Welcome to the Elmira Animal Shelter



The No-Kill Movement

What is the No-Kill Shelter Project?
This important project was proposed in May of 2002 and put to task in October of 2002 at the request of Elmira City Manager, Samuel F. Iraci. Jr. The City Manager's position was that if the City was going to operate an Animal Control Program we would set high goals and develop a first rate program which reflected the true values of our community.

Our program would in fact reach into the heart of the problem. With the full support of the Elmira City Council, a focused volunteer group, re-energized staff and an approach that was based on thinking outside the box, we forged ahead with our new program concept. News of our project spread like wildfire, first with local stories followed by a flurry of attention nationwide including ABC News in NYC, the Poynter Institute in Florida and the Fredrick Maryland Post. I knew we were stepping into a new arena when a new local reporter, recently here from Idaho, informed me that she had heard about our efforts in her home state. It seems that this was a new and novel idea for a municipality to set such a high standard of compassion for the community's animals. We believe it reflects the attitude of our community, always reaching for the next step to a better Elmira.

We based our goals on national standards set by the Maddies fund program. These goals involve reaching 2 levels of success over a 5 year period. The first step is to find homes for all healthy and adoptable pets. Once this goal is achieved we would add to this all pets which can be rehabilitated.

In looking at these goals we resolved that we had to find and make use of programs which were succeeding elsewhere. We also knew we would have to develop and try new ideas. The program which had been used in Elmira for the past two decades had been unsuccessful and in fact, the animal population problem had greatly increased, especially the feral cat population which was rampant with disease and causing thousands of dollars of property damage each year. We determined we would need to take a long hard look at the overpopulation and find real time solutions which would have significant impact on the overpopulation continuum. After considerable research and consideration we decided on some initial planks which would lay the groundwork for our program platform.

a) Animal overpopulation results from 2 main sources
1) Stray animals breeding indiscriminately
2)

Owners failing to spay or neuter their pets due to the cost or lack of an understanding of how this failure contributes to overpopulation.
b)

Allowing un-neutered animals to remain on the street supports the overpopulation cycle and contributes to great animal suffering through disease, starvation and the perils of living on the street. Disease is Mother Nature's cruel method of population control. By not proactively dealing with the overwhelming population on the street we are not only condemning animals to a terrible life and death, but supporting additional homeless animals being born in following years. In plain talk, two cats left to roam and mate become 10, those 10 become 25 and so on.
c)

The numbers adopted out at shelters nationwide have been consistently far behind the population growth. Nationally published figures show between 10 and 15 percent of animals brought into shelters find good homes. The rest are simply destroyed. This does not take into account the large numbers of animals left on the streets and back roads of this country. Animals that fall victim to a life of struggle without a caring family, protection from the elements, predators, disease or starvation.
d)

Conquering the pet overpopulation problem will never be achieved by any shelter. Success will be a result of a coalition between our shelter, the community and other adjoining agencies working together on the highest level of determination and cooperation. Working together to find solutions and support programs which will have definitive impact in our area.


What we are doing about the problem?

  1. We formed the Friends of the Elmira Animal Shelter - This dedicated group is our think tank and volunteer reserve unit. Since its formation in January of 2002 they have provided for hundreds of volunteer hours and thousands of dollars in donated shelter goods and services. They additionally spearheaded many of the improvements at our shelter including a new adoption room, better animal health care and improvements to customer services as well as staffing our shelter outreach programs.

  2. Shelter Outreach Programs - This program is aimed at showcasing our animals at Community events and locations providing a forum for public education about our program. We have realized a considerable increase in adoptions due to this program as well as positive community response to our message.

  3. Low cost spay neuter program - Working with volunteers, other shelters and SOS (Shelter Outreach Services) we are able to spay and neuter a majority of our pets before they are adopted. This coalition eliminates duplication of fundraising and more efficient expenditures of funds.

  4. We have leveraged the Animal Control Unit to provide both enforcement and education to those pet owners that fail to obey local laws and ordinances. By education constant offenders, they are faced with the consequences of their conduct and are less likely to repeat it.

With these goals in mind and with these steps taken, we have already seen a dramatic increase in the number of adoptable pets going into loving and caring homes, a new attitude of responsibility and ownership among city pet owners, and an improved quality of life for all citizens of Elmira.

So please, Adopt a Friend for Life, volunteer at your local shelter, spay or neuter your pet, and help us to achieve our goal of a No-Kill Animal Shelter.

Sincerely,
Joel B. Klose
Animal Control Sergeant

Click here to read "Building a No-Kill Community", a publication by the Tompkins County SPCA on the path and challenges of becoming a no-kill animal shelter.