The 11 Steps of the No Kill Equation are:

1. A Trap Neuter Return (TNR) Program. TNR has been proven to actually reduce the feral cat population. 100% of feral cats
   that go into Animal Control will be killed because they are not adoptable pets. This includes scared cats falsely labeled feral.
2. High-Volume, Low-Cost Spay/Neuter. This will reduce the number of animals that ever enter the shelter. Allowing the
   resources to be allocated to saving more lives. Help the community get their pets there to reduce unwanted litters.
3. Rescue Group Involvement. By transferring as many animals to rescue groups as possible, resources are reserved, and the
   life saving rates increase. Currently all rescues must go through obstacles and pull through Etowah Humane.
4. A foster care program is a low cost and often no cost way to increase the shelter’s capacity and provide more one on one
   care for the animals. This also keeps pets healthier and less stressed, more adoptable.
5. Comprehensive Adoption Programs. Programs responsive to needs, such as, public access hours for working people, offsite
   adoptions, adoption incentives and effective marketing. Adoptions immediately save lives and increase revenue. Currently
   Bartow Animal Control doesn’t even allow adoptions!
6. Pet Retention Programs. Owner Surrenders account for many of the animals processed and killed through Animal Control.
   Let’s help owners solve the problems and develop strategies to keep people and their pets together.
7. Medical and Behavioral Programs must be in place to keep the animals healthy so they can move efficiently through the
   system. It is important to have comprehensive vaccination, handling, cleaning, socialization, and care policies in place before
   animals get sick. And then have rehabilitative procedures for those that come in sick, injured, unweaned, or traumatized.
8. Public Relations/Community Development. If the community is aware of the shelters needs and successes, they will be able
   to successfully get involved. The community will be able to increase adoptions, donations, and recruit volunteers. These
   things are not possible without good public relations and marketing.
9. Volunteers make the difference between success and failure, and in this case, life and death. Volunteers work out of love
   and compassion and No Kill is not possible without them. There are always more needs than the paid staff can accomplish.
   We need an army of volunteers to achieve No Kill in Bartow.
10. Proactive Redemptions are an easy, yet often overlooked area for increasing the save rate at any shelter. Only an average of
    9% of pets is reclaimed from the shelter. We must be proactive in advertising found pets, and in instituting ways for owners
    and lost pets to be reconnected. Weekend/evening shelter hours would also help.
11. A compassionate director who is unwilling to continue with the old way of saving a few and killing the rest. We must put
    aside the excuses of public irresponsibility and overpopulation. While those situations may exist, we must do what needs to
    be done to overcome them. The director must be determined to rigorously implement all of the steps of No Kill, to their
    fullest, or we can never achieve No Kill.

We can make Bartow a more humane community and a safe place for homeless pets.

Please join us in seeking
these changes!