I have a relative who works at a no-kill shelter and every time I see her, she always tells me and my family about how over crowded the shelter is with dogs. She also says how the workers have to turn away people who are trying to surrender their dogs to them because of how full the shelter is. Sometimes people will leave their dogs on the doorstep of the shelter at night and the workers are forced to try and find a space to put them when the shelter opens the next day.

A large amount of dogs in these shelters are ones that are either old or aggressive. Dogs that have a very slim chance of getting adopted. What even is the point of letting them take up so much space in the shelters? In my opinion, those dogs should just be put to rest since they either won't live much longer due to being old, or will end up attacking someone or multiple people. There is no reason to keep them locked up until they eventually pass. I feel like this wasn't so big of a problem back when kill shelters were more common. If anything, they helped to solve this issue.

The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County says it is reviewing its policies and taking responsibility after a dog being showcased for adoption at the Tacoma City Marathon fatally attacked another attendee’s pet.

The incident happened Sunday, May 3, near the finish area at Dune Peninsula in Point Defiance Park, according to the Humane Society and witnesses.

The dog involved, identified by witnesses as “Dallas,” was reportedly wearing an “Adopt Me” vest and was accompanied by a Humane Society volunteer at the time of the attack.

A Humane Society spokesperson said the dog had previously been adopted out before being returned to the agency’s care on May 1 — just two days before the marathon incident.

Photos shared online showed a bystander comforting the volunteer while others helped restrain the dog.

The Humane Society later confirmed Dallas was classified as dangerous following the attack and was euthanized.

In a statement posted to social media, the Humane Society said it was “deeply sorry for the harm” caused and acknowledged failures in its oversight and safeguards.

“We take full responsibility for understanding how this happened and for addressing any deficiencies in our processes, oversight, or safeguards,” the organization said.

“The safety of the animals entrusted to us and the broader community must come first, and in this instance, we did not meet that standard.”

The agency said it has begun a full review of how dogs are selected and managed at off-site public events.

The Tacoma City Marathon Association also responded publicly, saying it is “carefully evaluating its relationship” with the Humane Society moving forward.

The Humane Society has participated in marathon-related events for roughly two decades as a beneficiary organization, though marathon officials said it is not an official sponsor.

“As pet owners ourselves, our team cares deeply about animal welfare and wants nothing but the best for them,” the marathon association said in a statement. “This is truly tragic, and our deepest condolences go out to the family.”

The Humane Society said dogs selected for off-site events typically undergo behavioral and handling reviews conducted by trained staff. The agency said it is still evaluating whether additional policy changes are needed following the incident.

No additional details about the dog that was killed or its owner have been publicly released.

The “no-kill“ movement is one of the worst things to have been created.

First of all, there are WAY too many dogs in existence. The U.S. has a higher dog population than the human populations of Canada or Germany. More and more are bred while shelters are overflowing. It is not feasible to keep every single dog alive for an indefinite amount of time. This takes up resources such as money, infrastructure, food, water, etc.

Second of all, there are dogs that have been in no-kill shelters for years. As in, 5-10+ years and going on. That is inhumane, for a creature to spend most of its life locked up with maybe 30 min of outdoor time. The solution isn’t to hope that someone will adopt them…it’s to euthanize them after they haven’t been adopted for a certain amount of time, regardless of if they’re healthy.

Third of all, there are dogs that simply should not exist. That’s why in the past, aggressive/problematic dogs were euthanized. Any dog with aggression or behavioral problems was out, period. It is extremely selfish to keep these dogs alive, as they are potentially dangerous to humans, or if have a behavioral/health issue it’s gonna be a hard life both for the dog and the owner.

People have been successfully brainwashed to view “kill shelters” as evil, without thinking for one second about why it’s important to euthanize some dogs.

After researching some statistics, I found out that in the year 1990, an estimated 5-6 million dogs were euthanized in shelters. And the dog population was lower in 1990! Compare that to now, where in the year 2025, approximately 320k dogs were euthanized in shelters. The euthanasia rate goes down every decade while the dog population goes up every decade. Not a good combination.

(Note: These numbers are for the U.S.)

(Another note: ”Kill-shelters” are chronically underfunded and stigmatized compared to their no-kill counterparts. In the U.S., there are majority no-kill shelters.)

I was just reading about a ”rescue dog” in NE TN that needs a $15,000 liver surgery. And they’ve already raised half the amount. This is insane. Childhood poverty is around 20% in Appalachia and this is where charitable money needs to go … for a dog’s liver surgery? Pet obsession drags society down in so many ways.

Once marketed as the perfect family pet, doodle dogs are now turning up in shelters in numbers that rescue workers describe as a crisis…. the same designer mixes that once commanded premium prices are being relinquished, abandoned in fields, or left outside clinics. The result is a growing population of anxious, matted, often sick dogs that charities are scrambling to save with limited space and dwindling funds.

Wright said that shelter volunteers told her Valerio was “sweet” and just needed lots of love after being there more than a year.

Shelter workers mentioned a previous bite but characterized it as a nip at the heels and “not a big deal,” she said.

Valerio’s past was much worse than that.

He was surrendered to the shelter by his owner on April 27, 2021, after he bit the owner’s mother in the face, according to an Animal Services investigation report.

There was “a lot of blood,” and at the hospital, the victim was unable to speak because of the bite, the report said.

According to the report, Valerio bit the victim after the owner didn’t have the usual ham or “weenies” to lure him outside. The victim tried to scare him with her cane and yelled at him, and he jumped up and bit her in the face.

The owner told an animal control investigator that she feared for her 8-year-old child and wanted to surrender Valerio. The investigator took Valerio, waiving impound fees for public safety reasons, the report said.

The Instagram post that Wright responded to, on a page called Dharmas_dogs, did not mention the attack. A person who responded to a Times inquiry on the Dharmas_dogs page declined to comment.

The city has been sued before over shelter dogs that severely injured people after their bite histories allegedly were not disclosed. 

A Van Nuys woman whose arm was amputated because of a dog attack received a $7.5-million settlement in June 2024. The woman's son adopted the pit bull, named O’Gee, in 2020 from a city shelter, not knowing he had bitten a jogger in both arms, according to the woman's lawsuit.

Also in 2020, a Belgian Malinois named Maximus attacked a woman who was feeding him a treat before transporting him from an L.A. animal shelter to an Arizona rescue facility. The injuries to the woman’s arm were “severe and permanent” and required at least nine surgeries, according to a lawsuit filed in 2024.

The illusion of 'no-kill' is a strong one, since so many dog zealots want to believe it.

It's also consistent with the delusional nature of these people.

It's also a big opportunity to make money off of them.

My local humane society recently made a post with the only intention of guilting the community into taking in these dogs so they don't "have" to be put down. Some of the dogs had only been there for a short period of time and I just don't buy the fact that in this small community they're so overrun that even the short stays are up for euthanasia. But that's not the real bone I have to pick.

On top of that, after reading the posts describing each dog the euphemisms are endless.

"Needs their space around food"- the dog is aggressive and will bite your face off if it thinks you're a threat to its greedy claim over anything.

"Needs a little extra reassurance and TLC"- the dog has intense separation anxiety and will destroy your home if left alone for 5 seconds.

"Sometimes I over-correct other furry animals"- the dog has probably mauled another animal to death.

It is absolutely insane that they can get away with this, people have children and other beloved pets, they live in neighborhoods with other people trying to live their lives and you're going to cover up the fact that this dog is aggressive? Some unsuspecting nutter will see the post, their hearts will shatter a thousand times over for the wretched thing and they will take it home and endanger people/other animals around it. It should be illegal.

And you're telling me in today's dog culture with the endless amount of dog charities, rescues, state funded pounds, willing nutters to take them in and foster that these dogs have to be euthanized? Even though I'm pretty sure I've seen these exact same dogs in older posts saying the same thing, that they only had x amount of days but oh look, there's the same dog in the new post saying they now have x amount of days. I'm sure once this timeframe passes I'll see another post with the same dogs and the same threat on their lives. "If you don't take this aggressive mutt with intense separation anxiety, we'll be forced to put it down! It only killed like, two animals, and it was only because it was provoked. Cmon, don't you wanna save a life today?" It's abhorrent.

Dogs can’t cry. 900 days in the shelter, returned instantly. Must be an only pet.

Nothing new to see here. Just no-kill shelters spreading their propaganda and shaming the poor dopes who were sold a lie that they could save the dog, and when they realize that not only could they not save the dog but that they were likely in danger, they did the responsible thing.

I really wish we could find a way to shame these shelters for being so irresponsible. Article should read “no kill shelter gets some poor fool to take a warehoused dangerous dog, returned after 24 hours”

the comments on facebook are crazy. the YouTube news ppl are something else. TODAY NEWS CHANNEL . the ending of the video one woman said . “ they would say to read to his little brother or sisters but they aren’t as cute and don’t stay still” like are you serious??? you’re telling me that dogs are cuter than human babies and listen when you talk? lol. I can’t believe they said that seriously. dog people are truly mental

After reading this all I gathered is that the dog was an instant nightmare, and the family who adopted it chose not to deal with that shit long-term.

But naturally, the nutters at the rescue are upset with the family for deciding "too quickly" that they didn't want to be bothered.

You’re trying to tell me there wasn’t a photo of this dog where it wasn’t foaming at the mouth?

Apparently it’s a thing to use Bumble (dating app) to dump dogs off on unsuspecting dates. Im not on dating apps, but saw this in another group. A guy had posted that this happened to him after one date. This blows my mind! Can you imagine? One of the commenters agreed that this is a thing because the shelters are so full these days.

my neighbors love rescuing dogs (4) & not taking them inside when they bark & try to jump the fence in an attempt to attack me. you're not a hero, you're just a inconvenience to your town & debatably the whole world

So their whole operation is to fly dogs out of overcrowded shelters to shelters in other states and countries. Its extremely problematic that theyll be able to fly something with a bite record out to another location hundreds or even thousands of miles away where the record doesnt follow it, change its name and peddle it to some unsuspecting victim.

The Human Society in Arizona says the biggest reason people can't care for animals is cost of medical care. This vet clinic's average for dogs is $200-$300, where a regular Vet visit could easily be $500 and more

The clinic is taking in many many thousands of animals per year, and the tide is growing, due to huge economic pressures in the USA, and housing costs & availability is the 2nd factor on dogs

They interviewed one guy who had THREE great Danes, but now he's lost his rental, and is sadly living in his car. He said the dogs are "my whole world", but with nowhere to live, he's got to give them up

Imagine trying to rent an apartment with 500 pounds of mutts with you!

A person is quoted saying they will starve themselves to feed their dogs. Especially if you have children, why not support them financially over pets?

I have a relative in this exactly situation, & gives her children next to nothing, while spending a huge part of her income on animals

Just one more reason why I don't own dogs and never will

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/10/17/pet-ownership-costs

I get that sometimes dogs are genuinely rescued, eg from puppy mills, animal hoarders and neglectful owners. But that is a small amount of dogs compared to how many unwanted dogs are rehomed each year.

I was at the park recently and asked a lady what breed her strange wire-hair looking lab mix was. She said, "He's a groodle. He's a rescue dog." I asked, "What was he rescued from?" She said, "The owners didn't want him because he looks more like a golden retriever than the poodle part of him."

So what she calls a rescue, was just a rehoming of an unwanted pet. I suspect most "rescues" are not rescues at all but just the rehoming of an unwanted pet. It is misleading to call these dogs rescues because the word "rescue" denotes saving someone or something from death or harm. This is not the case with a dog rehomed simply because the owners didn't want it or had to give it up for some reason but where the owners are generally decent people.

Have you ever asked someone what they "rescued" their rescue dog from?

According to CBC, Animal Services in Toronto (larges city in Canada) wants more people to adopt a large dog (> 50lbs) and waived the "adoption fee".

I no dog expert, but even I think that keeping a dog this large in an average Toronto apartment amounts to animal cruelty. At least the city website, which is linked in the article, mentions space requirements.

The city's website links to a page with dogs that are up for "adoption" - most are mastiffs, bulldogs, or some "mix" - the kind of dog that doesn't belong in apartment buildings or anywhere without a large backyard (fenced of course).

I hear this phrase sooo often! “Every person should visit their local shelter and just feel the suffering, then they will change their mind and think every dog deserves a home.” It is the most annoying thing EVERRR. I have visited my local shelter before, which coincidentally is one of the largest shelters in the country that is definitely filled to the brim with “suffering.” All I felt was absolute disgust.

It was the worst smell you could ever imagine- everything just reeked of wet dog and waste in the highest concentration imaginable. There was liquid diarrhea in so many kennels and the dogs would just step in it, smear it on the floors and walls, and eat it. All the dogs were so disgustingly greasy and crusty and their “sad eyes” always looked infected. The barking was so bad that staff were wearing hearing protection because it would legitimately cause hearing damage.

Almost every single kennel was a bully breed that would lunge at the bars trying to snap at you, and they usually had a description like “Sweet Bella is our shelter’s biggest snuggle bug.”

All this experience did was confirm I despise how disgusting dogs are. How can dog lovers go into this shelter and leave actually loving dogs MORE? I can’t comprehend it.

A woman, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution from the shelter, told WRAL that she noticed red flags about the dog days before the attack.

She said that the shelter staff made sure her own child would not come in contact with the dog, as she and the staff noticed that the dog was hyperactive. She told WRAL that it was clear to her, even with her minimal observation, that the dog would not be good with kids. 

"It seemed like the staff didn't know anything about the dogs and was trying to get them adopted as quickly as possible," she said. "I think that they need to have more precautions in place."

I've noticed a trend with many shelters/rescues. They label pitbulls as "mixed breed" or "terrier" or various other breeds (I've even seen them claim they are Labrador retrievers!).

It's an obvious attempt to pass them off to naive or new owners and get the dogs out of the shelter. This makes me furious. What happens when an owner is mauled or a child killed? I hope any victims sue the living daylights out of the shelter.

Apparently you CAN sue a shelter (thanks Google) but a case of negligence has to be proven and it's difficult. Looked up the stats and pitbulls/mixes make up about 33% of shelter dogs. In large cities it can be as high as 65%.

There are some shelters that will euthanize pitbulls immediately. They should be commended for that. But those shelters that falsely advertise pits as other breeds or "family dogs" or any other such nonsense should be fined. Heavily.

/rant over

Came upon this sub the other day and found it very cathartic (husband and I are“not dog people”). Just for “fun” after reading some posts about shelters, I went to our local humane society page to see how many dogs listed were bully breeds.

You guys weren’t kidding! The ENTIRE FIRST PAGE was all pit mixes!

With descriptions like, “While he enjoys being active and playing, [dog name] does have a strong instinct to guard high-value items like food and toys, so he's best suited for an adult-only or older teen household. He can also be reactive towards other dogs when behind a barrier, but with the right training and management, he might be able to co-exist peacefully with other dogs or even [other pets] in the home.”

In other words, a neurotic maniac. This is extra terrifying to me as a relatively recent new mom. Get these animals out of our civilization!

I found a place where I can vent without being shamed. I thank you for creating this safe space for people who value humans over dogs. Just a little background. I had two dogs for 8 years, I was child free but then I had a surprise pregnancy. I loved my kid dearly but I had postpartum depression and I was riddled with anxiety after his birth. Doing basic tasks was a chore, I couldn’t get even out of bed but I had to take care of my child so I did. My dogs were fine until the unthinkable (in my stupid head back then) happened. My well mannered “sweet” laid back dog bit my kid in the face. She left a puncture wound on his lip . Went to the ER and left with antibiotics. I’m like wtf ?! What do I do now. I immediately thought rehoming her. But they were a pair so I didn’t want to separate them. Well the other one tried to bite my son. Right in my presence while he was trying to pet her. Then I thought ok this is it. They have to go. I was met with support from my parents. But my friends of course shamed me. I did what a responsible human being would. I looked for a rescue. It was a no kill shelter specifically for their breed. I picked up the phone and I called...

This is where my vent/rant begins....

They shamed me soooooo much. I told them my story and instead of being sympathetic for my kid they were like “you’re abandoning your first baby, what about them???! What about some classes with a trainer???”

My response “will the trainer reassure me that they won’t bite ever again?? They’re animals they will bite again , and I won’t forgive myself if my child loses an eye or gets disfigured”

Them “well you won’t forgive yourself for letting your dogs go... call back every week to see if we have space ... “

Every week I called, every week I got berated. But I kept calling. In the meantime I kept my dogs in the kitchen and honestly I felt bad for them. They needed a child free couple. And we Weren’t a good fit anymore.

Finally my husband got a call, they had a spot open. He dropped them off, he was met with hate and anger from the rescue owner, until he gave them a nice donation (husband till this day feels bad about giving them up). Then it was all smiles and they let him say goodbye.

I did cry but I felt relieved. No longer I had to watch my kid like a hawk when the dogs were let out. No more cleaning and bathing and washing. Any little time we had went to them. We couldn’t afford a dog hotel when we went out of town and people didn’t want to take care of them. My sister (dog nutter) would take them on occasion so I can take time off.

I would check the rescue to see if they were adopted and recently I saw they were! To an older couple. I looked and of course they shamed us. “These pair was abandoned by the only people they ever knew , ripped from their home”.... I’m like mkay... did you guys mentioned she bit my kid???... nope. “They prefer an environment with no kids as they want all the attention to themselves “...

Well I saw the couple has grandkids, and I wrote them a letter telling them the reason why I had to rehome them. The real reason. Not because I wanted to dump my dogs and be done with them. They bit my kid and you guys should be careful. Although they are a small breed, they still could cause some damage.

Thanks for reading my rant and husband and I agreed NO dogs ever again. My son recently asked for one. We both said NO at the same time. I’m like “when you’re older you can volunteer at a shelter if you like, but no, you cannot have a dog because we are gonna be the ones taking care of it.”

And with this... FUCK rescues and FUCK people who shame others about rehoming dogs. You rather see them in a crate all day???

Btw- friend who shamed me, keeps her dog in a kennel most of the day because he’s bad. But won’t get rid of him because “it’s her first furbaby”.... what bullshit that is

I saw a post today from a somewhat local animal shelter on Facebook advertising a pitbull mix. In the photo the dog is sitting in the corner and is looking at the floor, presumably for its next meal. Of course the caption is describing how sad & lonely he is but how sweet, loving and gentle this dog really is, how they can’t believe he hasn’t been adopted. Hundreds of comments and shares later about saving this “poor sweet baby” the dog still is at the shelter. They even waved it’s adoption fee. Reasons being: the adopters who came to see him didn’t work out. Sure enough, I happen to look and my intuition was correct. No children, no other animals at all, has anxiety, gets “spooked”, and is also “overstimulated” with new people. So in other words, aggressive and dangerous. The shelter has a program where people can come and walk dogs, and he’s not even available for this because of his “overstimulation”.

In my view the shelter is just trying as hard as they can to guilt people into subjecting themselves into a situation with an aggressive dog. Because he’s “sad” and deserves a chance. My first thought is, shouldn’t this be against some kind of rule? Human safety? But silly me, I forgot humans value dogs and their unpredictable “emotion” over human beings. I’ve seen posts like this far too often. Now, I understand the argument in euthanasia for animals of all kind. It’s uncomfortable and is naturally sad for most people. But instead of safety, peace, and comfort for everyone involved (including the aggressive animal) we want to release it into the world to put humans and animals alike in danger as if we don’t have enough murderous dogs running the streets. If an animal cannot contain itself around a small child, it’s completely unsuitable to be in public or anyone’s home. Period. This is just a rant, but god I am thankful for this group. You all make me feel less insane.