The No Kill Advocacy Center

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The No Kill Advocacy Center

The No Kill Advocacy Center is the leading organization working to end the killing of animals in shelters. The Center was founded in 2004 by Nathan J.

Through legislation, litigation, consultation, education, direct assistance, and rescue, The No Kill Advocacy Center has been the leading force in the creation of hundreds of No Kill communities across the country for the better part of two decades. Winograd — who serves as the Executive Director.

06/08/2026

Do you have what it takes to save lives?

Multnomah County Animal Services near Portland, OR, is seeking a new Executive Director: https://www.multcopets.org/news/career-opportunity-animal-services-director.

Like many pounds, MCAS has a history of neglecting animals, mistreating volunteers, and killing animals. As such, this is an opportunity to make a real impact for animals. And the successful candidate with a “can do” attitude, a passion for saving lives, and a commitment to getting results will have the community’s support.

06/05/2026

Our No Kill Toolkit is a collection of 31 free step-by-step guides covering political advocacy, litigation, legislation, media relations, shelter operations, and more: nokilladvocacycenter.org/the-toolkit.

The Toolkit is designed to help animal shelters end killing and, when they refuse to do it willingly, empower reformers to force them to do so

As The No Kill Advocacy Center adds more guides, we’d like to know what is still needed. As a rescuer, reformer, or shelter manager, what challenges are you facing that you would like a practical, step-by-step guide for? Are there topics, skills, campaigns, shelter practices, legal issues, public records, or other subjects that you need help with?

Please contact us through our website if you would like to offer suggestions: nokilladvocacycenter.org/contact-us. Your recommendations will help determine which guides are written next.

06/02/2026

A new analysis reviewed 109 studies comparing two approaches to managing free-roaming dogs and cats in developing countries: killing animals versus sterilization-and-release programs.

The review found that long-term birth-control programs were consistently more effective at reducing animal populations, lowering rabies incidence, decreasing “shelter” intake and kill rates, improving animal welfare, and generating positive public attitudes. In the developing world, the choice between neutering or killing is a no-brainer: animals are better off alive than dead.

These findings mirror those in the U.S., with one crucial difference. In the U.S., the choice between leaving dogs on the street and rounding them up to kill them is a false one. The same is true for cats. Open admission No Kill Equation communities are achieving 98%-99% placement rates. As such, dogs and socialized cats should be placed into homes, while unsocialized feral cats should be sterilized and returned to their habitats.

Learn more: news.nokilladvocacycenter.org/p/new-study-neutering-works-killing

06/01/2026

People are seeing more stray animals and rescuers, trying to do the job shelters are refusing to do, are not only more overwhelmed than they have been in years, but many are on the verge of financial collapse.

And so they reason backward and blame the irresponsible public, too many animals, and lack of spay/neuter, rather than the real culprit: there are more stray animals today not because of a population surge, but because inept, uncaring pound directors and lazy and unaccountable staff are turning away many animals and telling people who find them to leave them or abandon them to the streets.

Meanwhile, national organizations, like Best Friends, Austin Pets Alive, and those associated with them — including many former No Kill advocates — prop them up, legitimize them, and provide them political cover with euphemisms like “managed care,” “community sheltering,” and “Human Animal Support Services,” which in too many communities simply means “no entry.”

Someone has to do something, you think.

That someone is you.

Our free guide will show you how: nokilladvocacycenter.org/the-toolkit/no-kill-in-your-hometown

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05/26/2026

When we call for a No Kill nation, we are specifically referring to the promise and success of open-admission No Kill Equation sheltering: https://youtu.be/JCTt5JppNA8?si=RarWDDab_7XK4WKL .

We are NOT referring to the fundraising scam where “managed intake,” “community sheltering,” and “Human Animal Support Services” are euphemisms for “no entry” and where increases in placement rates are dependent on animals being dumped and left to suffer on the street: nokilladvocacycenter.org/the-toolkit/give-me-shelter.

If the goal of a No Kill nation is to truly mean something, we must stay rooted in reality: a placement rate cannot be considered ethical if it comes at the cost of abandoning the very animals shelter staff are responsible for protecting. These animals do not cease to exist simply because municipal shelters fail to count them. They are still suffering, still dying, and their lives still matter.

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05/18/2026

The Lynchburg Humane Society is demanding answers from another Virginia pound, the Danville Area Humane Society, after a senior dog named Eve was killed in Danville. Eve was originally adopted from Lynchburg, but her adopted family surrendered her to Danville. Lynchburg Humane Society’s leadership said the dog’s microchip was registered to their organization, criticized Danville officials for failing to contact them before killing Eve, and said they would have taken her back immediately.

The story has generated widespread outrage from animal advocates and reignited criticism of the Danville pound’s rates of killing, which have historically been among some of the highest in the state. In 2024, Danville killed nearly 70% of all dogs and over 70% of all cats. It also killed 45% of other animals, like rabbits.
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05/15/2026

In too many communities, rescuers are scrambling to help animals and to counter the false narrative of No Kill success after local municipal pounds close their doors to animals in need.

Under Human Animal Support Services (HASS) — euphemistically referred to as “community sheltering” or “managed intake” — municipal pounds stop taking in strays (and often owner surrenders), telling people to handle the animals themselves, turn them loose, or leave them on the sidewalk. This puts the onus on residents to do the job they already pay shelters to do through their tax dollars. It also puts animals in harm’s way and ignores their right to rescue.

Read why “community sheltering” and “managed intake” too often means “no entry” and the danger this poses to animals: nokilladvocacycenter.org/the-toolkit/give-me-shelter

05/13/2026

We’ve turned 21! Join us in celebration by making a $21 donation at donorbox.org/the-no-kill-advocacy-center.

In many ways, we are still a young organization. But we have accomplished a lot. When we started, mass killing in shelters was the norm. Only one community saved healthy and treatable dogs, cats, community cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and other shelter animals. It didn't matter if they were young, old, blind, or missing limbs. It didn’t matter if they were healthy, sick, injured, or traumatized. They were all guaranteed a home, and they all found one. Our director created the No Kill community, and we have since replicated its success in communities nationwide.

The embrace of the No Kill Equation — our proven and revolutionary approach to lifesaving — is responsible for a 95% decline in U.S. killing from its high point. It has been called “the single biggest success of the modern animal protection movement.”

Donate: donorbox.org/the-no-kill-advocacy-center.

Or subscribe to No Kill Sheltering, our magazine for saving lives: news.nokilladvocacycenter.org.

05/11/2026

Do you have what it takes to save lives?

The following communities are looking for someone to run or help run their animal shelters:

- Orlando, FL: https://noeticsearch.applytojob.com/apply/rTTQWKiwKH/Pet-Alliance-Of-Greater-Orlando-Chief-Executive-Officer

- Phoenix, AZ: https://www.almostthererescue.org/

- San Diego, CA:https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/hr/jobs/Deputy_Director_Animal_Services.pdf

The successful candidates with a “can do” attitude, a passion for saving lives, and a commitment to getting results will have the community’s support.

Photo: Cozumel is available for adoption and waiting for you at Almost There rescue in Phoenix.
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Get news from The No Kill Advocacy Center delivered straight to your inbox: news.nokilladvocacycenter.org.

05/08/2026

Shelters are stressful environments that negatively impact health, behavior, and adoption opportunities.

The Science of Humane Sheltering Guide presents research-backed recommendations for improving the welfare of shelter animals, shortening length of stay, and increasing placement rates for dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals.

Download the free guide: https://bit.ly/4370Su7.

The Humane Sheltering Guide is part of our No Kill Toolkit, a collection of 31 free guides for No Kill advocates, policymakers, board members, shelter managers, rescuers, media, and other stakeholders: nokilladvocacycenter.org/toolkit.

Address

P. O. Box 182
Oakland, CA
94516

Website

http://NoKillAdvocacyCenter.org/

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