Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question: How do you compare to other shelters which say they place nearly 100% of their animals?

Answer: Some traditional kill shelters in the Twin Cities metro area publish a placement rate of around 98%. However, to understand these statistics, you have to understand how they are computed. Many shelters, including some in the Twin Cities area, say they place "98% of all adoptable animals." Use of this terminology allows shelters to destroy animals based on all sorts of subjective criteria, including age, color, breed and any other factor which might make these animals less desirable to the public. Because these animals are classified as "unadoptable" they are then not counted in the placement statistics. In other words, what these shelters are saying, in effect, is that they place most of the animals that they do not kill. Animal Ark believes this practice is misleading and irresponsible. We support the efforts of individuals in our community working to require shelters to report actual numbers of animals admitted vs the numbers destroyed. A true no-kill shelter, like Animal Ark, will only put an animal to sleep if it is terminally ill and suffering, or in the vary rare event that an animal poses a risk to public safety.

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