The Halifax Humane Society follows the Asilomar Accords’ “Healthy” and “Treatable” definitions to guide our decisions regarding shelter animals. These guidelines, established in 2004 at the Asilomar International Conference on Animal Sheltering, were created by animal welfare experts to address challenges and set standards for ethical shelter practices.
While live release rates, save rates, and euthanasia rates are commonly used to measure shelter success, they offer only a limited view of performance. These numbers fail to account for other critical factors, such as the length of time animals stay in shelters, access to veterinary care, behavior enrichment, training programs, and efforts to reunite lost pets with their owners. These elements—along with the Asilomar Accords—are essential for evaluating the true welfare of shelter animals. Relying solely on rates can oversimplify the complex work of lifesaving and animal care.
Our shelter is committed to saving every animal in our care who can be saved. We do not end the lives of healthy or treatable pets even at an owner’s request. We only euthanize a pet if:
- A veterinarian has assessed that there is no chance of recovering an acceptable quality of life, or
- It would be clearly inhumane or unsafe not to do so immediately, or
- In cases of irremediable canine aggression when (1) a veterinarian has eliminated medical treatment as a solution; (2) rehabilitation by a specialist in canine behavior has failed; and (3) staff and public safety cannot be reasonably assured, or other management protocols seriously compromise quality of life.
Shelter Animals Count has created a national database that tracks shelter statistics nationwide to provide a more comprehensive picture of animal welfare efforts. This tool helps organizations like ours identify trends, improve operations, and better meet the needs of our communities. Halifax Humane Society actively contributes to this database, submitting our monthly shelter statistics. Our commitment to transparency and socially responsible sheltering practices ensures that we continually strive to improve the lives of the animals in our care.
