Success
We list communities that self-report placement rates of 90% or more of dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals, an important milestone on the road to No Kill. While we continue to applaud the growing number of communities in the 90% Club, they are not necessarily No Kill. We recognize that the goal of the No Kill movement is not to simply reduce the killing to some consensus-based percentage. It is to end the killing of animals who are not irremediably suffering and thus return the term “euthanasia” to its dictionary definition.
With the number of communities reporting placement rates as high as 99% increasing at a dramatic rate, with progress in veterinary medicine, and with advancements in our understanding of canine behavior, we cannot judge today’s success on yesterday’s antiquated standards. This is not some aspirational goal for the future. We can do better than 90%. Indeed, we can do better than 95%. The growing number of communities placing 98%, 99%, and even higher prove it. Communities should not set future goals for themselves that are a step backward from what the movement has already achieved.
The science is on our side. Ethics are on our side. The numbers are on our side. And experience is on our side.
Onward and upward…
With the number of communities reporting placement rates as high as 99% increasing at a dramatic rate, with progress in veterinary medicine, and with advancements in our understanding of canine behavior, we cannot judge today’s success on yesterday’s antiquated standards. This is not some aspirational goal for the future. We can do better than 90%. Indeed, we can do better than 95%. The growing number of communities placing 98%, 99%, and even higher prove it. Communities should not set future goals for themselves that are a step backward from what the movement has already achieved.
The science is on our side. Ethics are on our side. The numbers are on our side. And experience is on our side.
Onward and upward…
Madison County/Huntsville
Healdsburg
Palm Springs
Petaluma
Sebastopol
Palm Springs
Petaluma
Sebastopol
Akron
Arapahoe County
Archuleta County
Brush
Cedaredge
Chaffee County
Clear Creek
Cripple Creek
Eagle County
Frederick
Fremont County
Ft. Morgan
Garfield County
Gilpin County
Glenwood Springs
Lake County
Longmont
Ouray County
Pitkin County
Rifle
Rio Blanco County
Routt County
San Miguel County
Teller County
Telluride
Trinidad
Arapahoe County
Archuleta County
Brush
Cedaredge
Chaffee County
Clear Creek
Cripple Creek
Eagle County
Frederick
Fremont County
Ft. Morgan
Garfield County
Gilpin County
Glenwood Springs
Lake County
Longmont
Ouray County
Pitkin County
Rifle
Rio Blanco County
Routt County
San Miguel County
Teller County
Telluride
Trinidad
Brevard County
Lake County
Lake County
Rabun County
Brown County
Delaware County
Dubois County
Fulton County
Hamilton County
Porter County
Delaware County
Dubois County
Fulton County
Hamilton County
Porter County
Ames
Clive
Urbandale
West Des Moines
Clive
Urbandale
West Des Moines
Allen Park
Alger County
Baraga County
Barry County
Benzie County
Bloomfield Township
Chippewa County
Clinton County
Delta County
Flat Rock
Gogebic County
Grosse Ile
Houghton County
Keweenaw County
Lenawee County
Madison Heights
Manistee County
Marquette County
Midland County
Missaukee County
Montmorency County
Muskegon County
Ogemaw County
Otsego County
Roscommon County
Schoolcraft County
Shiawassee County
St. Joseph County
Washtenaw County
Wexford County
Wyandotte
Alger County
Baraga County
Barry County
Benzie County
Bloomfield Township
Chippewa County
Clinton County
Delta County
Flat Rock
Gogebic County
Grosse Ile
Houghton County
Keweenaw County
Lenawee County
Madison Heights
Manistee County
Marquette County
Midland County
Missaukee County
Montmorency County
Muskegon County
Ogemaw County
Otsego County
Roscommon County
Schoolcraft County
Shiawassee County
St. Joseph County
Washtenaw County
Wexford County
Wyandotte
Duluth
Hastings
Rosemount
Hastings
Rosemount
Flathead County
Kansas City
Carson City
Washoe County
Washoe County
Cape May County
Ewing
Jersey City
Livingston
Montclair
Morris
Ocean City
Perth Amboy
Pequannock
Secaucus
Somerset
Warren
Wayne
West Milford
Ewing
Jersey City
Livingston
Montclair
Morris
Ocean City
Perth Amboy
Pequannock
Secaucus
Somerset
Warren
Wayne
West Milford
Sante Fe
Haywood County
Columbus County
Lee County
Lincoln County
Rowan County
Polk County
Watauga County
Columbus County
Lee County
Lincoln County
Rowan County
Polk County
Watauga County
Pickaway County
Norman
Maryville
Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge
Austin
Pflugerville
Seagoville
Travis County
Williamson County
Pflugerville
Seagoville
Travis County
Williamson County
Alexandria
Appomattox County
Augusta County
Charlottesville-Albemarle
Colonial Heights
Emporia
Essex County
Fairfax County
Fluvanna County
James City County
King George County
Loudoun County
Louisa County
Montgomery County
New Kent County
Northumberland County
Shenandoah County
Tappahannock
Warren County
Williamsburg
Appomattox County
Augusta County
Charlottesville-Albemarle
Colonial Heights
Emporia
Essex County
Fairfax County
Fluvanna County
James City County
King George County
Loudoun County
Louisa County
Montgomery County
New Kent County
Northumberland County
Shenandoah County
Tappahannock
Warren County
Williamsburg
Camano Island
Kitsap County
Spokane County
Whidbey Island
Kitsap County
Spokane County
Whidbey Island
Brookfield
Delafield
Iron County
Oshkosh
Superior
Delafield
Iron County
Oshkosh
Superior
For more information, including detailed statistical reports, number of people served, and links to individual municipal facilities, click here.
Please note: While others suggest there are more communities than we have listed, and there may be more we do not know about, we do not include communities based on a combined rate or that fall below 90% when animals who died in their kennels or were killed "at the request of their owners" are included. We do not believe doing so is honest. We also do not list communities based on media reports. We have verified that many of the communities claiming a 90% placement rate to the media fall below that, in some cases well below 90%, when their numbers are actually counted. For example, one California community claimed to have a 93% placement rate, but when all cats were counted, the placement rate was only 77%. This is not uncommon.
