The following article about Kodiaks' No Kill Shelter was in the ADN on Sunday. Wouldn't it be great if we could have this sort of program in Anchorage and the Valley! We do have one no kill shelter in Anchorage and another on the Kenai. All the other no kill groups are smaller rescue groups that foster in homes.

NO-KILL FACILITY: Volunteers, fundraisers help defray rising costs.
By LOUIS GARCIA
Kodiak Daily Mirror via The Associated Press
Published: January 31st, 2010 09:12 PM
Last Modified: January 31st, 2010 09:12 PM
KODIAK -- The current economy has added a challenge in keeping up with costs at the Kodiak Animal Shelter.
Rebecca Martines, shelter manager, said it isn't uncommon to see fiscal needs increase over the years.
"It's always going up," Martines said. "It's gone up from what it was, and if things don't get better it will go up again."
There are three trends the Humane Society of Kodiak, animal shelter members and workers have noticed as the reason for rising costs.
One of them is an increased number of impounded animals not reclaimed by owners because owners may be having a hard time making ends meet.
"People can't afford it," Martines said. "Do I put food on the table or get the dog out?"
Increases in animal shelter and community needs for veterinary services also play a part in rising costs.
The last component to affect the animal shelter is the increasing numbers of animals that owners have surrendered to the shelter.
Martines said this could be caused by people having to move around or off the island.
"Sometimes people have to leave the island and can't afford to take their animals," she said. "There are also limited rentals on the island and a lot of them don't allow animals."
The animal shelter also will try to help with costs associated with transporting a pet off island, but if it becomes more expensive the shelter won't be able to help.
"Most of the time we end up with the animal," Martines said.
The increase in animals at the shelter isn't a large one, but it is enough to notice.
"The increase is more like 15 to 20 percent," she said. "We have to do more fundraising due to rising costs and more animals being dropped off and impounded."
Fundraising for the animal shelter begins in the fall.
Donations have been good so far this year. Drs. Jeff and Angie Johnson of the Kodiak Veterinary Clinic responded to the shelter's financial need by doubling their yearly donation to $10,000.
In May, Humane Society of Kodiak also received a financial boost when it was given $3,075 by the Black Widows dart team, part of Kodiak Island Dart Association.
Money is put into the pot each time teams play, and the team that donates the most money chooses who to give the money to.
Having a lot of volunteers in addition to donations, memberships and fundraising has helped the shelter immensely, Martines said.
"We have gobs of wonderful volunteers," she said. "We have consistent volunteers who come in every month whenever they can."
There are Coast Guard volunteers and children who come in after school. The school children come in almost every day, Martines said.
Girl Scouts have even helped out by putting in time to make plans for doghouse construction.
Gifts of time, money and energy keep the no-kill shelter afloat.
"To remain a no-kill facility we need the help of the community," Martines said.
If the shelter fell into a deep financial hole, Martines said there is still no way the no-kill shelter -- a more expensive shelter to maintain because animals are spayed and neutered -- would change its practices.
"The Humane Society board isn't worried about that," Martines said. "At this point, we're not in a financial dire need. We like to have padding and all of that, but we're able to keep up with it so far. If the animal numbers go up it will be harder to do that."
Martines also was quick to point out that community support would be available if needed.
HSK president Karen Yashin said Kodiak's animal shelter no-kill policy isn't going to change anytime soon.
"I look at it like wanton waste," Yashin said. "To get animals into the animal shelter and have a finite time before they're destroyed is unacceptable. We truly do whatever we can to work with these animals and place them in the right place. I think if you've got a community that's humane, you have a really good community."
Looking to the future, Yashin said she would like the shelter to be an example for other animal shelters in the state.
"I'd like to see us as a model for the state and get more no-kill shelters going," she said. "It's totally inhumane to have shelters that have finite periods of time on animals to be euthanized."