The truth about No-Kill Shelter...

Here at the Sterling Animal Shelter, we are often asked if our shelter is a No-Kill organization. Our answer to this is:

The Animal Shelter Inc. will NOT euthanize ANY pet - unless the animal is terminally ill, has a fatal and un-treatable disease that may infect others (and it is more compassionate to end the suffering), or the animal is aggressive or has serious behavioral problems.

Our shelter cannot and will not place ANY animal that shows aggressive behavior for ANY REASON. We would never knowingly adopt out an aggressive animal for concern and safety of family members or family pets. Aggression in any animal is NOT acceptable here in our shelter. If we deem a pet UN-adoptable for any reason, the owner has the option to be contacted and notified that his/her pet is a liability and NOT placeable. In such case, the previous owner must pick up their animal within 24 hours of notification. Otherwise, the animal must be humanely euthanized. Potential adopters coming to our shelter are NOT here for, nor do they expect, want or desire an aggressive animal...and neither do we.

So with rare exceptions, any animal we assume responsibility for, will stay at our shelter until a home is found, barring terminal illness or aggression. With NO time limits.
However, no animal rescue organization, including our shelter, ever has enough shelter space or foster homes. As a result, no organization, including those that provide life-long care for animals, is able to accept every animal for whom help is requested. And all of us realize there is a reasonable chance those animals we cannot accept will be taken to one of the shelters that euthanizes.

To combat this sad reality, our shelter and other rescue organizations strongly promote and support the spay/neuter of pets. Your donations allow us to provide THOUSANDS of spays/neuters for animals that otherwise would not have this important care. As long as our shelter is asked to accept or receive more unwanted animals than we can keep humanely or place for adoption, the issue is much larger than whether any organization does or does not euthanize.

The issue is whether our street, our neighborhood, our society is "no-kill" or not; whether we ultimately depend on the shelters that euthanize to take the animals no one else can.

Only individual actions, including the actions we can encourage others to take, can change this dependence on shelters that euthanize as the final option for unwanted pets, and unwanted litters.

So, in addition to your financial support of our shelter, please act locally when you can. Offer to volunteer, adopt, or whatever it takes to get a spay/neuter for that pet you know about who has no chance of being fixed unless you step up and do it.

Remember, you are doing this for the cat or dog, who simply cannot arrange this sort of thing for him or herself! And although it may not seem to be convenient or easy, please consider making room in your home and heart to adopt a cat or dog from an animal shelter.

There are never enough homes to give these animals the chance they deserve. And you will be rewarded many times over for your compassion.

We're YOUR Local Animal Shelter...

There's a place in your community where the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, and the abandoned are given care. Its your local animal shelter, right here in Sterling, MA. Where we provide comfort and care for our community's unwanted animals. We offer many other services too, for pets and their people. To do all this, we rely on the support of people like you. Here are a few ways you can help animals, especially those in our care...

Give a little bit... Donate food or towels or old blankets and other needed supplies to us. Lend a hand and become a volunteer. Find that special someone here waiting for a home - ADOPT! Help spread the word about our program. Be a responsible pet owner. Vote for the animals. Support legislation that protects animals. Report animal cruelty. Teach your children respect for animals.

Top | Home