1

Running head: NO KILL SHELTERS

Community Problem Report: No Kill Shelters Equal to Higher Tax Dollars

The University of Texas at El Paso
ENGL 1301
October 17, 2016
Dawn Star Blazer

NO KILL SHELTERS

2
Abstract

This report addresses the issue of No Kill Shelters in El Paso, Texas. The following report
will explain what a No Kill Shelter is and outline its pros and cons. In this paper I will
demonstrate how funding for No Kill Shelters directly affects taxes by analyzing the city budget.
This shows a connection between funding a No Kill Shelters and city tax increase. This report
underlines how No Kill Shelters are ineffective and all they do is raise taxes on citizens of El
Paso, Texas. The increase of taxes does not correspond to the amount of animals rescued and
saved. The disclose work will show in exact numbers the true benefits of not increasing tax
dollars for a cause that has failed multiple times in the past years. Revealing in this report the
past years of not being successful of creating a No Kill Shelter, in detail, the report is able to
explain why not just El Paso, Texas has failed but also other large and smaller cities as well.

Key Words: No Kill Shelter, Tax Dollars, Funding, Correspond Ratios, Increasing Aid Statistics,
and City Budget Limitation.

NO KILL SHELTERS

3
Introduction

To have a successful No Kill Shelter it is to be one of the greatest challenges, El Paso,

Texas faces. For a No Kill Shelter to work, it requires the cooperation of multiple staff members
and part-time volunteers during a full 24-hour shift. These volunteers have to make outstanding
aim to be there, plus also share different responsibilities in caring for the animals in the shelter.
For example, at the City of El Paso Animal Services Center, the animal caretaker responsibilities
include feeding and medicating the animals, sanitizing every cage, disinfecting all of the animal
room surfaces, washing and sanitizing cages, food trays, toys, and replacing what is needed to
give them an overall five star temporary home (elpasotexas.gov). When city officials discuss
increasing the tax dollars to support this idea of a No Kill Shelters, the city officials would need a
minimum of a million dollars to even start this process (The El Paso Times). Evidence has shown
even if, the citizens of El Paso agree to increase tax dollars, the ration of animals rescued and not
to eliminate them will not hold advantageous. It is clear that city officials including Mayor
Oscar Leeser, their goal is to live releases to be 100 percent, this not an easy task. Without the
proper knowledge, funding, and expertises, complications will only be harder to tolerate in the
future terms. This report will cover No Kill Shelters, tax dollars, funding, and corresponding
ratios in connection to the No Kill Shelters, increasing aid statistics, and city budget limitation.
Education on No Kill Shelter Future Aid
The most widely accepted definition of a no-kill shelter is a place where all adoptable
and treatable animals are saved and where only unadoptable or non-rehabilitatable animals are
euthanized (nokillnow.com). Animal-welfare groups and city call members are pushing to make
shelters across El Paso no kill zones but looking at the numbers provided the policy could be
cost-prohibitive at any Lone Star city ran shelter.

NO KILL SHELTERS

Weeks after looking into this El Paso City Council budget, they have approved a nonbinding resolution calling for the city shelter to implement no-kill policies, a vigorous discussion
has unfolded about overhauling El Paso's entire Animal Care and Control operation being
upheld. The goal would be to save 100 percent of animals taken in by the city; by national
standards a pet shelter is considered no-kill if no more than 10 percent of the population is
euthanized. Last year, the city saved about 42 percent of dogs and cats (The El Paso Times). But
to put into practice a no-kill policy, the vast majority of animals would be in hearty. Euthanasia
as a last resort for severely ill or dangerous animals in future their vision.
According to an Animal Welfare spokesperson Elton John, together, workers at a city
pound and private rescue groups would maintain an uninterrupted marketing campaign designed
to find homes for lost and homeless pets. Such a change in 2016 would likely require an infusion
of cash, according to the El Paso's no-kill organization, beyond the Animal Care and Control's
center. The most recent start of million-budget appropriation, a very tall order for a city in the
grips of a public school budget shortfall and a looming public superannuation crisis cut.
The city of El Paso has already drastically lowered its number of euthanized animals
since year 2009 and its Animal Care and Control office, $611,992 in unused fiscal year 2016
funds to help pay for recommended improvements, which includes additional Animal Services
personnel and facility enhancements (El Paso Proud). Researching the El Paso City Budget that
got approved funding to start this long step program. The first out of three steps entailed nearly
an over the top $3 million bill. Even though the El Paso No Kill Shelter have been requesting
this bill since the beginning of 2016, the remaining funds is expected to occur during the fiscal
year 2017 and 2018 budget sessions to equal the $3 million. The ideal services that will be
upheld with this outrages $3 million budget are to promote a healthy, sustainable community.

NO KILL SHELTERS

5
No Kill Shelter Crisis Statistics

Recent government and city surveys concluded No Kill Shelters would never be satisfied
with the amount given. No Kill Shelters increase funding each year, since the amount of animals
always goes up. The majority of No-Kill Shelter owners must raise a hefty amount of money to
keep saving animals. Therefore, they will always have a go fund me account. Many larger and
smaller cities such as Chicago, Illinois and considering the overall state of Michigan have tried
this hope method but end up failing miserably. Due to an overflow of animal control, the
corruption couldnt keep funding it at such a high level, and finally the citizens didnt see the fit
for increasing taxes for animals. The dream of having a successful No Kill Shelter was there, but
at the end of the day it was not a likely outcome.
The same will be for El Paso, Texas because the average income is $40,808
(thebestplaces. net). Every dollar counts and when a family gets their budget they do not account
for funding a No Kill Shelter monthly, or even annually. This report has expressed in confidence
that El Paso, having the right leadership, could create a model of no-kill environment, but it will
not be done cheaply or passively. Many citizens will argue it is the right thing to do to fund the
No Kill Shelter Budget but it is not easy to do this. Until everyone is on board on this project, it
will never work because it will always stay an idea if people are not 100 percent devoted.
Conclusion and Recommendations
This report overview is stating No Kill Shelters are transparency. Animals are being
killed so they can be networked and that is the overall goal. The mentality in some of these
facilities is not one that supports working with rescues, but just to get the desired bill. The paper
outlines that No Kill Shelters are not possible right now or maybe not ever. The reason why they
are not possible is because the El Paso citizens make so little compared to other funded No Kill

NO KILL SHELTERS

Shelter cities that El Paso cannot support. This report, illustrates how increasing taxes would not
benefit this cause of not euthanizing animals. The animals at the center only have x amount of
time, so in true meaning it they try to cram a full exposure for the animals because they know
future aid is impossible. The No Kill Shelters do the best they can with what they have.

NO KILL SHELTERS

References
Animal Abuse and Neglect. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2016, from
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/
Animal Recuse League of El Paso. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2016, from http://arlep.org/pages/
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme RCG Forest
Leigh, J. X. (n.d.). Animal Cruelty Must Stop. Retrieved October 2, 2016, from
http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/environment/article/90968/Animal-Cruelty-MustStop/Website by Emerson Media
M. (Ed.). (2008). Animals Abused & Abandoned, Inc. Surviving against all odds. Retrieved
October 2, 2016, from http://www.animals-abused.org/other-animal-stories.htm
Pet finder. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2016, from https://www.petfinder.com/animal-sheltersand-rescues/All trademarks are owned by Socit des Produits Nestl S.A., or used with
permission.
Pet guardian angel - pet adoption & rescue. (2016). Retrieved October 3, 2016, from
http://pgawaep.org
Project, T. S. P. Resources for pet owners. Retrieved October 3, 2016, from The Shelter Pet
Project, http://theshelterpetproject.org/shelters
Wilson, J. M. (2015, February 17). The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (ASPCA). Retrieved October 2, 2016, from http://www.aspca.org/about-us