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A push to save more shelter animals and make Nashville the largest no-kill community in Tennessee got a turbocharge this week. Why it matters: Mayor Freddie O'Connell signed a declaration yesterday making May "No-Kill Shelter Month." Advocates say that kind of buy-in from the government is pivotal to cementing long-term change. Zoom in: The declaration, crafted with the national nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society, publicly commits Metro government to a goal of reaching a 90% live-release rate for dogs and cats that enter the city shelter. That is when a shelter is designated a no-kill facility. - Best Friends has worked with Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC) and other area shelters to improve live-release rates "for many years," chief mission officer Holly Sizemore tells Axios. The declaration reinforces that partnership.
Stunning stat: Nashville hasn't reached the 90% no-kill benchmark, but the city has made major strides over the last decade. - In 2013, MACC euthanized about 70% of its cats and dogs. The "save rate" sat at about 27%.
- Last year, the save rate reached 83%. More than 4,250 cats and dogs at the shelter were saved.
Between the lines: There are many reasons for the shift. In 2013, Metro ended a policy that required the shelter to euthanize unclaimed pit bulls. - MACC also deepened its ties with rescues and animal welfare organizations like Best Friends.
- The shelter added a foster program and rolled out a safety net program that helps residents who are struggling to pay for pet-related expenses.
- A shelter spokesperson tells Axios animals are never euthanized for space — only for medical or behavioral reasons.
What they're saying: Sizemore says a boost from the mayoral proclamation may increase that momentum and help tip the scales. O'Connell said he was optimistic that Nashville will reach 90%. - "I support Nashville working to become a no-kill city and know this is something the great city of Nashville can achieve this year," the mayor said in a statement announcing the declaration.
- "Our residents love their pets, and when they come together for a cause they support, anything is possible."
Reality check: Defining "no-kill" as a 90% save rate acknowledges that euthanasia is sometimes the best option, like when a pet has serious health issues, grave injuries or violent behavioral problems. What's next: O'Connell's latest budget proposal would add two more full-time MACC employees, with a goal of shortening response times for service calls and growing kennel staff. The big picture: The national no-kill movement has bipartisan momentum. Leaders in Arkansas, Louisiana and Utah recently signed similar proclamations. - "The only thing that keeps me from languishing in the sadness of the polarization of our country is that the work I do in animal welfare is one of the truest nonpartisan issues ever," Sizemore says.
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