Animal Fees

A proposal to increase fees for L.A. animal owners who do not neuter their animals is bringing emotional responses from both sides (Al Martinez, Oct. 3). This debate need not resort to emotions. It involves simple economics. Animal shelters exist because unwanted animals must be controlled. Tax dollars pay for the animal shelters, to capture and take in unwanted animals, try to find them homes and ultimately destroy the 85% that are not adopted.

My animals are all neutered. The unwanted animals driving animal shelters cannot possibly come from neutered animals like mine. Fairness dictates that the people who keep the unneutered animals pay increased fees. Formal breeders, backyard breeders and accidental breeders all wind up with at least some unwanted animals. The huge costs of controlling unwanted animals should be shouldered by all owners of unneutered animals who cannot or will not do the math and figure out that if we are forced to destroy millions of animals every year because they are not wanted, it makes no economic (or moral) sense to produce more animals.

LAURA BETH HEISEN

Westlake