At H.A.L.O., we do not believe an animal’s life has a time limit. There is no “end date” where we stop trying to find a fur-ever home for an animal and there will NEVER be one. Unfortunately, for many shelters, length of stay is a large deciding factor on when animals are selected for euthanasia. Often these animals are perfectly healthy with no behavioral issues and are certainly adoptable but their time simply runs out. This is an antiquated method of animal sheltering and we believe that with awareness and education, we can end the cruel and senseless killing of companion animals. Heavy, right?
The good news. Euthanasia rates in Indian River County have decreased by over 84%! But we still have a lot more work to do as the State of Florida remains in the top 5 highest states for animal euthanasia. Over 55,000 (yes, I said 55,000) animals were euthanized last year in Florida alone. Just typing that number made me nauseous and yet I carry such hope because our community has proven that we can do better and that our no-kill mission is not a dreamer’s wish but a fully sustainable reality.
How? Education, spay/neuter programs and community support. Those three ingredients are the perfect recipe for ending unnecessary euthanasia. In Indian River County, we are never short on community support (THANK YOU!). Education on the benefits of spay/neuter, microchipping and behavioral training are key to making sure that both human and animal lead happy, healthy lives. And of course, providing access to the public for reduced cost spay/neuter services which will serve to decrease intake at shelters.
Every week H.A.L.O. sees amazing animals go to their fur-ever homes but we’ll let you in on a little secret…our favorite Happy Tails are the ones who took a little longer, needed a little more help and love and waited patiently for months and sometimes years to find their person. Those are the ones that make us cry tears of joy. Those are the ones that remind us of what we fight for every single day.
If you would like to help in the fight to end unnecessary euthanasia, please contact us at (772) 589-7297.