No kill – Barking at the Knot

Early No Kill

Early no kill language first showed up in the media in the 1970s. How its use evolved is important to our perception of the no kill movement today.

Audrey Lodato

September 3, 2025

1970s, 1980s, Animal Welfare

1970s, 1980s, advocacy, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, ASPCA, Cats, dog, dogs, history, Humane Movement, hydrophobia, in the name of Mercy, Massachusetts, No kill, pets, Rabies

Doing the Right Thing Before Summer Vacation

The 1920s and 1930s shifted the way animals entered shelters. Instead of it just being all strays that were picked up, now owner surrenders were on the rise. Learn about why.

Audrey Lodato

August 13, 2025

1920s, Animal Welfare

1920s, animal control, Animal Welfare, animals, cat, Cats, dogs, history, No kill, pets, Rabies, shelter intake, summer vacation, victorian gentility

Ed Duvin’s “Unfinished Business”

This week, in a bit of a deviation from my usual content, I’m choosing to repost Ed Duvin’s 1999 essay “Unfinished Business” in it’s entirety. I have noticed that one of the few places I could go to find this essay has disappeared. I worry it will get lost if not preserved, so this is…

Audrey Lodato

June 17, 2025

1980s, 1990s, Animal Welfare

animal control, Animal rights, Animal sheltering, Animal Welfare, animals, Cats, dogs, history, in the name of Mercy, No kill, pets, Progress, veganism