Yes, per Gavin Nicols' comment on http://www.no-killnews.com/?p=3935 San Antonio is nowhere near No Kill (90%+), even if they considered FIV+/Felv+ cats healthy, which you indicate they don't: ``For 2012 Fiscal Year to Date, the healthy and treatable dogs and cats make up 76% of total intake (in 2011, healthy and treatable was 66% of total intake).'' This is an issue that needs to be discussed in the No Kill community.
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 4:15 PM, Lee Evans <moonsiste...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Beth, How wonderful you are. I had a similar but happier experience. I > was known in my city as a rescuer and am on the Board of an animal rights > organization. However, I surrendered many cats to the Humane Society, a > supposedly no-kill shelter in San Antonio, Tx. Whenever I filled out the > surrender form, I always added that the cat must be returned to me for any > reason at any time, whether it was FIV or FeLv or some other situation that > made the cat unadoptable. I put it all over the form, told the intake > people and they agreed. I knew that they killed FIV+ and FeLv+ cats > without asking questions. Most people don't realize this or just don't > care as long as they can tell themselves that they did their best for the > cat. In addition, the HS allows anyone to visit with the cats in > visitation rooms, small cubicles with cat toys where the cats can be > handled and potential adopters can get to know them. This shelter is > better than most because their intake form does have a place to state that > the people surrendering the cat can have him/her back in case of something > that makes the cat unadoptable. Anyway, one evening the supervising intake > person called me. She was near tears. I hadn't surrendered any cats so I > wondered what was wrong. She said that they had gotten in two young, > gorgeous cats who had tested FIV+ and she was ordered to have them > euthanized the next day. She asked me if I would foster, since she knew I > did not euthanize FIV+ cats. I had none at the time, but I had about 20 > other cats. So I told her that if she took the two cats who were occupying > my spare room at that time and who tested negative for everything, were > already fixed and had their rabies shots I would take the FIV+ cats. The > exchange was made before the shelter opened the next day. This was > entirely against the rules but no one complained. I got Sugar Plum Fairy, > a lovely blue-eyed white cat who was NOT deaf and Sir Walter, a husky, > healthy tabby and white boy. Both were fixed and had their rabies shots. > That was about 7 years ago. I named the white one Sugar Plum Fairy and the > tabby and white Sir Walter because he looked regal. Sugar Plum Fairy is > still with me along with 4 other FIV+ cats who live in separate quarters > from my main group. Sir Walter passed a month ago from kidney cancer. Up > until a month before he passed, he was a happy, overweight puss with an > attitude. Sugar is fine because she has other companions. I also have two > FIV+ cats mixed in with my main group because they are lay back > non-fighters who get along with everyone. No kill shelters are becoming > much more aware that FIV and FeLv do not have to be a death sentence for > cats surrendered to them. It's so awful that Alev had such a painful > experience. This used to be the norm in this country but things are slowly > changing. We always have to speak up for the cats and make sure that we > have an understanding when we surrender one to a shelter that they will > return the cat if anything is wrong. Get it in writing and call > frequently, visit frequently if you can to see how your cat is doing. The > two who were exchanged for Sugar and Wally got adopted within two weeks of > arriving at the shelter. FIV is not contagious unless the cats get into a > major biting and fighting situation. Most FIV+ cats who are neutered do > not bite and fight since this is behavior during mating season. However, > the five cats I have in my special FIV section exhibited some left over > hostility tendencies from their pre-neuter days. That's why they are > separate from my main group. The two who are mixed in never exhibited even > a hiss at anyone. > > > Spay and Neuter your cats and dogs and your weird relatives and nasty > neighbors too! > > > ------------------------------ > ---------------------------- Go Get a Life---Go Get a Shelter Animal! If you can't adopt, then foster "bottle baby" shelter animal, to save their life. Contact your local pound for information. <http://www.laanimalservices.com/volunteer_fostercare.htm> If you can't bottle feed, foster an older animal, to save their life, and to free up cage space. Ask your local animal pound to start saving over 90% of their intake by implementing the No Kill Equation: http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/shelter-reform/no-kill-equation/<http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/> Here's the current growing list of true No Kill communities: http://www.no-killnews.com/ (see the right sidebar) Legislate better animal pound conditions: http://www.rescue50.org More fun reading: http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/shelter-reform/guides/ More fun watching: http://vimeo.com/nokill/videos especially http://vimeo.com/48445902 Local feral cat crisis? See Alley Cat Allies' for how to respond: http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=537
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