by Kathleen Williams, President, Friends of Pets of Klamath Basin

Open-Door Shelters are those that accept any animal when requested to do so. These types of shelters do not turn animals away, no matter the circumstance. They often feel positive that the animal is better off with them than living on the street or in an abusive situation. The upside is that the animals have a food, shelter, and a chance at a new life; the downside is conditions can be stressful and the shelter can end up with more animals than available cages. These shelters often are forced to euthanize to gain space when crowding occurs.

The classic example of an open-door shelter is our local Klamath Humane Society. This organization has no formal obligation to the community to take in all animals and chooses to maintain an open-door policy. KHS also has a contract with Klamath County to accept all canines presented by an animal control officer. For this service the organization receives up to $80,000.00 per year. In Year 2002, animal control officers brought in 912 roaming canines.

The shelter also accepted 1,711 felines during the Year 2002. Only 168 were adopted (10%) and 1,486 either died or were euthanized (nearly 90%). Homeless canines entering the shelter numbered 1,700. Of that number 51% were adopted and 49% euthanized. The cost for KHS to dispose of 2,000 lbs. of carcass at a Medford area landfill is $35.00.

The shelter has fewer than 20 cages to adequately house felines. Our position is the shelter voluntarily took in more animals than they could properly handle and some unnecessarily died because of their open-door policy. Granted, some felines were feral and appropriately euthanized. It is our opinion, however, that many endured inhumane treatment because cats were excessively crowded and exposed to disease, causing death. Others were highly stressed and could not endure the conditions, rendering them non-adoptable by “attitude,” and were destroyed.

Open-door shelters help as many as they can, but with overwhelming numbers only a small percentage of the animals may benefit.

No-Kill Shelters accept animals with a commitment not to destroy because a one runs out of adoption time, is sick, injured, aged, or shy. Some even retain Felv/FIV or FIP cats. Because these shelters keep their animals for longer periods they are normally limited on the number of new ones that can enter the program. Since these shelters do not euthanize to gain space, they depend upon adoptions to create space to take in more.

Friends of Pets of Klamath Basin is this type of shelter. Every feline entering our program is given the best of health care and a guarantee to be adopted into a long-term, loving home or have a place at “Cat Haven.” The upside is every cat receives care; the downside is cats can live a long time and if they are not adopted then “spaces” stay filled, further constricting new admissions into the program. In Year 2002, 434 new cats came into our program. Of that number 311 were adopted and 101 died (23% death rate). Naturally, we have “leftovers” from Year 2001 still in our program. Generally the number of felines in our program ranges between 90 and 130. A minimum of 50 cats reside fulltime at Cat Haven.

During our first year of existence in 2001, we accepted into our program every feline that we could squeeze into a pen because the demand for our no-kill program was great. Although we did not keep accurate statistics on the numbers the first year, it is estimated we took in a minimum of 600 felines. Even with that low number, when compared to the shelter’s inductions, we experienced significant numbers suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), ringworm, upper respiratory disease, and distemper virus. FIP is not a completely understood disease, but stress will stimulate the virus. FIP is not curable and will end in death of the cat.

Our view is that our crowding and caging of felines for long periods was a cause of the increased numbers of FIP cases. Because we had so many, the kittens had to wait longer to be adopted as we had more supply than demand. The kittens often became ill while waiting due to further exposure to other felines coming into the program, which in effect caused them to have to wait even longer to have the chance to gain a home. Recovering from these diseases requires a minimum of two to six weeks.

We soon realized that with the very cats we were trying to help we, in fact, were doing the opposite. The crowded, penned conditions became a health factor and we are sure some eventually died because of it. The faces of Edward and Eddie come immediately to mind. They were handsome tabby brothers who came to us very ill, remained sick off and on with diarrhea and other health issues, and remained confined to their 42” pen longer than normal. Both developed FIP when six months of age. These beautiful faces and loving cats are now gone.

With every feline that comes to us we make a commitment to help it move forward. If we take in more than we can properly handle, which is a maximum of 130 including Cat Haven, then the very ones at the beginning that we promised to help are put at risk. We know we have a limit of how many we can provide adequate care and truly help. Should we become overwhelmed in numbers, and euthanasia is not an option for us to end crowding, we fail in the end and have hurt the very ones we said we would help. For this reason when we are “at capacity,” we will decline accepting felines until adoptions have cleared space.

In the past busy summer months we have taken in as many as 60 cats each month. We readily acknowledge this number stretches our capabilities. If a kitten becomes ill, it may require an additional six weeks to heal before it is healthy enough to be available for adoption. So, as we take in 60 more the next month, we have the others that linger behind needing care.

We also require a specified donation with each induction of felines, regardless of ownership or circumstance. Many homeless felines need our help; our budget is small, and we have limited space. We also prioritize and heavily fund a spay/neuter program. We are committed to reserving our cages for people and cats that understand the hard work and cost involved and will help us financially. We can no longer take in cats free of charge as we did in 2001 because our costs to maintain this program are significant.

As it is the choice of an open-door shelter to take in “any and all,” it is our choice to protect and care for only the number of felines that we can truly provide adequate care. No matter the type of shelter, whether open-door or no-kill, they all have limited space. We have seen what happens to the cats under our care when we take in too many. To those that died with us we are forever regretful and are sorrowful for their loss.