Michigan Designates Their Animal Shelters “No-Kill”

Feb 03, 2020

For a state to be referred to as a ‘no-kill’ state, at least 90% of the animals in the shelter need to be adopted, returned to owners, or even transferred to a different shelter or rescue organization.

Michigan now makes only the second state in the nation to achieve that status after Delaware, and it wasn't done without a lot of work.

Recently, Michigan announced that they are officially now a ‘no-kill’ state. The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance (MPFA) helped Michigan to gain this status. However, what many people don’t understand is this doesn’t mean that euthanizations are banned in shelters or reduced to zero.

The MPFA started looking at the statistics back in 2009. This data is submitted by the shelters in the state. This data is submitted to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The MPFA discovered that in previous years, a total of 120,000 cats and dogs were euthanized in shelters in Michigan every year. The number is now 13,000. Out of the 174 animal shelters that are in Michigan, it was announced that 138 of those shelters are now no-kill shelters, The Detroit Free Press reports.

The founder and chairperson of MPFA, Deborah Schutt, has stated that this is great for Michigan. The shelters have combined to meet their target of 90% and to be considered a no-kill state. Delaware, which only has three shelters, has also reached their goal last year, WMTV reports. They were the first state to become no-kill.

Schutt also added, “We’re treating animals now, not just, ‘Oh, a broken leg and put it down.’ Our appreciation for our pets has changed. We don’t want a catch and kill. We want catch, make them safe," Schutt told Fox 2 Detroit.

Michigan was able to reach their required percentage in 2018. It is very exciting to see that they have reached their no-kill status by getting to that 90%. However, they still have communities who struggle with their numbers, especially with cats, The Detroit Free Press continues.

The MPFA will continue their work with various shelters and rescue organizations to help with implementing the best practices to decrease the time animals are at the shelters and improve the animal’s lives while they are at the shelter.

So what ways can a shelter work towards having a no-kill animal care status? The MPFA says there are a few ways this can happen:

Neutering and spaying animals in the area can reduce the number of homeless animals that come into the shelter. They can also move animals to different shelters or put them in foster homes in order to free up space for other animals. Giving these animals proper treatment can also ensure they are rehabilitated enough to become adoptable pets.

Having a lot of volunteers at the shelters also helps. Encouraging people to volunteer can help with the percentage. If possible, working to return the animals to their owners or providing proper adoption programs with plenty of education can improve the numbers.

Michigan is one of many states. The more states that work towards this status, the fewer animals out there are being put down unnecessarily. What would you be willing to do in your local area to improve the lot of animals in shelters? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below and tell your animal-loving friends on social media about the no-kill program.