County Animal Shelter Needs Reform

* Re “Restore Animal Shelter’s Image,” Jan. 7 editorial:

Why did it take so long to get some action by the county to start to clean up the deplorable conditions at the Orange County Animal Shelter?

Most people who visit that shelter to adopt never come back. It is a relic of the dark ages, and the memory of my visit there almost 17 years ago still haunts me.

My visits to other city or private shelters, such as those in Irvine and Mission Viejo, on the other hand, were pleasant. I urge the public to continue to put pressure on the county to bring the county shelter into the modern age.

They should use Irvine and Mission Viejo as models. If these cities can support such wonderful shelters with very high adoption rates, why can’t the county? There is no excuse for this kind of cruelty and mismanagement.

CAROL NEAL

Orange

* Re Dana Parsons’ column, “Cat’s Out of the Bag: Animal Care Matters,” Jan. 7:

Animal care does matter. Many men and women in Orange County put in long, hard hours working for animal welfare in general and specifically toward reform at Orange County Animal Control.

Attorney Robert Newman whines about being “summarily dismissed once people hear I’m involved in advocacy for animals.” He then proceeds to pull out those false, tired, bigoted stereotypes about “little old ladies” and some out-of-the-ether estimate of a “5% fringe element.”

People such as Parsons and Newman who use such terms as “kooky,” “radical” and “fringe” when discussing a serious issue are the ones who hurt the movement for animal welfare by perpetuating a myth about the character of those involved.

GLENDA LA JUAN HORTON

Costa Mesa

* The Jan. 5 article noted there is a “revolving door in top jobs at the Orange County Health Care Agency, which oversees animal control and the shelter.”

The powers that be in Orange County continue to appoint “boneheads” who are only interested in rising to the top by saving money at the expense of those who cannot speak for themselves--animals, children and the poor.

There seems to exist a “good old boys” network among upper health care management that promotes the recruitment and retention of incompetent managers who carry on a medieval style of management.

We need oversight in more branches of the Health Care Agency than just the animal shelter. Let us go next to examining the children’s mental health system, which is about as dysfunctional as the animal care branch.

WALTER J. SMITH

San Juan Capistrano

* Re “Disease Hits County Shelter’s Cats,” Dec. 29:

I am disgusted and appalled at the way Orange County treats animals. I am referring to the barbaric animal shelter and its management and policies. It’s a concentration camp, with the outcome the same--most likely death.

There are so many wonderful, progressive shelters across the United States. San Francisco’s shelter is a cutting-edge example, proof that it can be done, with a little common sense, compassion, creativity and lots of hard work.

But that’s asking too much of this county, isn’t it? Common sense? Compassion? Creativity? Hard work? Hardly.

The Orange County government should be ashamed of itself. Sweeping the animal “problem” under the rug will not make it go away. It is we humans who created this “problem.”

How about an aggressive spay or neuter campaign, and laws to back it up? These animals have as much right to life as we do. It is about time Orange County’s leaders get with the program and do their jobs.

LAURRA MADDOCK

Laguna Niguel