Euthanasia Policy

At the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, every animal who enters our care receives individualized attention, medical treatment, enrichment, and a meaningful opportunity for an outcome that prioritizes their welfare and quality of life.   

Our work is guided by compassion and care. Sometimes this means heartbreaking decisions about the end of an animal’s life. Euthanasia is always a last resort, and decisions are made individually, guided by an animal’s health, behavior, safety, and overall quality of life. The animal’s wellbeing and condition come first, not shelter capacity or length of stay. Most animals who come to us leave through adoption, are transferred to trusted rescue and shelter partners, or are reunited with their families. 

We measure our outcomes using the Asilomar Live Release Rate which looks at the number of animals who leave our care alive compared to total outcomes (excluding owner-requested euthanasia which reflects private end-of-life decisions made by families rather than shelter outcomes). Our annual Asilomar Live Release Rate can be found in our annual reports. 

When Is Euthanasia Considered?

Euthanasia is considered only in two circumstances: 

• Behavioral and safety considerations
  Animals are made available for adoption only after careful assessment to ensure they are safe and manageable in a home environment, using information collected both in and out of the shelter. Euthanasia may be considered when an animal poses a significant risk to staff, volunteers, adopters, or other animals, or when extreme and persistent fear, stress, or anxiety prevents the animal from experiencing an acceptable quality of life despite  intervention and support. 

• Medical considerations
  Euthanasia may also be considered when an animal is suffering from a condition that adversely affects the animal’s health, and they are not likely to become healthy or treatable even if provided the care typically provided to pets by reasonable and caring pet guardians in the community. 

These decisions are never automatic and are never taken lightly. Each case is evaluated individually by our seasoned veterinary and animal care teams and guided by medical expertise, safety considerations, and the animal’s quality of life. In some cases, local or state laws will dictate a requirement to perform euthanasia for a specific animal for behavioral or medical reasons.  

While we strive to meet widely accepted animal welfare standards often associated with “no-kill” shelters, we do not use that label for ourselves or other organizations. Our focus remains on transparency, responsibility, and ensuring the most humane outcome for every animal entrusted to our care by the community and animal control partners we serve.  

Our goal is recovery, stabilization, and transition into the setting that best supports the animal’s well-being, when it is safe and humane to do so. In the rare instances when euthanasia is necessary, it is carried out with dignity and compassion.