Is HSCC a “no-kill”shelter?
As stated in the “History & Philosophy” section of our About Us page, the answer to this question is yes. . .and no. While HSCC meets the generally understood guidelines for a “no-kill” shelter (we do not euthanize animals for space or length of stay), we choose very deliberately not to label ourselves with a brand such as “no-kill.” The truth is, even shelters that choose to use such a label have to make the decision to euthanize animals whose health or behavior makes them either inappropriate to place or subject to a very low quality of life. While we admire and appreciate the spirit and philosophy behind the “no-kill” movement, we also think it can be a misleading label. Without exception, euthanasia decisions are the most difficult – not to mention often painful and even heart-breaking – decisions we face in the course of our work. We invest every resource within our reach and within reason to rehabilitate, cure, and help the animals who come our way. Sometimes their health conditi