Your Opinion: Guardians group forms to aid shelter animals

Dear Editor:

This is in response to Betty Browner's letter titled "Unwanted animals create hard reality for shelter." She ended her letter with "Are the people who don't want any killed willing to pay the money for their upkeep. No I don't think so."

I believe that everyone concerned about the information that has come forward about the activity at the Jefferson City Animal Shelter realizes that until citizens become responsible for their animals and spay/neuter them to prevent unwanted litters, killing homeless animals is a sad reality.

The current issue of concern, however, has nothing to do with not wanting any animals killed, though it would be wonderful if JCAS would evolve to a "no-kill" shelter as have so many facilities around the country.

The issue of concern is that the killing isn't happening in a humane way, but rather in a way that is causing great stress and pain to the animals in their final moments. "All living beings deserve to be treated humanely."

Sadly, the method used at JCAS wherein the animals are being gassed to death in a makeshift gassing chamber should be considered unacceptable by any person possessing even a minuscule amount of compassion.

Anyone interested in joining a group of citizens intent on making things better for the homeless animals who find themselves at JCAS are welcome to join the new citizens group, Shelter Animal Guardians, by emailing their name/address/phone to [email protected]