Lollypop Farm is celebrating a milestone.
The Humane Society of Greater Rochester says it has achieved a 91.5% save rate.
That means less than 9% of the animals that came to the shelter in the past year were euthanized.
The other pets were either returned to their owners, found new homes, or transferred to other rescue organizations. The rate is based on a 365-day rolling average.
CEO Alice Calabrese said this reflects a dramatic shift in animal sheltering in the last couple of decades.
"Most shelters are probably coming from a place 50 years ago of maybe 25% of the animals would leave the shelter for homes," she said.
According to its 2007 annual report, Lollypop Farm euthanized 2,958 pets ( 238 dogs and 2,720 cats ) that were either healthy or had treatable conditions or were considered eligible for rehabilitation. In some cases, the animals were euthanized at the request of their owners.
Today, Calabrese said the animals that are euthanized come to the shelter following cruelty investigations.
"We see, sometimes, animals that have suffered great harm," she explained, "and some are just too sick and it would be inhumane to let them live and sometimes the best alternative is a humane euthanasia."
For that reason, she does not envision a time when the save rate is 100%.
Technically, Lollypop Farm could now call itself a "no-kill" shelter. The label applies to shelters that save the life of every animal that can be saved. But Calabrese said the organization will not use that language.
She credited a dedicated staff and volunteers and years of hard work for the positive change in the save rate. She said community members deserve part of the credit, too.
People are more open to the idea of adopting pets who are older or have behavioral challenges.
"This weekend," said Calabrese, "we had Daisy, the 15-year-old beagle mix, (who) went to a home. Thirty, 40 years ago, Daisy probably would not have made it out of any shelter system."
In addition, Calabrese noted Lollypop's enhanced foster care program, increased veterinary capabilities at the shelter, and efforts to spay and neuter animals and help needy families feed their pets.
In 2020, the Humane Society provided over 23,000 pounds of food and supplies to families who were financially affected during the coronavirus pandemic.
For its next challenge, the organization intends to focus more of its efforts in the community to help people keep their pets in their homes by providing resources for those who cannot afford veterinary care.
