FL: Defining No Kill for all

Defining No Kill for all
By Kris Weiskopf
Published: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

When I started my career with Animal Services, the concept of a No Kill community was not in the vocabulary, nor was it even a concept. Today, it is a reality, not only in Manatee County but in many other cities and counties throughout the nation.

As I have noted before, the first step to No Kill is a decision, a commitment to reject the kill-oriented failures of the past. No Kill starts as an act of will. The next step involves putting in place the infrastructure to save lives. The Plan, the No Kill Equation.

Following this commitment is the need for the actionable plan. The plan provides clear definitions, a lifesaving plan with a procedure for preserving life. The plan must allow, actually it must require, flexibility. We do not want to lose sight of this principle by believing our principles and protocols are etched in stone.

Procedures and protocols are important to keep staff on track, but they must provide for flexibility because without the ability to be flexible, innovation may be stifled. Making a decision to end an animal’s life is a very serious one and should always be treated as such. Each dog and cat is an individual and must be given individual consideration.

To meet the challenge that No Kill entails, I am committed to keep the community excited. We will continue to work with people, implementing programs and services to save the lives of the dogs and cats. We can transform our community to become No Kill.

Eventually, we would like to see every city and every county in the country become No Kill. Not for ourselves, but for the animals. They deserve a chance.

All shelter directors and leaders will need to embrace these goals and make a commitment to a campaign to implement a No Kill plan. Using the No Kill Equation model has achieved success and is a program model that changes the way shelters operate. The equation also gives the public, who love animals, a role in the success of the plan.

This is the only way to go. We will become a No Kill community.

Many communities nationwide have better than 90 percent save rates for dogs and cats. Not so long ago, this wasn’t the case. These communities have a lot to be proud of. This is quite an accomplishment, especially knowing where they had come from.

But is 90 percent saved enough? Will 95 percent be the next generation’s goal? Maybe 98 percent, or more? Nothing is too far out of reach. Not until every animal entering a shelter is saved.

We can only continue with our plan and goal, recruiting others along the way. We show our excitement and involvement every day.

Our staff and core volunteers are committed to saving the animals. There is no end to what we can accomplish.

I am very proud of our staff for who they have become and for who they are. Hard work, along with their compassion and commitment, don’t go unnoticed.

I always praise them for a job well done and encourage them to keep up the good work. Without the staff commitment, our base and core of our plan would not exist.

As we succeed and more and more communities become involved, be assured we will not sit back and wait for them to catch up. We will continually update our efforts and our plan with open arms to embrace the movement and to protect the animals within our reach.

If you never have to look into the eyes of a dog or cat and make a choice, you are lucky. One day, we all would like to be lucky, too.

Adopt your new family member from Manatee County Animal Services today.

Don’t forget about our February adoption special. What a better way to enjoy the end of football season than with a new pet.

Manatee County is in the process of becoming a No Kill community and for the month of February all adoption prices are “Half Off for Half Time.”

All adopted animals will be spayed/neutered, have a current health check, vaccinations and a microchip.

Prices include a license certificate/tag for Manatee County residents.

Kris Weiskopf, chief of Manatee County Animal Services, writes this weekly column for the Bradenton Herald.

http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/31/3832870/defining-no-kill-for-all.html