Adopt a Shelter Pet

The July 26 article “Mexican Puppy Mills Breed Grief in Southland” states that the smugglers bringing puppies into California from Mexico are filling a demand in part because of the discouragement of pet stores from selling animals from American puppy mills. Surprisingly, the story omitted any mention of the best source of pets -- animal shelters -- where thousands of animals await homes.

The fact that many animals in shelters are euthanized each year because of a lack of adopters makes the story of animals being smuggled into the country all the more tragic. If more people adopted from shelters (and would consider older animals, which are often overlooked), the smugglers would have less of a market.

Steven Koenig

Silver Spring, Md.