Pets are for keeps, not to look hip

IF pugs are trendy this season [“Pug O’ My Heart,” by Valli Herman, May 6], what happens to them next season when Chinese cresteds are all the rage? It’s a dog, not a purse, and you can’t just throw it in the back of the closet or resell it on EBay when you are done with it.

As an animal rescuer, I am tired of seeing broken-hearted pets, whose owners got bored with them, waiting to die in our shelters. If L.A.’s trendiest need a pug, I suggest the stuffed animal variety: guaranteed not to poop, pee or care when you toss it out next spring.

CATHY ATKINSON

Hollywood

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PUGS have been so inbred they have a host of health problems. Someone trying to be cutting edge, fashion-wise, will soon get a reality check when their little pet’s vet bills start to pile up. Acquiring any companion animal requires forethought and education. Will the fashion statement stay fresh for the 12-plus years of the pug’s life? I sincerely doubt it. Another throwaway animal will join the hordes at L.A. Animal Services. Shame!

LISA EDMONDSON

Los Angeles

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I thoroughly enjoyed your pugfest. I have been owned by a pug for nearly five years now; Huka is love personified, and she had me at hello with her Edward G. Robinson looks. Funny, though, she thinks she looks like Lana Turner!

JUDY PROFFER

Encino