Gov. Spencer Cox declared 2024 to be a no-kill shelter year for the entire state of Utah on Tuesday, Feb. 27. This proposal follows an initiative set by the Best Friend Animal Society, a non-profit headquartered in southern Utah, to make the entire nation no-kill by 2025.
According to statistics provided by Best Friend Animal Society, 47 out of 60 shelters in the state of Utah are no-kill with 87.8% of pets entered being saved from euthanization. Iron County, home to Southern Utah University, has four animal shelters, all no-kill. Because of the town’s large student population, animal shelters around Cedar City are faced with unique complications.
Charles Jaques and his wife moved to Cedar City in 2021 just before Southern Utah University’s spring commencement, after which many T-Birds moved out of Cedar City. The couple shared concerns that, when students move away, they are leaving their furry friends behind.
“Almost immediately, we noticed some [feral cats] in our backyard, and we assumed — because I used to be a property manager — that it might have been from previous tenants,” Charles Jaques said.
When the pair approached animal control, they were informed that this has been an annual issue. The stray cat population tends to rise at the end of SUU’s spring semester, which Jaques noticed over the next couple of years. He wonders if this is because fresh college graduates don’t know the resources available for their pets.
In October 2023, Cedar City Adoption Center officially reached a no-kill status with help from their partnership with Best Friends. Brittany McCabe, the shelter’s manager, credits this partnership with the community’s ability to reach its no-kill goal.
“I have someone to go to when I don’t know what to do or where to go or how to do this,” she told St. George News.
With Cox’s call for a no-kill year, shelters around the state have been encouraged to adopt similar policies. Some shelters, however, like those in Cedar City and other no-kill communities, may be concerned with an overpopulation of cats in their facilities.
“Yes, Utah is working on making all of its shelters no-kill, but that’s kind of a mixed bag because, as you don’t clear the shelters, it makes it harder to find places to put [the cats],” Jaques voiced.
In an article with Deseret News, Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer at Best Friends Animal Society said, “Shelters really struggle because they get an influx of kittens during the summer months that it’s hard for them to have the capacity to handle them.”
There are many different solutions to remedy this issue, such as trap-neuter-return policies, community cats and pet fostering. However, Jaques believes the best solution is to “begin with the end in mind.” When a student adopts a cat, he thinks it is crucial to consider what your options are upon graduation.
Although community members have noticed problems with college students adopting and abandoning pets, there are many local resources to foster a responsible pet-owning experience. The school’s partnership with Best Friends highlights the support available as the state enters into a no-kill future.
Author: Heather Turner
Photographer: Audrey Gee and Sarah Hutchings
Editor: Lily Brunson
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