SALT LAKE CITY – Animal advocates began a push in the ’90s to make Utah a no-kill state when it comes to animal shelters, and officials recently said the percentage of animals in shelters that are killed have decreased significantly since that time.
The Best Friends Animal Society has been advocating for no-kill status in Utah since 1990, according to their website, and officials with the group said they hope to officially end all killings at Utah shelters by 2019.
Gregory Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said when they began their push, the survival rates for animals in shelters in Utah was 43 percent, but, “We’ve now reached a point where, last year, the save rate was 70 percent.”
Castle said their goal of a no-kill state is possible, if people put forth the effort.
“Best Friends has always believed, and always will believe, that ‘no-kill’ is possible; it’s possible to save all the animals,” he said. “It’s possible to save them all if we set about it the right way, if we put in place the right programs, if enough of us care about it, then it is possible.”
As of January, 21 shelters in Utah had a save rate of 90 percent, which has been accomplished by opening more adoption centers, spaying and neutering animals and other such measures.
To learn more about the group’s efforts to end animal killings in Utah shelters, click here.
