Its NOT how all shelters are. Unfortuantely cats illnesses spread really quickly and if the previous owners, who obviously didn't care about the pet or they wouldn't be there, don't vaccinate them, they will be sick in 48 hours in a contaminated environment.
I used to rescue only cats but spent a FORTUNE getting them health out of shelters. Some of them took YEARS.. and will have chronic illness for life.
I pull from half a dozen shelters. Only 2 have ever sent me dogs w/ kennel cough. And only this one has given me animals so sick that their eyes are glued shut from discharge and puppies w/ pnemonia. I've never lost one though as long as they are PROMPTLY placed on antibiotics. But you have to ask.
A mild kennel cough I can deal with. I will say its the same as it was prior to Dr. S. taking over. Not better, not worse. But I don't know thats a good thing.
Re: “Halfway Home Pet Adoptions loses animal-shelter contract with Kansas City amid claims of animal abuse”
Funny, Karen from Ray of Hope goes door to door with the head of animal control offering low/no cost altering and that seems to be working. LAWS posted coupons on the Leavenworth papers offering free spay/neuters for the entire county. That is working too. I can list half a dozen city shelters w/in hours of KC that have gone totally no kill by just working with that as their goal. Maybe KCMO needs to put more money into intelligent ways of stopping pet over population. And when those idiots walk through the door at HWH to surrender their pets, give them some HARD facts instead of sugar coating it, and have them meet w/ a counselor to find out WHAT it would take for them to be able to keep them.
I personally have helped dozens of pet owners KEEP their pets just by offering food, vetting, etc. at my personal expense or just by doing food drives etc. Some who walked through the door while I waited to pick up my dogs (I was pulling) from KCMO.
Think smarter and get your head out of the clouds of ignorance.