“Welcome to Behind the Kennel Doors, where we uncover the truth about animal services what shelters really are, what they’re not, and what life is like for the dogs who pass through them.”
“Every year, millions of dogs enter shelters. Not all of them make it out alive.”
When most people hear the word ‘animal shelter,’ they imagine a safe place. A refuge. A temporary stop on the way to a loving home. But the truth is far more complicated. Shelters are not sanctuaries. They are holding facilities often overcrowded, underfunded, and misunderstood. For the dogs inside, life is not filled with comfort or hope. It is filled with waiting. Waiting in kennels, waiting in fear, waiting for someone to see them before time runs out
Every shelter is different and has their own way of doing things, but a general rule is that dogs MUST be given a minimum of 72 hours before they are killed if the need to make space is there.
In many shelters, the harsh reality is that decisions about which dogs live and which dogs die often come down to perceived adoptability. It’s not always about need or fairness it’s about demand. Shelters weigh what the public is most likely to take home, who they believe has a better chance of being adopted quickly, and those judgments become the deciding factor. A young, small, or popular breed may be given more time, while seniors, large dogs, or stigmatized breeds may be euthanized simply because they’re harder to ‘get off the floor.’ In the end, customer demand shapes survival. and this is not how animal services was intended to be. instead this like so many other themes traditions, etc has been tainted by humans and interrupted in ways that convenance those interrupting the field of animal welfare.
Two Seniors Holding On… Praying This Isn’t Their Final Destination… begging for just one more chance at life. Code: #A587508
Female, approximately 11 years old Code: #A587575 Male, approximately 15 years old San Bernardino City Animal Shelter 333 Chandler Place San Bernardino, CA 92408 Email: sbcanimalshelter@sbcity.org Phone: (909) 998-4000 Both currently housed together in: Kennel V144
the dogs above have spent 15 years together; all they know is one another clearly their lives have been turned upside down and the only thing they have left to keep their own light on inside is each other yet here they are trapped in a shelter that holds only a 63 % save rate. this shelter also has openly admitted that they spend 60 % of their budget on salaries, and this is not including a vet or tech team. now let’s assume that they spend 20 % of what is left on a vet team at least one can hope and that’s not all that much, we are now left with just 30 % of the budget and with that 30% they need to hire a tech team and care for the animals in their care. I am going to let you finish this on your own with the hope that like me you will soon come to see how badly we as humans continue to fail the animals we claim to love. I am sure that like me many if not all of those who find themselves reading this do love animals so I am hoping that you hear what I am saying and that you don’t get caught up in a sudden need to waste time trying to defend yourself love is not all cupcakes and rainbows it sometimes is doing what is hard so that those we love are able to grow. the next thing I would like you to think about is what does love mean to you. when you say I love you or I love them or I love this or that what does that mean? what experience dose what and who you love differ from what and who you do not?
there are no wrong answers, and you do not have to share with us of course if you are willing to and want to you are more than welcome to leave a comment.
for myself love is a fondness of something or someone that exceeds the tolerance acceptance and enjoyment of what and who you like. when I say ” I love you” whether it’s to my spouse, kids, a family member, or a close friend what I am saying is ” you are a part of my life, and it’s purpose, I am truly thankful to have the honor of having our paths entangled and your presence goes into completing my overall fulfillment contentment and satisfaction with my existence here on earth.” it means that I care about your thoughts, feelings, needs, dreams, wants, likes, dislikes, fears, and I want to give back the feeling of completion, I want to help in any way I might be able to in order for you to reach your goals and dreams. it means I will respect you and treat you better than how I want to be treated, and it also means that I will always be 100% honest with you I will tell you when your actions are out of alignment with manifesting your heart’s true desires. it, means that if I have it, you have it. what is mine is available to you if a time comes that you might be in need, it means that I will be there when you need someone to vent to, someone to advocate for you someone to remind you of inner worth and get you back on track.
if this seems like we took a turn off somewhere rest assured we are right on track I promise. Before we move on and I share how this is fits into the overall message I really want to take some time to think about this entry and dig deep don’t rush into saying the first thing that comes to your mind.
thank you for you taking the time to read this thank you for showing up and for your willingness to hear what I have to say.
G&Cs Advocacy and Rescue 