The city of Norfolk, VA has been talking about killing less animals at its pound for the past few years. The city council talked about it in 2011 when the pound’s live release rate was 54% and again in 2012 when the pound’s live release release rate was 53%. The 2013 live release rate for January through November is approximately 52% and once again, the city council is talking about killing less, but:
The council delayed further discussion on the issue until the first of the year, when the updated save rate will be available.
I’ll go out on a limb here and make a prediction: the 2013 save rate will be right around 52%. The city is not killing less, despite the talk, and appears to be killing slightly more each year. Delaying the discussion is pointless but then, the discussion itself appears to be meaningless as it has yielded no results in lifesaving.
The city formed an animal advisory board this year which has submitted proposals for increased lifesaving, including a TNR program. But discussion on that front was been delayed too:
David Freeman, director of general services, tried to give a presentation on those proposals Tuesday, but some council members took issue with the staff’s position on the legality of TNR.
One city council member seems fed up with all the political feet dragging while animals continue to be needlessly killed at the pound:
“I don’t want to know how we can’t,” [councilman Andy] Protogyrou said. “I want to know how we can.”
How you can’t succeed at killing less animals: Continue to talk and delay and argue and let another year go down as a failure. How you can succeed: Implement the programs of the No Kill Equation, including TNR, which have been proven to end the killing of healthy/treatable animals in communities all over the country. Norfolk could start saving more lives today – if the will existed, which doesn’t appear to be the case.
(Thanks Leigh for the links.)
Wonder if these guys ever heard of monthly reports… quarterly reports even. The big issue is that “No Kill” doesn’t work if you’re an open admission shelter and don’t have a facility large enough to house the total number of homeless pets killed… or have a balance between intake and adoptions/fosters/rescues. It’s not rocket science. Start a sanctuary like D.E.L.T.A. http://www.deltarescue.org/ … Operate like a business with retail business hours… Hire professionals… get your Grandmother to bake some cookies… Whatever, STOP killing Homeless Pets!
I’m tired of lip service! I want to see results!