If West Valley Is So Great, Why Are So Many Animals Dying?

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A reader sent a comment to the effect, if West Valley is such a great shelter, why are so many animals dying? This is a great question. Yes, why are so many dying?

First, remember I went into the shelter on the weekend; there are always more adoptions then. The place was packed, volunteers and staff were friendly; that gives a very positive spin. That is why I said, "it was a nice place, or so it appeared." My opinion was conditional.

True, I did not see the isolation room or other rooms that might have sick cats being treated. There may be 30, 50 or 100 more for all I know. The cats I saw may have been the cream of the crop.

Also, although Boks may be slanting the numbers, no one strongly believes the shelters are not counting the animals coming in, although most agree that many high risk animals are being refused, such as kittens. If you cut kitten deaths in half, there will be a substantial cut in the euth rate.

Some are suggesting kittens may be going directly from intake to the bump room and not impounded or given a record. This is also a real possibility, but one no one can prove and which I do not know directly.

Impound numbers have been stable over the past three years, and down only a little for the past 12 months. This would suggest there are not that many refusals except in the kitten area.

By the way, Ra0 killed all of Mason's kittens--31, I believe. That is 100% kill. There was no attempt to treat or save and none were given to fosters.

BUT, adoptions are up 3,000 for dogs and cats and euth down by 4,900 (4,400 if you subtract the died in shelter numbers) since Boks came.

So the shelters are now doing better, or so it appears. Not that the shelters cannot do much better.

The live-save rate has gone from 51% to 59%. Not good at all, an 8% increase in two years is nothing to brag about. Earlier GM's did substantially better and they were boobs.

So if the West Valley shelter is so great, why are 41% of all animals checking in, not checking out (alive)?

We don't know for sure. Al that I can say is that what I saw on Saturday was very positive. Other shelters may be doing much worse, and those shelters may not be a place you want to go to.

Boks does not provide shelter by shelter stats. All stats represent the lumped together performance of all.

We know West LA does very well while others do not. I don't know how well WValley stacks up against the others or how many are adopted from WV or are killed in WV.

Yes. it is a good question, where and when are all the deaths happening?

But take a look at the photos. Does it not appear to be a good shelter?
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