THE PIONEERS OF
NO-KILL
In 1944, North Shore Animal League and Dog Protective Association, Inc., led by animal advocate Marianne H. Sanders, begins rescuing homeless animals in and around the Town of North Hempstead, Long Island. The Association dedicates itself to the no-kill philosophy.
North Shore Animal League’s first rescue vehicle hit the road in 1945.
LEADING BY
EXAMPLE
As Long Island grew in the early 60s, the Association had to choose between handling animal control and remaining no-kill. It chooses no-kill. In 1970, an estimated — and shocking — 17 million dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens were killed in animal shelters in this country alone.
Today, that number is estimated at 1.5 million. And even though 1.5 million is still painfully high, that decrease represents an inestimable number of lives saved, as well as an encouraging change in society’s attitude toward homeless pets.
“To me, no-kill is a vision for a compassionate society where every adoptable animal has a home and a chance to thrive. We’ve proven that rescue, nurture and adopt can save countless lives, but the path to a no-kill world runs through education.”
J. John Stevenson, President & CEO
“To me, no-kill is a vision for a compassionate society where every adoptable animal has a home and a chance to thrive. We’ve proven that rescue, nurture and adopt can save countless lives, but the path to a no-kill world runs through education.”
J. John Stevenson, President & CEO
THE IMPORTANCE OF
SPAY & NEUTER
The spaying/neutering of pets is critical to stopping the death of millions of adoptable dogs and cats who die in overcrowded shelters, or from abuse and abandonment each year. Spaying or neutering just one pet improves their health and saves generations of offspring from homelessness and misery.
Our mission is to end the suffering of innocent dogs and cats by reducing the number of unwanted births. Anyone who needs assistance finding affordable spay/neuter services can benefit by using the SpayUSA referral service.
PUSHING FOR A
NEW YORK STATE PROCLAMATION
Today in shelters across the country, adoptable animals risk euthanasia simply because there’s no room. Ten states have already passed no-kill proclamations and are saving thousands more lives. But New York – where our own no-kill campus is located – still has not taken meaningful action. A statewide no-kill proclamation would force shelters to work together, fund spay/neuter programs and replicate our proven lifesaving models to ensure no adoptable animal is without hope. Stand with us and add your name today.
“A statewide no-kill proclamation would be transformative. It would rally shelters, communities and lawmakers around a shared moral standard – that healthy and treatable animals should never be discarded. It would catalyze collaboration, create systemic support for spay/neuter and adoption initiatives and help replicate North Shore Animal League America’s proven models statewide to ensure no adoptable animal is ever left without hope.”
Joanne Yohannan, SVP of Operations
“A statewide no-kill proclamation would be transformative. It would rally shelters, communities and lawmakers around a shared moral standard – that healthy and treatable animals should never be discarded. It would catalyze collaboration, create systemic support for spay/neuter and adoption initiatives and help replicate North Shore Animal League America’s proven models statewide to ensure no adoptable animal is ever left without hope.”
Joanne Yohannan, SVP of Operations
BE A PART OF OUR NO-KILL MISSION TODAY
It took decades of hard work, innovation, and conviction to bring about this dramatic change, and for more than 80 years, North Shore Animal League America and its no-kill mission have led the way.
All too often, no-kill is defined by what it doesn’t do: kill adoptable, treatable pets. At Animal League America, no-kill means much more than that. It encompasses not only what we don’t do, but also what we do — and what we do, and have done brilliantly for more than eight decades, is introduce innovative programs that advance our mission to Rescue, Nurture, Adopt, and Educate — programs that have become models of excellence and effectiveness throughout the no-kill movement.
