How to Investigate Your Local Shelter and Why You Should

Do you know what goes on in your community's animal shelter? Do you know how many dogs and cats are adopted each year? Returned to their owners? Euthanized? Do you know what the conditions are like? It's vital to find out because if you don't inquire and don't visit, you may have no idea there could be animals who need your help.

Here's how you can be a pet detective.

Document

• Make Public Records Requests: How many pets are euthanized? How many animals are adopted or rescued? Make public records requests to find out. Sometimes city or county officials make this sound scary, like you need to be an attorney or journalist to do it. You don't. Anyone can make a public records request. Each state has different laws, but essentially you type a relatively simple request and email, mail, or fax it to the city, town, or county agency in charge of the shelter. This guide gives examples of different request letters. If you run into trouble after you submit the request, or it seems like the agency is stonewalling you, email Watchdog Mary; she will help point you in the right direction.

• What to Request: Request the number of animals taken in each year and each animal's outcome. How many were adopted? Transferred to rescue groups? Sent to a foster program? Returned to their owner? How many were euthanized? And of the ones that were euthanized, why? See if you can find out the reasons.

• Check Online: Does the shelter have a Facebook or social media page to post about animals in need? Do they have a website? Do they use sites like Petfinder or Adopt a Pet to post animals who need homes? How do they market and inform the public of animals in their facility? If you can't find any advertising, that might signal a problem. If no one knows a dog or cat exists, how can they be rescued or adopted?

• Find Witnesses: If you start to see red flags, try to find former shelter volunteers, workers, or even vets who have visited the shelter. Ask them what they think. Ask if they have pictures, videos, or documentation.

• Take Pictures or Video: If you see a problem in a shelter, whip out your cell phone and take pictures. Document what you see. Are animals being kept in dirty conditions? In cages that are too small? Are dogs and cats malnourished? Can you document the conditions for a couple of days? A week straight? Keep recording! Visual confirmation of this is invaluable; the more pictures and videos, the better.

Reveal Your Findings

• Go to the Media: Email and call every media outlet near the city or town where the shelter is located. If you have a favorite investigative reporter or station, you can contact them first. If you tell them you have pictures, video, and documentation, that may generate more interest.

• Tell Local Officials: Take your documentation to public hearings and show officials in charge what's going on. Call the mayor's office or the county commissioner. Bring all your evidence.

• Use Social Media: Make a webpage, a Facebook page, or another social media page to reveal your findings. Ask people to call the city or county where the shelter is located demanding change. Tell people who live in the community how they can get involved.

Stick to the Facts

Write your findings in a chronological, clear, and concise way.

Stick to the facts and the animals. 

How Your Community Can Improve

Fixing the problem is also done on the local level by having community discussions: What are the problems, and what are solutions?

Some cities and counties started free and no-cost spay-and-neuter programs and awareness campaigns. (There are grants that may help with this; local governments can appropriate funds, and some communities have raised the money through fundraisers.)

Mandatory microchipping is helping cities like San Antonio reduce the number of animals in their shelter by getting them back home sooner.

The nonprofit Animal-Angels Foundation has innovative ways to help shelters and communities with animal overpopulation problems by focusing on prevention.

Aiming to be a no-kill shelter: Some cities and counties with open-admission shelters struggle with this; others say it’s doable.

Nathan Winograd, the founder of the No-Kill Revolution, told Watchdog Mary that any city or town, regardless of size, wealth, or demographics, can become no-kill. That means at least 95% of the animals are saved or returned to their owners and not euthanized for space reasons because the shelter is full. 

Winograd said success comes from dedicated volunteers and good leadership at the top. “You need a passionate director at the pound who doesn't blame ‘too many animals, not enough homes,’ and works to tap into the compassion of the community,” he said.

Winograd's organization developed a toolkit to help communities become no-kill. He says the days of “catch and kill” animal control can be eliminated by this generation if people care. This guide can help you evaluate how your city or town is doing. Once you have the big picture, use the toolkit for other resources to help.

If you don't know what's going on in your local community, you should find out. Animals are counting on you.