Once Expired, Euthanised

Traditionally, adoption drives are designed to evoke warm and fuzzy feelings. Animal shelters groom the rescues to look their best and post photos of the furkids to win the hearts of potential fur-ever owners with cuteness. This strategy has saved the lives of many animals in need, but the fact remains that there are many others who don’t get their happy ending, and eventually get euthanised due to the limited resources of the shelters. 

Here’s the hard truth: If the pet is not adopted by a stipulated date, it will be involuntarily sent over the Rainbow Bridge. Not many people think about this sad reality, which is why Japanese shelter, Pet Home, has decided to include each animal’s “expiry date” on their website’s adoption postings.

When the sense of urgency is not sugar-coated or hidden from the public, potential paw-rents who areready to open their hearts and homes to a furry one can make an active decision to choose the furkidsthat have less time left—saving them from the inevitable. This not only sheds light on the reality and limitations of animal shelters, but also raises awareness and encourages adoption.

Besides dogs and cats, the shelter also rescues small animals, birds, and reptiles—their adoption details are posted in the same way. We applaud Pet Home’s efforts, and hope that the bold, red “deadline today” reminders will push Japanese paw-rents to choose adoption over buying from a pet store. 

What do you think—should local shelters give this unorthodox approach a shot? Let us know by leaving a comment, or writing in to contact@petsmagazine.com.sg!