Manatee No Kill: Success in Action
A full year after the Manatee Animal Shelter have adopted the no kill policy, the shelter has become a guide for other counties in the area.
In October of 2011, Manatee County made the goal to make their county Animal Shelter No Kill by December of 2012.
"No Kill actually means you are vowing not to kill any healthy, adoptable animal," said Kris Weiskopf, Manatee County Animal Services Chief.
The policy has been put into place and the save rate went up 20 percent for 2012 vs 2011. Manatee County is also serving as a model for other counties considering going no kill.
"We have a lot of other counties looking at our plan," Weiskopf said.
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While the county has not been able to increase its Animal Services budget, volunteers in the community have raised money through the Manatee County No Kill effort to help pay for medical care for animals in need.
On Saturday proceeds from the 6th Annual Bradenton Beer Festival: Mardi Gras charity event will go to Manatee County No Kill. The event, featuring nearly 50 breweries, will take place in downtown Bradenton from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Mardis Gras-themed event will have Creole food and beer to sample including more than 80 beers from the craft beer scene. Ten food trucks are expected to offer tasty treatsat the downtown event as well.
Manatee County Animal Serivices will also hold a special adoption event later this month.
Michelle
9:31 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Sadly when my mom got sick & was unable to care for her adopted fur kid after a hospitalization, we went to take it back to the shelter in Palmetto & because he was allergic to fleas, they were going to put him down. So i'm not so sure on the no kill policy here. I'm greatful that my moms friend was able to take him in because he is a good dog.
Caryn Hodge
10:24 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Michelle, i am sorry to hear about that. No Kill is an ongoing goal not a destination. We need the communities support to obtain No Kill status, which requires having a 91% Save Rate. Then once we reach that rate, we need the support to retain it. Please consider making a donation of money or time by visiting the website www.mymanatee.org/pets.
Margo Williams
3:44 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2013
It takes responsible owners and responsible family members to help achieve No Kill status. Returning a "good dog" to the shelter where he was adopted adds to the number of animals that need a home. Family members should ensure that the beloved pet has a home in which to live if his current owner is suddenly unable to take care of them. Animals are not a commodity to be returned.
Tom
6:06 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Me and my neighbors would appreciate it if Manatee County Animal Control would monitor the people they are adopting pets to. The no kill policy is a wonderful thing in theory but how many pets can one person adopt? About once a week there is a news story about an animal hoarder that is incapable of adequately taking care of their animals. I have a neighbor that is one such person. She has already been fined $1700 by the county for animal violations. There is a leash law in this county that is not enforced against cats. A dog must wear a collar with a tag. Animal control officers told me they don't enforce this law with cats because when they jump fences they get hung by their collars! I thought the idea of the leash law was you were supposed to be in control of your animal at all times, they should stay in the fence because the other side of the fence is another person property. I am not a cat hater but when it's three in the morning and my dogs have a cat in a tree in my yard and it wakes the whole neighborhood and the owner of the cat doesn't care it is a problem. Manatee Animal Control does not climb trees to retrieve cats. I am not going to risk my health to retrieve a cat from a tree. The liability is too great to let anybody else do it unless they are licensed and insured. Animal control tells me to trap the cats and turn them into them. When I have in the past most times they just take the cat back to my neighbor so the process can repeat.
Tom
6:19 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
The lady that lived next to me no longer lives there but she left all the cats. she comes a couple times a week to feed and water them but other than that they go wherever they want whenever they want. I do wonder why it is titled animal control when they do not do any control, and no I don't want to adopt another animal. My common sense tells me that my two outside dogs and one inside dog are all I can afford to take care of at this time. Maybe I could adopt more dogs if I was a little more irresponsible and didn't give them heart worm pills, flea pills, food, water, and shelter and just let them roam around and eat out of garbage cans there would be less cats around.
Toni Whitt
6:22 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Hi Tom, I agree with you two or three dogs are plenty for most families. The problem is not enough people spay and neuter their dogs and cats. I hear all the time about how some dog had puppies after their owners "thought" they were keeping their dog away from other dogs. Or how the dog down the street got out when their dog was in heat. If everyone was responsible and spayed and neutered there wouldn't be so many homeless dogs out there.