About Us

Understanding the Meaning of NO-KILL

We operate the Quad City Animal Welfare Center as a No-Kill shelter. There are many different understandings and definitions surrounding the term "No-Kill." Our center operates under the philosophy that we serve our community as a supplement to our local animal controls. While animal control shelters are funded with tax dollars, they are required to control the pet population, and unfortunately that often involves euthanasia. Because we accept approximately 50 percent of our animals from local animal control shelters, they do not have to euthanize the animal because there is no room. Our community is benefited by our willingness to accept, alter, vaccinate, and care for each animal until it can be adopted. Without our shelter, these animals would be otherwise be euthanized.

As the no-kill movement continues to grow, there are many debates regarding the terminology of "No-Kill." There are animal control shelters that state "no-kill" shelters are really not no-kill because they cannot accept every animal that comes into their facility. This belief is shared by a national humane organization which actively speaks out against no-kill shelters and condemns the words "no-kill." They believe that no-kill shelters should be referred to as "limited admission shelters." Unfortunately, when shelters spend time condemning other shelters, it is the animals for which they were created to care for who ultimately suffer.

It is our position that we will not pass judgment on any shelter that works towards the improvement of animal welfare. Each shelter in a community has a role and responsibility to fulfill, while they may have different philosophies and missions, in the end, we share a common goal, to help the animals of our community.

If we, as a no-kill shelter, did not exist, the animals that we accept and care for would be relinquished to the animal control, thus increasing the burden on them and the tax payers as well as increasing their euthansia rates.

We will help and work with any shelter that is committed to improving animal welfare. We have actively provided assistance, shared information and experiences with both no-kill shelters as well as animal control shelters across the country. Only together will we move closer to ending the suffering for all animals and thus eliminate the need for euthanasia.

Please remember that the problem of pet overpopulation is the responsibility of the entire community.