PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island’s pounds, rescues and shelters took in about 16,500 animals in 2024.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), a total of 441 animals from those facilities were euthanized in 2024. Most of those cases were reportedly due to illness or severe behavior.
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“DEM does not assign a formal ‘no-kill’ status to shelters. The term generally refers to facilities that do not euthanize animals strictly due to space or mandatory holding periods,” the DEM explained in an email to 12 News. “Fortunately, this type of euthanasia is extremely rare in Rhode Island if it occurs at all.”
The department noted that it keeps detailed records and can verify nearly all euthanasia cases due to health reasons and adoptability concerns…