09/03/2026
‼️ We're gonna say some things. You may not agree, but this is where we stand. We're tired of getting berated, yelled at, hung up on, belittled over messenger & emails. Y'all wonder why the burn out rate in rescue is high... 😓
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"Kill" shelters are not the enemy. They are not bad or evil. They are a safe haven for pets that find themselves lost or for strays to get the help they need to eventually be adopted.
We aren't sure why so many of y'all feel that it is in the best interest of an animal to bypass your local shelter just because it is a "kill" shelter. Shelters are the FIRST place people look for their lost pet. Shelters play a crucial role in reuniting owners with their pets.
🛑 So what happens when you bypass that? 🛑
You mess things up. You stop reunions. You cause distress for the animal you claim you "saved".
If you're going to pick up an animal off the side of the road, then DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING. Before picking it up, report it as lost to the shelter and ask for their advice on next steps. If they say bring the animal in, BRING IT IN. Follow instructions.
If you pick up an animal and you are ~sooo against taking them to kill shelters~ then STOP PICKING THEM UP. Rescues are not out here to be your go to back up plan. You know why? We PULL those dogs that aren't easily adopted from the kill shelter you despise so much.
Yeah, they're really out here just euthanizing everyone aren't they? 🙄
🧩 Putting the pieces together? When you bypass the shelter and ask rescues to take in animals (that probably have owners somewhere), you put the animal that we want to pull in more jeopardy. Now, that owner has NO CLUE where to contact to find their baby. We're left trying to get them adopted, and meanwhile the animal we promised to help in the shelter sits in a tiny a** kennel deteriorating and suffering because you BEGGED us to help you instead.
If you pick up a dog and you decide to not contact the shelter, then be prepared to take care of it yourself. You read a sob story on FB and decided to "save" it, it's on you to take care of it. If you aren't prepared for vet bills, behavior problems, etc then LEAVE IT ALONE. We're drowning. We're not & cannot be your backup plan. If rescues are always the fallback, then we'll never able to help serve the shelters we promised to help.
Signed the tired rescuers at BMAR 💔
