Irresponsible Pet Owners Cost Everyone
* Mary Lou Rossignol’s kennel (“Officers Seize 140 Animals From Kennel,” May 27) is not a problem, it is merely a symptom of the massive underlying problem--pet owners who do not spay or neuter their dogs and cats.
Ms. Rossignol and many other rescuers like her dedicate their lives and finances trying to help homeless, abused and abandoned animals suffering as a result of their owners’ lack of responsibility, ignorance and cruelty.
Every taxpayer, pet owner or not, is paying for the irresponsible behavior of those who do not spay or neuter their dogs and cats. Our tax dollars are used to support animal shelters that by necessity must act as perpetual killing factories for hundreds of thousands of healthy, normal animals.
The crime for which these animals are put to death: There simply are not enough good homes for them. The never-ending flood of surplus animals will continue to flow as long as pet owners do not act responsibly. The animals will continue to suffer and the taxpayers will continue to pick up the bill.
We need to contact our state, city and county lawmakers now to demand that spaying and neutering of companion animals be made mandatory. Any tax dollars used to help provide affordable spaying and neutering would be much more wisely spent than tax dollars spent to run nonstop animal-killing machines.
HELEN KNOPOFF
North Hollywood
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