BETHESDA, Md. and SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Feb. 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Two months ago, a healthy orange tabby cat named Wild Bill was killed by the Alexandria, VA, Animal Welfare League. His only crime was not having an indoor home, which according to that shelter's written policies was punishable by death.
Wild Bill was just one of 5 to 6 million dogs and cats that will be killed this year in U.S. animal shelters which operate on cruel, outdated policies that sanction mass killing. They euphemistically (incorrectly) call this "euthanasia." The fact is many of these animals could be adopted into loving homes and most of the rest should never enter shelters in the first place.
Alley Cat Allies and No Kill Solutions have called for an end to the killing. They urge citizens and organizations nationwide to join the groundswell movement toward this goal by signing and supporting the Declaration of the No Kill Movement in the United States (www.nokilldeclaration.org).
"Our country has ample tools and resources necessary to become No Kill and ensure that no more cats meet Wild Bill's fate," says Becky Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies. "This is not a radical idea. No-kill sheltering models have already saved tens of thousands of animals. What's needed now is the will and commitment to change."
The biggest obstacle, says Robinson, is that far too many shelters and even some national animal protection organizations still cling to outmoded, failed policies instead of embracing no-kill approaches. But knowledge and assistance are available to all shelters and animal control agencies that want to change.
"We have to put aside the fatalistic belief that change is impossible, that the best we can offer most shelter animals is a 'humane' death," states Nathan Winograd, president of No-Kill Solutions. "The No Kill Declaration calls for a revolution in animal sheltering and states clearly how we will reach this goal.
"Currently, over 6,000 individuals and organizations have signed the No Kill Declaration. We urge everyone who wants to change how animals are treated in this country to sign it," says Winograd. "Keep this in mind: In the time it will take you to read the No Kill Declaration, 100 dogs and cats will be needlessly put to death."
San Francisco, California, and Ithaca, New York, are two communities that have reached the no-kill goal. Richmond, Virginia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New York City are actively working toward it. Alley Cat Allies and No-Kill Solutions will provide practical information and assistance to all agencies and communities that want to join them.
Sign the Declaration of the No Kill Movement in the United States at www.nokilldeclaration.org.
Alley Cat Allies, Bethesda, Maryland, is the national resource for information on feral and stray cats. www.alleycat.org
No Kill Solutions, San Clemente, California, is spearheaded by nationally known speaker and writer, Nathan Winograd. www.nokillsolutions.com
The Alley Cat Allies logo is available at: http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1922