The Chicagoland Humane Coalition believes in providing the best possible outcomes for all animals. This is achieved by nurturing the human-animal bond, providing shelter to companion animals, facilitating thoughtful animal placement, and addressing each animal’s unique medical, behavioral, and social needs, all while considering the health and safety of animals and communities. The following position statements articulate the shared philosophies of current members of the Chicagoland Humane Coalition.

Sheltering Basics
Coalition members are committed to preventing animal suffering throughout our communities, and beyond, by ensuring that all animals in shelters and homes are well cared for and treated with compassion. Coalition member organizations all subscribe to the following tenets of responsible sheltering and animal care:

• Best Practices: Coalition members use an approach consistent with the ASPCA “Five Freedoms” as well the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.
• Data Transparency: Coalition members commit to collecting and sharing credible and accessible data to positively impact animals and communities.
• Spay/neuter: Coalition members believe sterilization is the most effective way of overcoming a companion animal overpopulation crisis while also providing best care to community cats.
• Declawing: Coalition members do not support declawing. Scratching is a natural activity for cats and should be directed towards items intended for that use, like a scratching post or pad.
• Community cats: Coalition members support the managed population of outdoor cats to build healthier communities.
• Intake: Each Coalition member’s approach towards animal intake is unique. Current members utilize a variety of approaches, including municipal contracts, open admissions, managed intake, or direct transfer from high-volume shelters. The Chicagoland Humane Coalition believes that there is no one right way to structure an animal shelter’s intake, but does believe a proactive commitment to providing best care is critical to ensure best outcomes.
• Open adoptions: Coalition members utilize an open adoptions approach which celebrates the human-animal bond by removing barriers to adoption, embracing community members, educating and empowering pet owners, and providing post adoption support to help pets and people succeed. This approach also acknowledges the connection among all local adoption agencies and the impact adoptions, or lack of adoptions, can have on animals in a community.

A Commitment to Collaboration
Coalition members are dedicated to working together to optimize our collective impact in supporting pets and people in the community. Coalition organizations are committed to providing direct support to other members while working together to resolve conflict proactively, professionally, and compassionately when they arise. Member organizations who support a culture of bullying, harassment, or public shaming of other members will be asked to leave the Coalition.

Coalition members also work closely with allies and collaborators focusing on people as well as animals. Members recognize the connections between animal abuse and interpersonal violence as well as the benefits of the human-animal bond. Coalition members believe that providing a variety of innovative and collaborative programs focused on humane treatment of people and animals alike reduces all forms of violence and creates safer neighborhoods.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Coalition members are committed to facilitating conversations and implementing strategies that acknowledge and dismantle the deep-rooted systems in place in animal welfare that prevent our movement from being truly and deeply diverse, equitable or inclusive. Members are further committed to sharing what we learn with others, so we can create a kinder world for animals and the people who care for and love them.

Access to Care: Coalition members believe in providing compassion for all animals and the people who care for them. Members aim to foster a non-judgmental environment to build bridges and relationships with the community to help keep pets out of the shelter and in the homes where they are loved. Coalition members believe that all pet owners should have access to the resources needed to keep their pets happy, healthy, and in their home. This includes providing affordable veterinary care for all.

Euthanasia: Chicagoland Humane Coalition members believe that no healthy or otherwise treatable animal should be euthanized if other outcomes are available. Coalition members also recognize that, in some cases, euthanasia may be the most humane decision to prevent further animal suffering. Euthanasia may be an appropriate means of ending the life of an animal who is suffering from an irreparable medical or behavioral condition that does not allow for an acceptable quality of life. Coalition members are committed to ensuring that every animal who enters their care is given a life worth living.

The only method of euthanasia Coalition members find acceptable is that recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association, specifically the use of veterinarian-prescribed sedatives and FDA-approved euthanasia solutions administered in as comforting and loving a situation as possible. Coalition members do not support the use of the gas chamber.

In the case of owner-requested euthanasias, Coalition members believe that shelters should provide this service only for pets who meet the euthanasia standards described above. Coalition members require that pet owners surrender healthy or treatable animals (rather than honoring a euthanasia request) so that the shelter can determine the best outcome for that animal.