EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Animal Care and Control is nearing its “no-kill” goal for saving healthy and treatable animals.
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“The county is working hard to get to its ‘no-kill’ status and because of the efforts of local rescue groups and organizations we are succeeding,” Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. “We wouldn’t be able to reach the numbers we have without their help.”
Prenzler said that in order to be “no-kill” there must a 90 percent save rate for the cats and dogs and this year through the end of July the county met that goal. The county held a press conference on Friday to announce the changes in numbers.
According to Animal Control records as of July 31, the county saved 91.3 percent of the dogs taken in and 83.4 percent of the cats.
Prenzler said that prior to 2017 the numbers were not available online. However, the statistics are now put up weekly.
“Anyone can go online and check the numbers,” Prenzler said. “The public can track our progress.”
Through the end of July, the county euthanized 103 of the approximately 1,000 animals it took in with most of the remaining going to local rescues for adoption.
Katherine Conder, Animal Care and Control manager, credits several changes for the drop in euthanasia rates.
“The biggest change is the work done by rescues,” Conder said.
She said when the county increased the hold time from three days to 10 it gave rescues more time
“The longer an animal is held the greater chance its owner will be found, or a rescue will take it,” Conder said. “The last thing we want to do is euthanize a healthy animal.”
Conder said as rescues pull more animals from the facility there will be fewer animals euthanized, bringing the county toward the goal of “no-kill.”
The overall number of animals brought in during 2017 was 1,911 and in 2016 was 2,221. The number of cats and dogs euthanized in 2017 was 685. In 2016, the total of euthanized animals was 1,078.
“We want to continue bringing our numbers down, so we’ve started allowing rescues from outside Madison County to come in and pull from our facility,” Conder said.
The new policy will allow rescue groups or organizations who hold a license with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pick up animals.
Since taking over as manager, Conder said she’s worked hard to make connections with rescue groups and organizations in order to place as many animals as she can.
“We want to find every healthy dog and cat a home,” she said. “They deserve it.”
Conder said the county is also getting ready to start a pilot program for fostering cats and kittens from the facility. She said that one of the rescues is taking the feral cats and relocating them after spaying and neutering them as part of its barn program.
Prenzler said the numbers speak volumes for what is taking place.
“It represents a big shift in how we are taking care of animals at the shelter,” he said.
He said in the past, it was acceptable to bring an animal to the shelter because you did not want it anymore and shelter personnel put them down without giving it any thought.
“People now place value on the lives of cats and dogs,” Prenzler said. “The county considers them of value and we want to make sure if they are healthy and treatable they remain alive and ready for adoption.”
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