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No Kill …The Only Solution

November 8, 2005

Missy Woodward

www.animalnews.info

More than 200 animal activists, rescue group organizers, Los Angeles City and Animal Services personnel joined forces at Saturday’s ‘No Kill LA’ seminar at the Beverly Garland Hilton Hotel in Studio City, California. Nathan Winograd, a former animal prosecutor turned shelter consultant, revealed his proven plan of action to rescue the Los Angeles Animal Services Department from a continual barrage of complaints and accusations by humane groups that it fails to protect animals. Mr. Winograd said the shelter system nationwide is broken due to the prevailing “too many animals, too few homes” mentality which results in mass euthanasia. His successful blueprint for change has turned San Francisco and Tompkins County, New York into No Kill shelters with 100% no kill ratios for adoptable and aging/sick animals. 

Mr. Winograd’s lighthearted yet determined tone continued throughout the evening as he reviewed 150 years of animal sheltering. His consistent message was, “It is not IF Los Angeles will become No Kill, it is WHEN,” raising the hopes of dedicated activists and protectors of animals that change is not only possible, but inevitable. 

The evening’s presentation detailed the inception of humane organizations formed for the “protection of the working animals and those slaughtered for food”. Early SPCAs advocated education, humane euthanasia and adoption. Their efforts helped stop public displays of slaughter of homeless animals and prevented corrupt dog catchers from bribing children to steal dogs from homes just for money. Unconscionable acts of abuse of sheltered animals subsided somewhat as the humane societies and SPCAs took charge of city shelters nationwide. Unfortunately for the animals, it was too little too late as the population of shelters exploded due to lack of a control of the birth rate. The status quo belief that putting a homeless animal “to sleep” is kinder than leaving it to fend for itself on the streets eventually took over. With an endless stream of new animals daily, it became clear to shelter directors that the focus would be on euthanasia to make room for the next group of animals that would arrive the following day. The system simply failed…the animals.

Nathan Winograd began his successful No Kill career in the mid 1990s in San Francisco where he successfully implemented a strategy to stop euthanasia as the only solution. He moved on to Tompkins County, New York and again showed that with persistence … and a plan…the No Kill solution will work in whatever environment it is used. 

Winograd stated that few shelters believe No Kill is possible mainly because they do not want the “accountability for No Kill.” He stressed that “categorizing the types of animals that are being killed is primary to knowing the programs necessary to implement.” 

Winograd’s No Kill Equation involves the following simultaneous steps:

• A TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) program for the feral cat population of a city;
• low cost, high volume spay and neuter programs;
• working together, not adversely, with rescue groups;
• offsite adoption to expose animals outside the shelters which may not be located in convenient areas of town for potential adoptive owners;
• a foster care system of volunteers to help with everything from bottle feeding kittens to help with fearful and aging pets;
• pet retention assistance such as offers of free training, grooming and pet services to encourage new pet owners to better understand, train and care for their new animals;
• public relations to continually market adoptable animals;
• medical assistance for injured and sick pets and rehabilitation for those animals who are traumatized from abuse or injury;
• the development of a 501(c)(3)

Mr. Winograd said the success of a No Kill strategy is “who is in charge of Animal Control. “It takes a hardworking, compassionate and dedicated director to get results,” Winograd added. “Holding staff accountable” was integral to improving the care of animals while sheltered. He discussed cases of horrendous abuse and extremely poor employee work standards that he has found “epidemic in shelters across the country.”

Winograd ended the evening by stating a paradigm shift: No Kill must occur for success to be achieved. By the looks of this standing-room-only crowd, it has begun.

Nathan Winograd’s programs can be found at www.nokillsolutions.com.

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