The Cranston Animal Shelter was recognized last week for achieving the status of a “no-kill” shelter by a national animal welfare organization.

Best Friends Animal Society sent Cranston Animal Shelter, as well as several other Rhode Island shelters, a certificate recognizing that they had achieved a 90% adoption rate in 2022. Shelter supervisor Shelby Boudreaux says working with difficult dogs is well worth the extra effort.

“If you have a difficult dog or anything,” she says, “rather than going to an easy option, which would be to euthanize, we would rather give them a chance.”

At the shelter, which can house up to 36 dogs and 25 cats, Boudreaux and the staff work patiently to reacclimate often traumatized stray and rescue dogs to being among humans.

“Some of them are really afraid of leashes, some of them are really afraid of quick movements, sometimes even (people)  wearing hats,” Boudreaux says. “Sometimes even scarves freak them out. The weirdest things could really set them off or make them nervous, but learning what those fears are and working so closely with the trainers. It’s really nice to have.”

The Cranston Animal Shelter works closely with Shelter to Sofa RI, a local organization which supports shelters by providing rehabilitation, training and foster programs. Boudreaux also cites a number of local organizations in a web of Rhode Island based programs supporting animals in the shelter system, including the Rhode Island SPCA, Potter League, Providence Animal Rescue League, Almost Home, Scruffy Paws, and Paws Watch.

Boudreaux says “It’s a small state, but everybody knows everybody and we all work really, really well and closely together.”

The shelter also greatly benefits from community support. One of the easiest, and most helpful things you can do for the animals at the shelter is simply follow Cranston Animal Shelter on Facebook and Instagram.

“If they can’t adopt,” Boudreaux says, “If they just share a post, somebody out there would see an animal that we have that might fit their household, and it’d be really nice for them to be adopted.”

Cranston Animal Shelter is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. As of November 9, the shelter is housing four dogs and five cats.