What exactly is a “no-kill” animal shelter?

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Young woman playing with dogs in dog shelter and choosing which one to adopt.

Airdate: June 2nd, 2023

 

Many people assume, but don’t know what a no-kill animal shelter is. It doesn’t mean that every animal taken in comes out alive, although that’s the goal.

It’s a question shelters are asked most often “is this a no-kill shelter?”

So, what is it and what do shelters do to keep animals alive?

Steven Martinez, Executive Director of the York County SPCA was on The Spark Friday and defined what a no-kill shelter is,”You have to have a 90% or better save rate, right? 90% or better say rate. So it is save rate. It says that of all the animals that come in alive in a given year, in that same year, how many have a life outcome? So all the animals that come in alive in a given year, how many have a live outcome?”

Martinez indicated there are only certain reasons to euthanize an animal,”The first one is for health. So the health of the animal is beyond repair, and modern medicine can’t bring that animal back. And so it’d be a humane euthanasia. Right. And that’s a medical call. And it tends to be a little bit more black and white. But the other reason that would you could euthanize an animal still receive that classification is no-kill is called a behavioral euthanasia. And that’s the hardest part of our job is making those calls. It’s the toughest part. But because of the work that we do, like we, for instance, we investigate and prosecute animal cruelty offenders, right? We’ve got a police officer on staff who enforces the cruelty neglect statutes. And so you’re going to get animals out of some situations that are pretty hard to think about. And we rehabilitate, rehabilitate nearly every single one of those animals and put them up for adoption. But every once in a while, you get an animal that there’s just there’s just they’re too far gone. Right. And so we are that’s the hardest part of our job.”