Your View: The Lehigh Valley Humane Society is becoming no

Back in February, the Lehigh Valley Humane Society was called to rescue a dog that was tied to a fence in Allentown.

When they got there, staff discovered Bruce, a large pit bull terrier-like dog with a sweet note from what appeared to be a child from his former family, listing all of what he knew and particulars about his behavior. Some of the things written were: “I am a very nice boy” and “I am kind & gentle with all animals & kids.” It was clear he was a wonderful family dog who found himself alone.

But once Bruce got to the shelter, he acted differently than described. He wouldn’t make eye contact and shut down, leading staff to worry about his adoption options.

He was immediately deemed a behavioral concern dog. Only a small number of staff were approved to handle him, so that any interactions he had with people were positive and reinforced his training. The trainer at the shelter worked with Bruce daily, and he made tremendous improvement. Staff and volunteers alike developed a great affection for him and hoped he’d find a home soon.

Bruce was with LVHS until May, when he was adopted by a woman who clearly loved him as much as the staff did. They all agreed it was a joyous moment to see him adopted after a rough start. And today, he is still doing great in his new life.

What LVHS did is a wonderful example of a no-kill sheltering practice.

No-kill means saving every dog or cat in a shelter who can be saved. Community safety and good quality of life for pets are guiding principles of the no-kill philosophy and are attainable when animal welfare professionals engage in best practices and protocols, like this. Had Bruce wound up somewhere that did not have the programmatic elements in place to save lives, he may have been killed simply for ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter, which is a meaningful and commonsense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Typically, the number of pets that are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters. Shelters that meet the 90% save-rate benchmark are no-kill.

According to national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society, in 2022 the percentage of U.S. shelters that achieved no-kill reached an all-time high of nearly 57%.

Although LVHS is not a no-kill shelter, by implementing lifesaving practices like working with Bruce to turn his frightening situation into a positive one, it is on the road to becoming one.

In fact, since hiring new leadership five years ago, LVHS has made some other major changes. After more than a century, the shelter no longer considers every cat that arrives in a trap or appears fractious to be unadoptable. And instead of killing most cats like that for space, the shelter is committed to finding positive outcomes for them.

It’s also implemented trap-neuter-vaccinate-return practices that allow cats that are happy and healthy living outdoors to stay there and out of the shelter. Additionally, each cat relinquished to the shelter is allowed a 48-hour decompression period, which gives them time to adjust to new surroundings and show staff their true personalities. The shelter has also completely overhauled its lengthy adoption processes and is working hard to make people feel welcome by eliminating unnecessary barriers to adoption.

The goal is for every shelter, no matter what type of shelter it is, to make a clear commitment to lifesaving and transparency while working to achieve and sustain no-kill in philosophy and practice, rather than simply working to obtain a no-kill designation. Through a combination of collaborative partnerships, proven programs and data-driven decision-making, shelters across the country have proven that no-kill works.

Saving the lives of dogs and cats in animal shelters is the responsibility of everyone in every community. Animal shelters and the staff who work there can only create and sustain lifesaving programs if they have community support and participation. Working together thoughtfully, honestly and collaboratively is what makes true no-kill possible.

Audrey Lodato is senior director of Lifesaving Programs at Best Friends Animal Society, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters.

Sign up for email newsletters