No-Kill International™ Emergency Shelter Project
Rapidly Built Emergency-Response Shelters
The No-Kill International™ Inc Emergency Shelter Project is an initiative of No-Kill International™ Inc, founded upon the belief that healthy and treatable shelter animals should never lose their lives simply because existing shelter capacity has been exhausted. Rather than accepting euthanasia as an unavoidable consequence of overcrowding, this initiative is dedicated to rapidly expand permanent life-saving shelter capacity.
Our transitional housing shelters would primarily be transitional housing shelters for dogs and cats like this image (but divided inside, not shown) as we save them from euthanasia lists (and we would also allow adoption from our transitional housing shelters). These shelters would accommodate approximately 1,000 dogs and 300 cats and cost around $1 million, with our modular shelters costing approximately $3 million. By comparison, a municipal shelter built using custom, non-modular construction methods can cost approximately $40 million while housing only about 400 dogs and 100 cats). When we can mass produce our own modular shelters, for our use first, the approximate $3 million cost of those should go down substantially.
Our primary goal is to build hundreds of No-Kill International™ Inc no-kill shelters across the United States, to save as many dogs and cats as possible from euthanasia (for a lack of shelter space), and to do so as quickly as possible. As that is being done we will be building Operation Forever Home™ to get the dogs and cats we save adopted into good homes. None of this can be done without funding. But it all can be done with funding. It's up to you.
Our Emergency Shelter Project is intended to facilitate the rapid construction and deployment of transitional housing and permanent housing emergency-response shelters to provide immediate housing for shelter animals on euthanasia lists. That is its primary mission. The project is also intended to assist in providing housing for dogs and cats affected by natural disasters, animal seizures, disease outbreaks, or other situations that create an immediate shortage of available shelter space. These facilities are intended to become permanent additions to a community's long-term animal shelter infrastructure while addressing immediate life-saving needs.
Every day this project remains unfunded is another day that dogs and cats continue to face euthanasia simply because shelters have run out of space. The need for additional shelter capacity exists today. Donate Online NOW to fund the No-Kill International™ Inc Emergency Shelter Project. We can build shelters to house approximately 600 dogs and 100 cats for approximately $4 million. By comparison, Fulton County, Georgia's new shelter reportedly cost approximately $40 million, took about four years to complete, and houses approximately 375 to 400 dogs. Our first shelters would cost approximately one-tenth as much while providing substantially greater animal-housing capacity. Based on these figures, our model could provide approximately 15 times as much dog-housing capacity per dollar invested. At this level of efficiency, the same $40 million could potentially provide shelter capacity for approximately 6,000 dogs using our model, compared with approximately 375 to 400 dogs under the Fulton County model.
But we plan to go further than that. With proper funding, we can become even more efficient by operating our own factory. Purchasing raw materials directly and building the shelters ourselves would allow us to reduce costs and make each dollar go further. It would also allow us to quickly modify and refine our modular shelter systems for maximum efficiency in both design and assembly. Much like an automobile manufacturer can improve a production process to reduce welding while simultaneously creating a stronger structure, our hands-on approach would allow us to evaluate every step of the manufacturing process and continuously find ways to improve the shelters while lowering their cost. If someone else were manufacturing them, we would have far less ability to identify and implement those improvements. By controlling our own manufacturing process, we can make decisions based on what produces the best shelter at the lowest practical cost. The more value we can get from every dollar, the more shelters we can build—and the more dogs and cats we can save.
For our large transitional emergency-housing shelters, fire safety will be incorporated into the design from the beginning. These facilities can use fire-retardant architectural membrane materials over noncombustible steel framing, combined with automatic interior sprinkler systems, smoke and heat detection, monitored alarms, and other appropriate fire-safety measures. Where practical, exterior water-spray protection can also be incorporated to provide additional protection for the structure from an external fire. Together, these measures would provide multiple layers of protection against accidental fires, electrical or equipment failures, external fire exposure, and deliberate damage, helping protect the thousands of dogs and cats that may be housed within these facilities. Our permanent shelters would likewise be designed with appropriate fire detection, suppression, and other protective systems to provide a high level of fire safety for the animals in our care.
No-Kill International™ Inc is prepared to move forward with building its first transitional housing and permanent housing emergency-response shelters, of hundreds, built as soon as the necessary financial resources are secured. Funding is the critical factor that will determine when construction can begin. Financial support from individuals, businesses, and foundations will help transform this project from plans into a permanent life-saving facility where dogs and cats facing euthanasia due to a lack of shelter space can instead be given the opportunity to live.
We would prefer to begin by building dozens of shelters simultaneously, with many initially serving as transitional housing facilities capable of accommodating thousands of dogs and cats. This would allow us to begin saving as many lives as possible, as quickly as possible, while our permanent shelters are also being built. Although our permanent shelters would take longer to complete and cost more per animal housed than the transitional facilities, we estimate that they would still cost approximately one-tenth as much as comparable municipal shelters. That estimate is based on initially using contracted manufacturers; once we begin manufacturing our own modular shelter systems, we expect to reduce those costs even further. Permanent shelter housing is more expensive because said shelters include individual kennels and other permanent infrastructure rather than being composed primarily of a few large covered housing spaces, as described in more detail on our Shelter Animal Political Network page. Establishing transitional housing facilities on this scale may require approvals from counties and other local authorities, but we believe they are a necessary part of our overall strategy. While these transitional housing facilities and our first permanent shelters are being built, we would also begin developing our own manufacturing facility. This would allow us to transition from using contracted modular shelter manufacturers to producing our own modular shelter systems, giving us greater control over cost, design, production speed, and future expansion.
Building our transitional housing shelters, which will provide immediate housing for rescued animals before they transition to permanent shelters and ultimately to adoptive homes, as well as the building of the permanent shelter housing, requires financial resources, construction materials, equipment, professional services, and many other forms of support. Those who wish to help advance the mission of the No-Kill International™ Emergency Shelter Project are invited to contribute in whatever way they are able, whether through financial donations, corporate partnerships, in-kind contributions, volunteer expertise and also by helping increase public awareness. Every form of support helps move the project closer to its goal of providing additional permanent shelter capacity and saving the lives of dogs and cats that might otherwise face euthanasia due to a lack of space.
Join No-Kill International™ Inc here to donate by wire transfer, contribute land, building materials, labor, professional services, or your time and expertise (you may also use that page to become an organizational partner or, if you are a retailer, join our Round-Up+™ Program).
We also have Legacy Donor Metal Etching that will be a part of the shelter buildings themselves and remain with them. And these will be carried over to another shelter if a larger shelter later takes the place of a shelter that an original etching was built into. We will simply laser etch a replacement panel so it will be fresh and new for the new shelter and include it in the building of the newer shelter (to be forever etchings).
Our Legacy Donor Metal Etchings provide individuals, families, businesses, and organizations with the opportunity to become a permanent part of the No-Kill International™ Inc Emergency Shelter Project while helping fund its construction. Each etching becomes a lasting part of the shelter itself, recognizing the donor's commitment to saving dogs and cats from euthanasia due to a lack of shelter space. The Legacy Donor Metal Etching Program is designed to generate additional construction funding that would not otherwise exist, allowing more shelter capacity to be built without compromising No-Kill International™ Inc's commitment to cost-efficient construction and responsible stewardship of charitable contributions.
Our Emergency Shelter Project reflects the belief that a lack of shelter space must be addressed by creating additional shelter capacity rather than reducing the number of animals through euthanasia. Spay and neuter programs are an important part of the solution, and we strongly support them, but they do not save the dogs and cats already on euthanasia lists today. If spay and neuter alone could solve the problem, the problem would already have been solved. It is an essential piece of the puzzle, not the entire solution. The problem must be addressed from every possible direction. Every new shelter constructed, when combined with our full range of programs and initiatives, represents a long-term investment in a community's ability to save lives for years to come. And, to move as quickly as possible, we intend to prioritize building on suitable unincorporated land where feasible:
We Will Build on Unincorporated Land
Constructing the No-Kill International™ Emergency Shelter Project on unincorporated land is expected to dramatically reduce the time, cost, and bureaucracy associated with developing a large animal shelter. Instead of becoming entangled in lengthy municipal approval processes, our objective is to move from funding to construction as rapidly as possible so that additional shelter space can begin saving lives.
Speed: Weeks Instead of Many Months
Fewer Municipal Approval Delays. Large animal shelters proposed within many city limits can face planning commission hearings, zoning reviews, public meetings, and other approval processes that may significantly delay construction. By locating on unincorporated land, these municipal processes may be substantially reduced or eliminated, allowing construction to proceed much more quickly.
Reduced Administrative Review: Municipal development projects often require multiple departments to review site plans and construction details before work can begin. The intended project location is expected to require a far more streamlined review process, reducing unnecessary delays.
Faster Construction Progress. With fewer municipal review stages and administrative bottlenecks, construction inspections and project scheduling can proceed more efficiently, allowing life-saving shelter capacity to be completed sooner.
Less Red Tape, More Resources for Animals
Greater Design Flexibility. Building on unincorporated land provides greater flexibility in shelter design, construction methods, modular expansion, and future growth while still complying with applicable laws and safety requirements.
Designed for Expansion. The shelter platform is intended to expand in modular sections as funding and demand increase, allowing additional kennel capacity to be added efficiently without redesigning the entire facility.
Reduced Infrastructure Costs. Avoiding many of the infrastructure requirements commonly associated with municipal commercial development allows a greater percentage of donated funds to be invested directly into housing and caring for animals rather than unnecessary construction expenses.
More Lives Saved Per Dollar. Every unnecessary dollar spent on bureaucracy is a dollar that cannot be used to build additional shelter capacity. By reducing development costs wherever legally and practically possible, No-Kill International™ Inc. can direct more resources toward its mission of saving dogs and cats facing euthanasia due to a lack of shelter space.