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Remembering Our Spirit
By Kathleen Kistler, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Sequoia Humane Society
On June 30, 2004, the Sequoia Humane Society will relinquish its animal control duties and become a no-kill shelter. Animal Control functions will be maintained by the county, which is currently building a new shelter. The Sequoia Humane Society is located in Eureka, California, 225 miles north of San Francisco.
At the core of the Sequoia Humane Society’s spirit is the love for animals and commitment to doing the very best we can for those who are lost, abandoned or abused. Our sense of what is best for us to do has changed over time, but has always come from the same place of love and respect for all beings.
Founded with the purpose of promoting responsible pet ownership and providing humane shelter and care for homeless animals, the SHS dreamed of building a shelter to replace the dilapidated County pound where most animals ended up cruelly euthanized in a carbon monoxide chamber. The dream was realized in 1981. The new shelter, owned and operated by the non-profit SHS, was a huge improvement for the animals. Sadly, it wasn’t long before we found that even our best intentions and a new shelter could not guarantee a good life for all of the animals who entered our doors. Too often, the best we could do for the animals was end their lives by humane injection.
There seemed to be no alternative. Thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens were still being born and people still thought of pets as disposable commodities. The shelter was too small to provide long term sanctuary for the animals – despite several expansions and remodeling. Much to our dismay, we became known as “those people who kill animals.” Our spirits hurt, but we carried on, doing the best we could for the animals.
Gradually, we realized that we were harming our own spirits and that of our organization every time we euthanized an animal for lack of space. After some painful soul searching our Board of Directors realized the inconsistency between our love for animals and our complicity in ending their lives. The SHS does not believe that killing is an acceptable solution to the problem of pet overpopulation. It never did. Yet, without meaning to, we had fallen into the trap of despair and accepted the platitude that there was no alternative.
As soon as we made the decision to honor our spirit and do everything in our power to end the tragedy of euthanasia, solutions began to appear. We changed our animal intake and adoption procedures, hugely expanded our spay/neuter programs, and determined to find a home for every adoptable animal. Remembering our true spirit in this way brought new life to the organization. It took surprisingly little time to completely turn things around.
Around the country, hundreds of humane societies like ours have had similar awakenings and begun to honor their own spirits. With words and actions we are sending a clear message that animals have value and should be treated with respect. When animals are valued as living beings, not just commodities that can be discarded at our convenience, the pet overpopulation problem will be solved. Owners will spay and neuter their pets and all those who are born will be assured of lifelong, loving homes.
When asked why he spent so much time and money talking about kindness to animals when there is so much cruelty to men, George Angell (founder of the Massachusetts SPCA in 1868) replied, “I am working at the roots.” When human beings finally learn to honor the spirit of all beings most of the world’s problems will be solved.
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