Huntsville’s No Kill Movement and Petition

HAS Shep Mom and Pups2

Chamomile and her babies were saved from Huntsville’s kill shelter by A New Leash on Life because they didn’t deserve to die.  They are great dogs. They are healthy, friendly, loving.  They are not aggressive or a threat to anyone. They deserved LIFE and now, since they have been rescued, LIFE will not be taken away!  Thousands just like them are not so lucky

Huntsville Animal Services, our city shelter, it’s director, employees, and volunteers, do NOT want to kill animals.  We believe the public feels the same.  Yet our Huntsville tax dollars are being spent to do just that – kill thousands of dogs and cats each year.  It’s the way it’s always been….

It’s simply not acceptable anymore.  Never was.  So we want to CHANGE the mindset and grow a NO KILL culture in Huntsville, Alabama.  We want our city to learn from the 150 No Kill communities that already exist in our nation.  Several non-profits and rescues in our community have come together to bring in expertise from around the country – from places who have already accomplished No Kill in their own cities and others – to help our citizens, our city leaders, and our city shelter, embrace the commitment it’s going to take to make this happen for the dogs and cats in Huntsville, Alabama.

Right now, Chamomile’s babies are weaned and safe in a foster home and Chamomile sits at my feet, waiting for me to complete this plea for help…for those just like her back at the shelter.  Those who did not get out.  Those who will lose their lives.  It’s heartbreaking and unfair.  And it’s hard to believe, for those who have not seen it.  But it’s real and it’s harsh.  Chamomile looks up at me with her big, brown eyes as if to tell me that if we work together for what is right, we will win this battle.  We have to work together for them.  We are their only voice, their only hope.

Chamomile Asleep

Many cities are on the verge of achieving No Kill.  Proven methods can get Huntsville there, too.  But first, we have to acknowledge that killing is wrong, decide that we can no longer operate this way, and move forward to find solutions for each adoptable dog and cat who enters our city shelter.  We know this is within our reach because statistically, there are more homes looking to add a pet than there are homeless animals in shelters.

As a nation, we have seen a decline in shelter deaths over the past several years – from 17 million down to 4 million.  Huntsville’s statistics can be found on our No Kill website, www.nokillhuntsville.com.  Huntsville Animal Services’ intake of dogs and cats has declined:  9721 (2008), 10,248 (2009), 8277 (2010), 8374 (2011), and 7189 (2012).  3059 fewer animals were turned in to HAS in 2012 than in 2009.  We believe this is because of local rescue groups taking them before they are turned in to HAS and low-cost spay/neuter clinics and programs.  We have also seen an increase in the number of pets adopted, rescued, and transported/transferred from Huntsville Animal Services:  2397(2008), 2462 (2009), 2445 (2010), 2857 (2011), 2951 (2012).

These statistics show that we are slowly headed in the right direction.  However, life is life, and killing over 4000 dogs and cats (combined) in 2012 should not be considered acceptable.  Simply put, WE CAN DO BETTER!

We have an amazing community of animal-loving people, a wonderful mayor, and a lot of talent in this rocket city…that’s why we KNOW we can learn from the successes of others and build NO KILL HUNTSVILLE starting NOW!!!  Join us to make this happen for our loving, devoted, loyal companions who want and deserve a LIFE WORTH LIVING 🙂

If you agree and want to show your support, please come to our No Kill Workshop next Monday, July 29th, from 1 to 5pm at the public library.

We need 3700 more signatures by Monday, so please take a minute to sign our petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/make-huntsville-alabama-a-no-kill-community

Like our NO KILL HUNTSVILLE FB page!

And together we can show Chamomile’s friends at the city shelter that we will work smarter and harder until they are SAFE and LOVED!  Well, they are already loved, but they just don’t know it yet.

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Debbie Dodd

Director, A New Leash on Life, Inc.

Chamomile yard