Letter: Humans cause animal suffering

Thursday, July 15, 1999 | 9:45 a.m.

The people responsible for this cruelty are removed from the actual suffering and death they cause and are, therefore, oblivious to it.

While there are laws against people who abuse animals, there aren't any for those who allow animals to come into being and who then "get rid" of them. They, too, are guilty in an actual and moral sense.

Take, for instance, the person who breeds a litter of puppies or kittens. I'm sure they see themselves as caring people. It is bad enough that the villains of pet overpopulation do not look like villains. But they also engage in self-delusion. How many times have you heard, "we always find good homes for them."

Everyone who has allowed their animal to breed and to "experience the miracle of life" wants to believe they are not part of the problem. But they must face the reality that 1,500 animals are killed at the shelter each month, of which 25 percent are purebreds.

There are not enough good homes for these doomed animals. Go to the shelter or Humane Society and look into their empty eyes and try to tell me, "we always find good homes for them."

Help stop this unnecessary suffering -- get your pet spayed or neutered. The choice is ours, not theirs.

LINDA FASO

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