NORWICH – The Chenango County SPCA (CSPCA) says it’s proud to be a no-kill shelter, and thanks the community for its support.

CPSCA Executive Director, Annette J. Clarke spoke on Tuesday about how a no-kill shelter process works, and what prompted the CSPCA’s transformation years ago.

“Being a no-kill shelter means we don’t euthanize animals to make space or save money," said Clarke. "In the last 5 years, we’ve managed to reduce euthanizations by 86 percent, and we did that by only considering euthanasia an option in extreme medical or temperamental circumstances."

According to Clarke, the transformation began over five years ago when she began at the CSPCA, and the shelter recognized it wanted to change policies.

That's when the shelter began moving towards a no-kill goal.

To meet the SPCA's guidelines on being a 'no-kill' shelter, the CSPCA must ensure "no animal is ever euthanized except in cases of extreme aggression, terminal illness or the inability to maintain a reasonable quality of life in a shelter environment," read the SPCA's posted policy online.