Animal Shelter Pushes 'No-Kill' Policy

Charleston Animal Society hopes soon to save every healthy animal that comes through its doors.

The North Charleston animal shelter on Tuesday launched "No Kill Charleston 2015," its vision to save every healthy and treatable animal in Charleston County.

The facility said the effort was the "boldest animal care initiative ever undertaken in the Southeast," according to a news release. The facility has made big steps toward the "no-kill" goal since moving into its Remount Road facility in 2007.

When it opened, 34 percent of the animals that came into Charleston Animal Society left the facility alive.  During the last 12 months, the shelter’s Live Release Rate exceeded 75 percent, according to a news release.

"Comparatively, most other areas of the state realize live release rates of 10 percent to 30 percent," said Randolph Pritchard, Animal Society spokesman. "Much of 'No Kill Charleston 2015' involves staying the course and sticking with what is working well."

The shelter thinks it can accomplish the goals by doubling down on spay-and-neuter programs, providing food to needy pet owners, recruiting adoptive and foster families, and instituting an aggressive cat-alter-release program that will reduce feral cats.

Here's its 10-point plan:

1. Finding homes for homeless animals through adoptions and foster homes.
2. Fighting animal cruelty wherever it exists through assisting law enforcement and advocating for stronger laws.
3. Helping youth understand science through a nationally-recognized veterinary science initiative.
4. Containing outbreaks of deadly diseases through a communitywide rabies vaccination strategy.
5. Reuniting loved ones with their families through an in-depth lost and found program.
6. Saving the lives of abused and abandoned animals through individually customized treatment.
7. Preventing births of unwanted animals through a high volume, high quality, affordable spay/neuter strategy.
8. Guiding children to grow into humanitarians through a comprehensive humane education initiative.
9. Fighting Hunger When Food Is Unaffordable through a nonjudgmental pet-focused food bank.
10. Reducing the number of free roaming cats through a trap-vaccinate-alter & return to habitat plan.

The plan won't work without the public's participation, officials say.

“We’ll ask all citizens for a gift of their time, money and home," said Joe Elmore, Charleston Animal Society Chief Executive Officer. "An army of volunteers will be needed for foster homes, adoption ambassadors, socialization and off-site education and adoption events."

And of course it's going to increase costs.

"Money will be needed to pay for medications, specialized surgeries and treatment," Elmore said. "Homes will be needed for adoptions and fostering. This will be a tremendous challenge for community, but it can be done.  We believe in Charleston.”

About Charleston Animal Society

At 139 years old, Charleston Animal Society is the oldest animal organization in South Carolina and one of the oldest in the Nation.  It is also South Carolina’s leader in adoptions, spay/neuter procedures, free roaming cat services and research projects and has a nationally recognized Veterinary Science Initiative.