I was in Glendale earlier today and saw a road sign for the “Animal Shelter,” so we went to try and visit their dogs and it ended up being the local Humane Society. Upon entering we started talking to the lady behind the counter and found out that they self-labeled their facility a “No Kill” shelter. That was great, so I was curious to see if they were a legitimate No Kill shelter or one that poses as one, yet fails to follow the true essence of what one is supposed to represent. Right off the bat, they wouldn’t let us see the dogs, instead pointing us to a book that was on the desk. They only had about 20 dogs and were not an open intake shelter. They didn’t have any Pit Bulls and explained that the reason they didn’t is because they “don’t do well when kenneled.” I certainly commend this facility for what they are doing, and the lives that they are saving, but they are definitely not a No Kill shelter and actually serve to discredit that actual movement by calling themselves one. There are indeed real No Kill shelters in this country that have open admission and succeed in a number of programs that lead to 90+% save-rates. I don’t make this post to complain about Glendale, but you are either a No Kill shelter or you are not. It shouldn’t be something that is an advertising schtick or a trendy way to promote yourself. Every shelter SHOULD strive to be one, but by not being genuine in approach you make it much harder for the ones that are actually walking the walk. You also confuse the people (i.e. L.A.) and disingenuously lead them on, when all that good will and energy could actually be put to use doing it the proven way. This is a problem because there’s a huge misconception out there that there isn’t any such thing as a true No Kill shelter (and smear campaigns protecting systemic killers), and those people saying such things, believing such things, will gladly jump to use examples such as Glendale’s closed admission shelter, self-recognizing themselves as No Kill, as their “proof.” That’s a shame.