What does FMAR mean when they say "No Kill" Shelter

I have had several people approach me regarding our "No Kill" shelter. I believe there may be some misconceptions regarding what a "No Kill" shelter really is, so I put together a list of FAQs for our supporters.

What definition do you use to define your "No Kill" shelter?

Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue (FMAR) believes that every adoptable animal deserves a chance to find a loving home. This does not mean that every animal is adoptable. At the same time it does not mean that animals that are sick or fear aggressive are not adoptable. What we (FMAR) believes adoptable is any animal that can be helped with "normal" veterinary care and attention and training. FMAR will use all resources available to them to evaluate an animal before they deem this animal to be "not adoptable". If an animal is in a great deal of pain, or is so aggressive that it is beyond normal training we at FMAR will do what we feel is best for the animal, including ending it's suffering. FMAR can and will exercise their rights to refuse to take in an animal that we feel is not adoptable.

Is a dog or cat that bites someone automatically "not adoptable"?

No. There are many reasons a dog or cat may bite. Depending on the circumstances and the severity of the bite FMAR will make an evaluation of the animal to determine if it can be rehabilitated before we deem it not adoptable. However if the animal has bitten someone we need to know so we can make sure to find it a home where there they are least likely to bite again.

What is your definition of not treatable?

If an animal is in pain and can not function on it's own with pain medication. FMAR would make their evaluation based on our veterinary evaluation of the animal's injuries or illness that cannot be treated with medication. Just as you sometimes need to make hard decisions for your loved ones, we at FMAR will sometimes be faced with difficult decisions.

Would space restrictions cause you to make a decision to euthanize an animal? Absolutely not. As we do now, FMAR knows our restrictions and will try to do everything we can to help as many animals as possible within our capacity. FMAR realizes we won't be able to take every animal in. As we grow in size and are able to build a bank of foster families we will be able to help more animals. Once we agree to take an animal, that animal will stay with a foster family or with FMAR as long as needed to find it a home or to live out its life healthy and happy. We also have programs built into our 5-year plan that will help us to reduce the number of unwanted animals by spay/neuter programs for dogs and cats as well as a TNR programs for feral cats.

What happens when you can't take an animal in?

Unfortunately this happens more often than we would like. We are a member of AKC and have a large selection of Animal Rescues listed in a book they publish for sale to all of the rescues. When we get a call and cannot take the animal in we give the family new resources to call to see if another rescue may be able to help We encourage people to be honest when they are giving up a pet. If they didn't care about the animal they wouldn't bother to call, they would take the animal somewhere and drop them off. Many times animal behavior problems can be corrected so that pets can stay with their families.

In conclusion we would like to add that it is because of the support of friends, businesses and family that we are able to do this at all. You give us the help and additional resources we need to continue to take care of the needs of these animals. Together we can make a difference in how our pets are taken care of with responsible low cost spay/neuter programs, training, education and good old-fashioned love. God has taught me that we need to love all of his creatures, and we are proud to be associated with, and surrounded by, people who feel the same as we do. The more support we get , the more animals we can help. We look forward to working with each and every one of you for a very long time to come.

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