The Importance of Accuracy in Animal Sheltering: Words Matter, Lives Matter
For 30 years, I dedicated my public service career to professional excellence. When I transitioned from parks management to animal services, I thought my commitment to excellence would naturally carry over into this new field. What I didn’t anticipate was the level of disagreement and dissension within the profession about what success and excellence should look like in animal sheltering and animal control.
What struck me most was a sobering reality: animal shelters are the most dangerous place for pets in our nation, accounting for the majority of pet deaths. Approximately 900,000 pets—or 2,466 every single day—lose their lives in shelters. This stark truth fueled my resolve to drive change, but it also revealed the divisions within the field.
The Core Disagreement
The conflict in animal services centers on two key issues: prematurely ending the lives of pets and the language we use to describe it.
Some believe that pets who are temporarily homeless are flawed and that it is the shelter’s job to end their lives prematurely—calling it euthanasia. But to kill a healthy, treatable, or rehabilitatable pet and call it euthanasia made no sense to me.
By definition, euthanasia is “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (such as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.” Using this term to describe the killing of pets who could otherwise be saved is not only inaccurate but also inhumane. It’s a euphemism that masks the reality of what is happening and perpetuates outdated practices.
The Role of Language in Lifesaving
Accuracy of language is critical—not for the sake of argument, but for progress. Words shape how we perceive problems and, in turn, how we solve them. Mislabeling the killing of healthy, treatable, or rehabilitatable pets as euthanasia obscures the truth and hinders lifesaving efforts.
Some within animal welfare argue that terms like “no kill” are hurtful to shelter staff and that we should continue using softer terms like “put to sleep” or “put down” to protect the feelings of those working in shelters. But this perspective ignores the larger issue: the continued loss of lives.
The public, by and large, expects shelters to save lives. They assume that shelters are working tirelessly to ensure that pets are not killed. The community does not share the internal disagreements about terminology—they want solutions, not semantics.
A Commitment to Change
When I accepted a leadership position with Best Friends Animal Society, it was because they are the only national organization wholly dedicated to ending the killing of pets in shelters. Best Friends is working with communities across the country to implement lifesaving solutions, meeting them where they are and guiding them toward meaningful change.
Our mission isn’t to end euthanasia—true euthanasia, as defined by compassion and mercy, has a place in sheltering for pets who are hopelessly suffering or pose an immediate danger to the community. Instead, our focus is on ending the killing of the 2,466 pets who lose their lives in shelters every day.
This isn’t just a numbers game; it’s a commitment to accuracy, transparency, and action. The words we use matter because they reflect our values and drive our decisions. By embracing the term “no kill,” we signal a refusal to compromise on the lives of pets who can be saved.
No Kill 2025: The Goal We Must Achieve
Best Friends Animal Society is steadfast in its vision of a nation where every shelter achieves no-kill status by 2025. This isn’t just a lofty ideal—it’s a realistic, data-driven goal that communities across the country are already working toward.
We understand that change is hard, but it’s also necessary. The disagreement within the field of animal welfare shouldn’t distract from the shared mission we all have: to save lives.
Every day, 2,466 pets give us a reason to keep pushing forward. We owe it to them to stop hiding behind euphemisms, to embrace transparency, and to focus on solutions. The time for half-measures is over.
If you’re part of a community or organization working toward no-kill, know that you’re not alone. Together, we can create a future where shelters are places of hope and healing, not loss.
Let’s get to work—because lives depend on it.
