04-28-2015, 03:23 AM
The animal shelter in my area is completely "no kill" and animals are only ever put to sleep if they have terminal illness. But they do get full up, although adoptions are regular.
But that's not quite the case even in many 'no kill shelters'. There are criteria for an animal to meet if it is to be considered 'adoptable'. Those very sad cases who are deemed aggressive or aren't very pretty....well they don't find new homes so easily. And may be put down because they are considered to be hopeless cases.
Misty would have been food-aggressive. I know that for a fact. Although she trusted me and I never had any problem, she wouldn't have trusted anyone else messing with her food while she was eating. She would have growled and snapped. She was also dangerous with other small animals and cats, and although she tolerated children, and wasn't overtly aggressive towards them, she was very good at 'putting them in their place' much like she would have done with pups.
All those things would probably have made her 'unadoptable' if she had been in a shelter.
And she was the most beautiful, kind and loving dog.
It makes us think.
But that's not quite the case even in many 'no kill shelters'. There are criteria for an animal to meet if it is to be considered 'adoptable'. Those very sad cases who are deemed aggressive or aren't very pretty....well they don't find new homes so easily. And may be put down because they are considered to be hopeless cases.
Misty would have been food-aggressive. I know that for a fact. Although she trusted me and I never had any problem, she wouldn't have trusted anyone else messing with her food while she was eating. She would have growled and snapped. She was also dangerous with other small animals and cats, and although she tolerated children, and wasn't overtly aggressive towards them, she was very good at 'putting them in their place' much like she would have done with pups.
All those things would probably have made her 'unadoptable' if she had been in a shelter.
And she was the most beautiful, kind and loving dog.
It makes us think.
