Philadelphia No Kill Coalition and the Progress Made
- mje679
- Feb 12
- 4 min read
Philadelphia citizens have always cared for animal welfare in the city, with many organizations dedicated to rescuing vulnerable pets on the street. While their efforts have saved countless animal lives in the city, a consistent save rate and overall positive animal welfare system require a significant, coordinated effort to reform shelter operations and provide necessary resources. In 2018, three leading animal welfare agencies in Philadelphia decided to do just that, sparking the Philadelphia No Kill Coalition.
What is the Philadelphia No Kill Coalition?
Philadelphia shelters have long relied on minuscule public funding and private donations to keep their facilities afloat and ensure that animals are well cared for. After years of facing an animal population crisis, which left shelters continuously burdened and forced to perform endless euthanizations, three shelters decided to do something about it.
ACCT Philly, the Pennsylvania SPCA, and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) formed the Philadelphia No Kill Coalition, a united, committed effort to move Philadelphia closer to becoming a no-kill city. The coalition reinforced a dedicated effort among these shelters and their members to recalibrate shelter operations more efficiently, promote foster and adoption programs, and offer services to impoverished pet owners and the community.
The Philadelphia No Kill Coalition announced its mission in 2018 at a City Hall event, with Mayor Jim Kenney’s support. While no mention was made of how the city would support these steps, the coalition ensured that members pledged to transform the city’s shelter save rates. For example, they stressed a prioritization of more vulnerable pets in the city, limiting the amount of intakes from surrounding towns and states.
What has No Kill Philadelphia Accomplished?
It has been roughly seven years since the No Kill Philadelphia Coalition announced its mission. The measurement of the organization's progress is hard to define, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, ACCT Philly and other leading organizations have higher save rates than they did back in 2018. The coalition measures the city’s progress based on the number of animals that enter ACCT Philly and the number that survive.
On the other hand, the No Kill Philadelphia Coalition has not updated its website since 2021. They have three yearly progress reports (2018-2020) in addition to their upcoming plans in 2021, in which they cited a priority of staying committed to the most vulnerable pets and continuing to provide resources for low-income pet owners.
The No Kill Philadelphia Coalition's lack of website updates casts doubt on its efficacy. I tried calling the listed number, but the call immediately dropped. I also tried emailing; months later, I have yet to receive a reply. Despite this, the coalition’s social media pages are somewhat active, with their most recent post on Facebook in May 2023. Even so, their recent posts generally promote different organizations' animal welfare efforts, such as vaccine clinics, instead of their own events and efforts.
The three leading shelters that started this coalition still promote it on their websites, in addition to the other lifesaving organization members. Although the coalition seems to be at a standstill, the participating organizations appear as dedicated as ever to the mission. While its impact on systemic change remains unclear, we do know that the coalition’s legacy has left a more vigorous impact on the shelter’s and citizen’s endeavors to create a better survival rate for the animals that come through Philadelphia shelters.
Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia
While the fate of the No Kill Philadelphia Coalition remains unclear, shelters continue to receive support from Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia, which remains active today.
Formed in 2009, the Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia is a non-profit organization that “works alongside Philadelphia community members, other non-profit groups and with elected officials to raise awareness about creating a no-kill model.” As a member of the Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition, this organization relies on the efforts of citizens and community members to promote its mission and mobilize resources for Philadelphia shelters.
In addition to providing resources for rehoming, pet pantries, behavior assistance, and other animal welfare topics, the Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia have single-handedly bolstered ACCT Philly’s services by creating the Community Pet Help Desk. Originally 100% volunteer-based, the organization and ACCT Philly have now been able to hire two employees dedicated to “helping pet owners navigate area resources and keep their beloved pets during times of hardship.”
While it seems that the push for legislative action and City Hall accountability has halted for both groups, it’s clear that the groups still strive to provide for the community members and their animals, which has proven to help lower shelter admittance rates. The groups host community pet pantries, the next of which is set to take place on February 15th in West Philadelphia.
A public commitment and support from City Hall would provide a crucial boost to Philadelphia's shelters, who are working tirelessly to save the animals in their care. While they await that vital backing, these organizations continue to rely on one another, and on the compassion of local citizens who do everything possible for Philadelphia's vulnerable pets.
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