Is the Adoption of the “No Kill” Movement Endangering People?

Related Posts

  • |
The No Kill Advocacy Center has been promoting the implementation of “No Kill” shelters across the country since the early 1990’s—meaning that they have asked animal shelters to abstain from euthanizing stray animals that have the potential to be adopted. Unless an animal is terminally ill or is considered to be a threat, they are kept in a shelter until they are placed with an adoptive family.Although this has the potential to prevent more than 4 million pets from being euthanized each year in the United States, some have begun to speculate that the rise in the number of dog bite injuries and animal attacks in recent years may correlate with the number of No Kill shelters that are popping up across the country. Texas may prove to be an example of this, as the number of dog bite injuries that have been sustained since the implementation of No Kill shelters in the state has risen more than 35%.

Sadly, many of these potentially dangerous or previously violent dogs are kept in No Kill shelters and are subsequently adopted by an unsuspecting family. When the proper precautionary methods are not taken or when the family is not forewarned of the pet’s potential to become violent, the consequences can be devastating. Similarly, these shelters take in stray animals, neuter them, and send them back on the streets.

Unfortunately, they are not checked for diseases like rabies, and when they are returned to the streets, they carry the grave potential of infecting a human victim. For this reason, opposing groups are beginning to take action against the continuance of the No Kill movement in the hope that the overall risk to people and pet owners will be reduced—as many of these victims end up being small children.

If you or your child has been seriously injured in a dog attack, it is important that you consult an attorney immediately. For more information about your legal options, contact our firm today.