Why is Texarkana’s Animal Shelter Considered ‘High Kill’?

Many people have recently mistakenly thought that our animal shelter in Texarkana was a no kill shelter. That simply is not possible. Our shelter is an "open admission" shelter, which means they take everything that is surrendered within the limits of the Twin Cities and in some cases beyond. The animal shelter in Texarkana is a "high kill shelter." Find out why and how you can help change it.

Our shelter is operated by the City of Texarkana, Ark. If you live outside of the city limits there is a fee to surrender an animal, be it a stray or your beloved pet. The fee is $90 per animal.

Here are the differences between the shelter classifications regarding low, high or no kill:

A low kill shelter means that the shelter does all it can to place every "adoptable" animal that comes into the shelter. There is not a time limit on an animal's stay, and an adoptable animal will not be euthanized to make room for another. The instances where an animal may have to be euthanized are usually when:

• An animal is too sick or injured (beyond medical treatment)
• Medical treatment costs outweighs the likelihood of adoption
• It is unadoptable or suffering due to severe kennel stress

The majority of animal shelters in the United States are high kill shelters just like our local shelter. High kill means the shelter does have a time limit and it euthanizes adoptable animals to make space for newly incoming animals. The term "adoptable" can be skewed to fit many interpretations. Some people may consider a dog that has been on the adoption floor for several months as unadoptable simply because it has been passed over by potential adopters. There is, otherwise, nothing wrong with the animal so in reality, that animal should not be considered "unadoptable." Clearly it just needs additional marketing to locate the right home.

This dog's shelter name was Rocky. He was at the shelter for an extended period of time and was passed over by all potential adopters. The shelter could not leave him on the adoption floor indefinitely, taking up a spot that another more-adoptable dog could fill. Rocky was adoptable yet no one adopted him.

He was euthanized to make space for other dogs that were waiting their turn on the adoption floor. It happens often even though the shelter staff wishes it wasn't necessary. The staff has a very difficult job and they should never be faulted for something that is beyond their control. We have a high kill shelter be we the people have not spayed and neutered all of our pets. Many of us have done more than our fair share but our neighbors have not which is the problem.

There are also some facilities that are considered "no kill" facilities because they do not euthanize animals at all. These types of facilities only take in animals of their choosing, by taking in surrendered animals or pulling animals from other facilities. Our local animal shelter cannot be a no kill facility because they are an "open admissions" shelter.

How can you help?

First and foremost, spay and neuter your pets. That is the only way to reduce the amount of animals being dumped at our shelter.

Secondly, volunteer at the shelter by helping potential adopters find the best dog for them. You can also do other things for the shelter. Post photos, create videos of the the pets available for adoption or ask the staff what other things they need help with to get the animals adopted. You can forward photos and bios of dogs to breed-specific rescues. Often times it just takes a little sharing and caring to get an animal rescued.

Third, make sure your pets are microchipped. That way, if they are lost, you can be quickly reunited with your pet. The shelter will insert the microchip for you and it only costs $20. If you have ever lost a pet you know that is a small fee to save the pain of not knowing where your pet might be.

We at Power 95-9 work hard to help the animal shelter by posting photos on our website and videos each week on our YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to our channel and share the videos. If you do, you can consider yourself part of our Power 95-9 team and a "desktop rescuer."

The Facts About Dogs at Our Local Shelter:

There are hundreds of dogs and cats that are euthanized every year in our shelter in Texarkana. Please help make a difference by adopting pets from the shelter and not purchasing from pet stores or breeders. You can also help by sharing our feature pet of the week on your social media pages.

Location of the Animal Shelter:

The Animal Care and Adoption Center is located at 203 Harrison St., Texarkana, Ark. 71854 and is open Monday through Friday from 11AM to 5PM and on Saturday from 11AM to 2PM. Call 870-773-6388 for more information. Follow them on Facebook too.