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SMART ANIMAL SHELTERING

What is SMART animal sheltering?
SMART is an acronym to help with the confusion of other popular slogans used by animal shelters. Most animal shelters are asked by members of the community if they are a "no kill" shelter. By responding no, "we are a SMART shelter", it creates a conversation on the misconceptions of "no kill". Start using SMART today!
What does SMART stand for?
Saving the Majority of Animals with Responsible Treatment

Are you SMART?

The reality is that it is not feasible to save every single animal, for health, behavior, or other reasons. While we should thrive to help them all, we need to be SMART, which helps animals in a responsible manner without alienating those who can't be held to unattainable standards.
A SMART mentality can decrease the risk of rescue hoarding, when people neglect animals due to lack of resources, and can help people take responsibility and be with their animals at the time of euthanasia instead of making others do it.
Are you SMART? Dr. Alba Michelle Gonzalez-Monska, DVM

How do I become a SMART animal shelter?

Just use the slogan! It is that simple. The SMART slogan was founded by Daniel Ettinger in 2023 and he is committed to doing the best for animals worldwide. He believes the slogan is easy for the community to remember and does not cause any misconceptions that other slogans may bring. It is likely you are already doing the work to be a SMART animal shelter. It does not require an arbitrary benchmark live release rate to join. Just adopt the slogan and do the best for your animals and your community!