Cooped-up curs

Dan. Before I begin, I have received a number of e-mails from dog lovers who raise questions of your animal shelter executive. One writes: "If these puppies are so young they have to be euthanized by injection into the liver, then they are probably unweaned neonates and the shelter obviously has no volunteer foster base or basic knowledge of canine husbandry. Lots of folks would love to hand-raise puppies with a little instruction, but of course that means developing good public relations and actually wanting those pups (or kittens) to live!"

Another wrote; "Sounds like Guss' friend would rather kill than pick up a phone.…"

Dan, dogs have been living in apartments for as long as there have been apartments. Why not? As long as owners are committed to providing the animal proper training and exercise, and oh yeah, keep it from barking, dogs do very well in that kind of setting.

This is where those dog breeders you love to hate come in right handy. When you buy a puppy from a responsible dog breeder, it's not an "impulse" buy. Dog breeders will consult with you to determine whether their breed is the right one for you and your family. You get a dog that is of a recognizable breed. One that grows to an expected size, shape and coat type. Healthy, well socialized, has dependable temperament and personality traits.

The dog comes with "tech support" from a person who knows their breed intimately and has nurtured them since birth. This person gives you referral service to the proper nutrition, veterinarians, trainers, groomers, dog parks and local and national breed clubs.

A responsible dog breeder has their dogs genetically screened for inherited disorders; has a return policy written into the sales contract; and has purebred dog adoption organizations available, if needed. You get a companion you can trust around your family, friends and neighbors, and your quality pet always come with a spay and neuter contract.

Now if cities would get rid of those ridiculous dog-limit laws, we could probably empty out a lot of shelters. These stupid dog limit laws have arbitrary limits that make no sense, are seldom enforced and make outlaws out of law-abiding citizens by telling them it's OK to break the law, as long as you don't get caught.

I don't like dog parks. You can keep your dog on a leash and exercise it adequately, Which, by the way is an added health benefit for the owner. Let it run loose in your apartment, home, or backyard, or get involved in an agility class running doggy obstacle courses.

Bill Hemby is the chairman and founder of PetPAC, an organization that fights for the rights of pets and their owners, and he is also the lobbyist for COPS, the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs.

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Bill, Bill, Bill:

Here's your chance to walk the talk. Step out of the trailer and drive these "concerned" friends to the shelter to volunteer. They are rightly shocked about what the shelter executive said about the kill room in yesterday's article. Let us know tomorrow how many of your friends do as they say. I double-dog dare you.

You also said a mouthful when you wrote about the "tech support" breeders give.

That's because breeders see dogs as a commodity, like a box of cereal.