Our Mission
Morris Animal Refuge is a small animal shelter located in Center City, Philadelphia. Every day we strive to save lives, adopt out animals, and fulfill our mission. Read on to learn more about what makes Morris, Morris!
Our Mission Statement
Founded in 1874, the Morris Animal Refuge is a pioneer in Animal Welfare. The Philadelphia-based life saving organization is committed to adoption, education, and high-quality care with the goal of finding positive and humane outcomes for animals in need.
Morris Animal Refuge is a 501c3 organization that provides care for a wide range of animals, from those ready for placement in a new home to those exhibiting behavioral or medical issues that aren’t able to immediately be placed. We are dedicated to helping find a positive and humane outcome for every animal that comes to us in need, reducing unnecessary euthanasia, and ensuring that every animal that enters our care is given a chance at a loving home. Our hard work has paid off – and today we are happy to report that we have a 98% Save Rate!
Morris' Vision Statements
Our Vision Statements were developed to represent the character and culture of the Morris Animal Refuge. They serve as a public testimony of how we operate and as a framework for ensuring that we remain faithful to our mission and values. There are eight Visions Statements representing the guiding principles of the Morris Animal Refuge. Click on each vision below to learn more about the values that guide our organization.
Life Saving Organization
As a life-saving organization, Morris Animal Refuge is committed to the mission of finding forever homes for all adoptable animals. Morris Animal Refuge seeks to expand the definition of what animals are considered to be “adoptable” and to support other shelters and rescue organizations by transferring in animals. Throughout the history of animal sheltering, only young, perfectly healthy animals with no recognized behavioral issues were considered suitable for adoption. We’ve turned to an adoption counseling method, which focuses on finding the best fit between adopter and animal, and we’ve begun to build resources for medical care and behavioral rehabilitation through our Life Saver Fund. Through these changes, we’ve found more homes for animals with chronic medical conditions or behavioral issues that require consistent training. As the Refuge has been able to adopt out more animals efficiently, we’ve had the ability to begin transferring in medical and behavioral cases from local and out-of-state rescue partners. We seek to support the larger mission of animal welfare, not only throughout our city and state but throughout the country.
Why doesn't Morris call itself a "No-Kill" Shelter?
While the term “no-kill” is extremely popular in the animal welfare industry and Morris Animal Refuge meets the current standards to be considered a “no-kill” organization, we have made the deliberate choice not to identify that way. We believe that the term is misleading and can cause more harm than good to other animal welfare organizations.
No-Kill Does Not Mean No Euthanasia
Humane euthanasia is a reality in every animal shelter whether they are a “no-kill” organization or not. To be considered “no-kill” a shelter must have a 90% save rate, which means up to 10% of the animals that enter a “no-kill” shelter may be euthanized while the shelter can still claim this title. Morris currently has a 98% save rate, but there are times when an animal is irredeemably suffering or has severe behavioral issues and we must make the difficult decision to choose humane euthanasia. These are decisions every responsible shelter or rescue must face.
No Shelter is a Kill Shelter
Using the term “no-kill shelter” implies that there are “kill shelters”. This can have an extremely negative impact on animal welfare organizations that are unable to meet “no-kill” standards. Most organizations that get labeled “kill shelters” are open admission shelters, meaning they must accept every animal that comes through their door regardless of size, behavior, health, etc. When managed or limited admission shelters are not able to accept an animal, open admission shelters are there to fill in the gaps. Without them the animal welfare industry would not be able to function. These shelters are often understaffed, have limited resources, and are accepting more of the animals who need humane euthanasia due to health and behavioral needs.
This can make it impossible for them to ever meet “no-kill” standards, but that does not negate the fact that these organizations and the people that work for them are saving lives and doing the best they can for the animals in their care. Labeling them a kill shelter is unfair and demoralizing to the people who have dedicated their lives to these animals.
What We Call Ourselves Instead
We prefer to call ourselves a Lifesaving Organization. We believe this term better captures our commitment to giving every animal that comes through our doors the best chance at a loving forever home, and it can apply to every animal welfare organization that is doing their best to help the animals in their care.
Managed Admission
Morris Animal Refuge is committed to taking in any animal in need that we can humanely care for. As a managed admission shelter we do surrenders by appointment only to allow us to better manage the flow of animals to avoid unnecessary euthanasia and to plan the necessary time needed with each owner to get the most information they can about the animal. We will also work with the owner to help them find alternatives to surrender – for example – giving them information on low-cost food resources, low-cost medical care, alternative pet-friendly housing, etc. For more information about surrendering an animal to Morris or for intake diversion resources please visit the links below.
