Well all shelters are different, but we make sure the dogs and cats are healthy and will put them down if there is no hope if they get terribly sick but we do try to help them rather than put them down.

Some shelters don't even go the lengths for the animals like we do, we don't put them down if they are sick we try to get them through it but a shelter situation is so hard on cats, they are very sensitive animals and can get sick at the drop of a hat. We clean EVERY single morning for 4 hours.

Cleaning cat rooms, walking the dogs and cleaning their kennels
(and walking them all day to get exercise in the play yard which is huge.), and we do the same thing every day to make sure the whole place is clean it's never ending. Washing dishes everyday, cleaning litterboxes, etc. and tons of laundry.

Also, we have a list of cats that get canned food in a kennel rotation each day for the ones that need it. They also get meds as needed and the dogs get meds as needed.

I'm not saying my shelter is perfect, but we do what most shelters won't do. That's what's so great for having a donation fund so we can help the ones that get sick unexpectedly or hit by a car or need a leg amputation, etc.

Most shelters are non-profit so they don't always have the funds to help sick animals and they are over-crowded. Sometimes we have to say no to people, we don't always take owner turn ins as we are an animal control facility but we do try to help them re-home the animals.