[Terri]

I really appreciate seeing this topic talked about. I have been involved with shelters and rescues for over 20 years. Granted “No Kill” may euthanize fewer dogs than some others. Some rescues also euthanize. Just depends on philosophy. I think shelters have improved over how things were done traditionally but a lot of euthanasia is still happening. Even with the improvements, I am hesitant to take a dog with challenges to the shelter. My local shelter today is much improved over what they use to be. I see them promoted as “no kill” on facebook. The shelter told me they are not “no kill”. They are “low kill”. Either way a dog that is challenging has a lot of competition for placement in a adoption program. In stress situations good dogs can look bad. Their chance goes way down.

I know most rescues focus on dogs that are in animal shelters. Some rescues are very selective at what they rescue. (Not talking about breed rescue.) I understand it makes sense to select dogs easier to place. I would like to have a few easy to place dogs. The focus on shelter dogs as opposed to dogs at large is dogs in shelters are seen at greater risk of dying. If the dog at large is in the city he may likely get picked up. What about rural areas? I am not convinced that the risk to dogs abandoned in rural areas is less that that of shelter dogs.

I live in a rural area. Dogs are dumped out here way too often. There are many ways to die. We have coyote and bobcat. Stray dogs. Ranchers, farmers that will shoot a dog. Some people that will shoot a dog just to shoot a dog. Plenty get hit by cars. Starvation, dehydration in hot temps, freezing, overheating. We had temps so cold last year, a flash freeze hit, a neighbor found a blue heron and a cormorant flash frozen. I would not want to be out in that. Point is dogs abandoned in rural areas are at high risk.

I would like to see more available to this group of dogs. I am beginning to see some evidence of this but hope for more.

I wonder what thoughts are regarding the free adoptions that some of the large shelters and organizations do. I understand the feeling that they were kept off death row, but I cringe at the idea of free.