Dear Editor: Blame people, not shelters

Dear Editor:

The only reason shelters have to kill animals is we the humans are not being responsible for our pets.

I have all my animals altered, chipped, licensed, and vaccinated by 6 months old. If for some reason one of my animals were to get out and running the streets, I would hope someone would take them to the shelter before they were harmed.

Without a shelter you would see animals running the streets and dead animals everywhere.
Ninety-nine percent of the people that work at the shelters have animals of their own that they love. Their job is to help return animals to their families if they get lost and to detain those that will do harm.

We the people are responsible for every animal that is killed because we didn't care enough.
The people that are responsible for this is our family, friends and neighbors that won't alter their animals and stop the over population of all animals.

So please put the blame on the people -- where it belongs -- and not on the shelters. Shelters would love to do nothing more then return animals back to their owners.

I donated my time for 20 years at a shelter. I was never paid anything, I just wanted to help. I learned so much by doing so.

One day a man brought his pregnant female dog to the shelter. I ask why he was turning her in, his answer was the dog keep getting pregnant. It's like he thought she was a naughty teenager. That's what you work with at a shelter.

The last time I went to turn in a found dog at SEAACA, a man parked next to me was turning in the mother and father Chi and keeping the puppy. I was so angry, I wanted to slap some sense into him. Instead I told him shame on you.

So don't blame the shelters, blame stupid people.

Helen Burns
Downey