Creating a more caring community for people and pets.
Save A Life Today. Be A LifeSaver!
What is the LifeSaver Initiative?
The LifeSaver Initiative at CARE is a specialized campaign aimed at rescuing animals from euthanasia and providing them with a second chance at life. This initiative encompasses various efforts such as rescue networking, providing medical care, fostering and adoption programs, and advocacy for animal rights and responsible pet ownership. The primary objective of the LifeSaver Initiative is to offer a lifeline to animals in need, ensuring they receive the care and support necessary to find loving homes and ultimately reduce the need for euthanasia.
All adoption fees for these dogs are waived.
Dogs that are on the LifeSaver List are eligible to go to a foster home or adoption.
If you are interested in fostering a dog on this program, please visit this page to fill out the foster signup form or email lifesaver@icarestl.org. These dogs are also eligible for fostering-to-adopt. The Foster-to-Adopt program aims to find suitable homes for hard-to-place dogs by avoiding prolonged stays in the shelter or foster care. Mirroring our adoption process, our goal is to match you with a dog that after two weeks in your home, you decide to adopt.
Various scenarios are considered once a dog is added to the LifeSaver Initiative. CARE STL leadership reviews the situation for each dog. Scenarios include bite and behavior cases (may exclude bite cases brought in by animal control), length of stay, and multiple returns from adoption or foster due to behavior. The LifeSaver Initiative includes a comprehensive questionnaire for each dog in the program that is reviewed at 30 days.
Being a part of the LifeSaver Initiative, even if considered urgent, does not mean a dog will be euthanized. It serves as an opportunity for CARE to advocate and focus more attention on these dogs by tracking marketing efforts, ensuring they have photos and bios, ensuring they have been dog tested, improving their quality of life with additional enrichment and a CHEW Buddy, managing medications, finding rescue/transfer and more. The CARE Leadership Team and the LifeSaver Volunteer Committee work together for a positive outcome for all dogs.
Reasons why a dog may be added to the LifeSaver Initiative
Behavior:
These may be behaviors observed in the shelter or behaviors observed if the dog was in a foster home.
Length of Stay (LOS):
This is how long the dog has been at our shelter without leaving even once. Dogs are automatically added to the LifeSaver Initiative after 30 days because the longer they are at the shelter, the more stressed they will become. This helps ensure that no dog falls through the cracks. We aim to decrease the length of stay at the shelter and increase the quality of life for all dogs in our care.
Quality of Life (QOL):
The longer a dog is at the shelter, the worse its quality of life will be. It is also challenging to provide necessary enrichment when the shelter is overcrowded, as it currently is. Dogs who spend months in a shelter may begin deteriorating or medically suffering (refusing to eat, panting/barking all day long, spinning, and other concerns). At this point, we must evaluate whether it is humane to keep this dog in our care longer.
While every effort is made for every dog, it is not impossible for a dog to bypass the Lifesavers Initiative and its process and move to humane euthanasia if the situation warrants it. Dogs with a multiple bite history or for medical reasons might be an example.
We understand that euthanasia is difficult; however, we also have a responsibility to relieve an animal’s suffering when they are in pain or experiencing a poor quality of life at the shelter, and we have exhausted all efforts. We are also responsible for keeping St. Louis city residents safe by not placing animals in the community we feel may be unsafe.
These are instances when a humane decision may be made. Multiple people on the CARE Leadership Team make these decisions, which are shared with our staff and volunteers. These decisions are made after all efforts are exhausted and weigh heavily on those who must make them.
These dogs are currently part of our LifeSaver Initiative and are a priority to move out of the shelter. Unless otherwise noted, all of these dogs are eligible to go to a foster home.
There are many ways that you can help these dogs and help us keep more dogs off this list: Adopt, Foster, or Volunteer today!
All adoption fees for these dogs are fee-waived to get them into homes.
Please email lifesaver@carestl.org if you want to adopt or foster one of these dogs. You may also come to the shelter during open hours to meet any dog; no appointment is required.