve seen in multiple shelters is that they try to “save them all”. Why is that a problem, why does it backfire? Because when a shelter or rescue tries to save very aggressive dogs, all they are doing is causing that animal to be in an extremely stressful situation for a prolonged period of time, which takes up kennel space so they’re turning social/adoptable dogs away which causes the problems you discussed in this video, and then if it ever gets adopted, the likelihood of it attacking someone is very high. And that will end up in it being put down anyway and now a person has been injured or killed and that leads to worse reps for shelters and less adoptions. Another group of animals that should just be put down is ones that come in with illnesses or injuries that are very expensive to treat and heal. Most shelters are running on fumes so how can they justify spending thousands of dollars on one animal that many times will die anyway? How many animals in the community can be fixed/chipped/vaxxed with all that money? A ton! But no. Shelters would rather try to save just one animal with those scarce resources. The previous director at my shelter was great in a lot of ways. But he failed miserably in those two ways. He tried to save a sick/injured dog with tons of vet care and that dog died six months later anyway. Guess how much he spent? $10,000!!!!!! On ONE dog! He also hung onto aggressive dogs instead of putting them down. One stayed in the shelter in a tiny kennel for FOUR YEARS and finally went to rescue and guess what? Within a week he mauled someone and that rescue euthanized him. He should have been put down as soon as the director realized he was as aggressive as he was and that would have meant that in those four years, that kennel space could have been used to house and save countless other dogs that were actually social and safe to adopt out, AND that person wouldn’t have been mauled. When shelters and rescues focus so much on saving aggressive and expensive to heal animals, that decision right there leads to thousands and thousands of social, healthy animals dying on the streets. So they’re doing more harm than good just to appease their own emotions. Please don’t reference my comment this week because I don’t want to get in trouble, but this is some reasoning that ALL of these shelters need to hear and listen to. And when it comes to feral cats, if there’s not a colony they can be quickly added to after a quick spay/neuter, then they should be put down. They should never have to spend weeks or months in a shelter setting. It’s torture for them and space and resources are used on them (unadoptable animals) while others are being turned away which leads to people dumping their pets which leads to more feral cats and dogs being born.
Excellent video!! Suzy and all members of her rescue do so much good work in Memphis. The director at MAS needs to get off her high horse and LISTEN to Suzy!!
I do follow your organization, Who Let The Dogs Out, and appreciate the work you all do, too. In the words of Bob Barker, from many, MANY years ago, "There aren't enough homes for them all. Spay or neuter your pet."
Thank you! We agree!