From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dog at a no-kill animal shelter in Washington, Iowa

An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. The animal is kept at the shelter until it is either reclaimed by an owner, adopted to a new owner or placed with another organization. In the past, they were more commonly referred to as "dog pounds", a term which had its origins in the pounds of agricultural communities, where stray cattle would be penned up until claimed by their owners.

Some animal shelters humanely euthanize animals that are not adopted within a set period of time, others have a policy of only putting down animals that are in distress due to age or illness.

There are several distinct types of animal shelters.

Emma, at the Seattle Animal Shelter

Animal control agencies, also known as municipal shelters (or "dog pounds"), are usually nonprofit organizations that are contracted by cities to enforce animal-related ordinances, and to provide animal related services. In addition to housing animals many animal shelters also provide education services for pet owners/adopters, low-cost spaying and neutering surgeries, vaccinations, veterinary care, behavior training or resources, and "safe havens" for animals of abused spouses.

Main article: No-kill shelter

Some shelters have taken on a "No-kill" policy, and will support the "healthy" and "adoptable" animals; for the remainder of its life, or until it is adopted. Due to limited funding, the number of animals that can be accepted by these organizations is often quite limited. Many are referred to local humane societies or rescues, if available. Some animals may not be accepted because of behavior or health concerns that make adoption unlikely, or may be euthanized if a sufficiently serious medical condition emerges. Many believe no-kills accept any and all types of pets, but many are refused due to lack of space or their unadoptability status.

Animal sanctuaries will look after animals for the rest of their natural life, without necessarily attempting to find them any other home. Many of these establishments will take in animals that are not adoptable, such as Feral animals (unsocialized cats), abused pets requiring special/unique care, or animals with medical/behavioral concerns that make adoption of pet difficult and possibly unrealistic.

Animal Rescue Organizations are not animal shelters, but share the same goal as animal shelters in placing homeless pets with adoptive families. Animal shelters are characterized as having a physical location dedicated to housing and caring for many different types of animals, whereas most rescue groups work with one specific breed or type of animal and have volunteers who keep the animals in their homes until adoption, also known as foster care. Rescue groups often obtain animals from local animal shelters, with the larger of these groups often transporting animals from locations that have a high number of homeless animals to locations where animals are more in demand. Rescue groups are often tied to national breed clubs for a given type of animal.

• The Humane Society of the United States
• Animal Shelter web site
• Animal Sheltering magazine
• ASPCA
• The Oregon Humane Society
• Best Friends Animal Society
• Humane Society of the United States
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Directory Of Animal Shelters In The United States
• World Internet News WIN chronicles what happens to abandoned dogs.
• Stop The Killing Shows the killing going on in the six Los Angeles shelters
• No Kill NOW! A site devoted to news and information about municipal shelters in United States.