Nathan Winograd's Redemption Book Has Revolutized Animal Rescue

That "no-kill" shelters are often not operated in the way in which the public expects is not entirely untrue.

One of the issues with "no-kill" shelters is that they accept only "perfect" animals. While they may take the cute puppy, the purebred dog, the calico cat and the litter of kittens, they often don't accept the handicapped animals, older animals, black cats and other difficult-to-adopt pets. These are left behind to be killed at government animal control facilities.

Too often at "no-kill" shelters, animals will end up spending months, if not years, living in a cage, waiting to be adopted.

However, despite the issues that exist in many "no-kill" shelters, Nathan Winograd's book "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation" has convinced many rescuers that perhaps there is a loving, forever home for every stray and homeless dog and cat.

A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former criminal prosecutor and corporate attorney, Winograd left these positions and entered the world of rescue. He was Director of Operations for the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and executive director for the Tompkins County (NY) SPCA, before founding the No Kill Advocacy Center.

In "Redemption," Winograd argues that there are enough homes for the dogs and cats being killed in shelters.

For too long, he writes in the book, rescuers and shelters have blamed the public for the pet-overpopulation problem. The public has been blamed for not caring for their animals they way they should and for allowing their animals to reproduce, continually creating a new cycle of unwanted pets.

Winograd blames the majority of the issue on those who have worked for decades to save the lives of stray and homeless dogs, resorting to killing them - or euthanasia if you find that word easier to stomach -because of an uncaring and irresponsible public. In the 2007 book, Winograd states that shelters are killing animals because of bad shelter leadership.

There are mandatory programs that must be put in place in shelters, according to the Center, in order for shelters to stop killing dogs and cats. These include:

Feral Cat Trap-Neuter-Return Program. Trap-Neuter-Return sees feral cats caught in humane traps, neutered and returned to their home territory. A caretaker ensures the cats are fed each day and have access to water. They also monitor the colony for injuries or illness.

High-Volume, Low-Cost Spay/Neuter. Various non-profit organizations and government entities are now offering spay/neuter clinics, vouchers and subsidies to help low-income residents pay for sterilization of their pets.

Rescue Groups. Too often, rescuers have been denied access to dogs and cats in animal control facilities. Often there are bad relationships between "kill" shelters and these organizations. However, Winograd argues that in order for a shelter to move away from killing its charges, "rare is the circumstance" when a rescue organization should be denied taking an animal.

Foster Care. Foster care solves one of the problems often pointed to by those who say "no-kill" is not realistic. They say the choice often comes down to an animal spending its life in a cage in the shelter or being killed. However, foster care gets animals into the loving nurture of a foster caregiver, helps the animal to socialize and gets the animal out of the cage until it can be adopted.

Comprehensive Adoption Programs. Winograd says the quality and quantity of adoptions is in shelter management's hands. Shelters must promote their animals and have adoption programs that are responsive to the needs of the community, he states. "Contrary to conventional wisdom," according to the No Kill Advocacy Center, "shelters can adopt their way out of killing."

Pet Retention. Communities must work with people to help them solve the problems that cause them to part with their animals. "Animal control agencies can maintain 'libraries' of pet care and behavior fact sheets in the shelter and on the Web site," according to the Center. "Articles in local papers, radio and television spots all provide opportunities to feature topics like solving litterbox avoidance and excessive barking. Other pet retention programs include free in-home dog behavior problem-solving by volunteers, low-cost dog training, pet friendly rental programs, dog walker referrals and pet behavior classes.

Medical and Behavior Rehabilitation. Shelters should set aside funding or develop programs to treat sick or injured animals that enter their facilities, according to Winograd. This can include public donations, working with local veterinarians, and establishing a relationship with a veterinary college.

Public Relations/Community Involvement. Shelters must rebuild their relationship with the community, according to the No Kill Advocacy Center, and this begins "with redefining oneself as a 'pet rescue' agency."

Volunteers. The purpose of this program, according to the Center, is to help the shelter help the animals. Volunteers allow shelter animals time for socialization, exercise, training and these people often become a shelter's advocate in the community.

Compassionate Director. This, according to the Center, is the most important element of all. After all, Winograd argues from the beginning, the problems today exist because of poor shelter leadership.

While many rescuers have been convinced that Winograd's formula is the answer, many of these programs are ones that must implemented by shelters and government agencies.

Suggest your local government officials, newspaper writers or animal control agencies request a free copy of "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America."

Through May 1, 2009, the No Kill Advocacy Center is offering free copies of the book if the writer, official or animal control director sends a letter on official stationary asking for a copy.

The letters should be mailed to No Kill Advocacy Center, 6114 La Salle Ave. #837, Oakland, CA 94611.