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They have no choice, let them live

(Updated: Thursday, September 02, 2010, 12:00 AM)

Dear Editor,

It's good to hear of responsible pet owners like Sandi Latham who responded to my previous letter regarding a free spay and neuter day. She writes of getting her own "unwanted" puppy and how she paid for its costs and did not expect the vet to donate his time and materials. She is right. Vets, or perhaps no one, should be expected to do pro bono work. No, not expected, but on occasion respectfully desired to do so when there is a tremendous need.

The problem, as previously cited, is that too many people are not making the responsible decision that she had done. The intention of the free day is to keep some of those pets from pain and suffering because a human doesn't act responsibly.

There are many services for humans that need them: churches, charities, cancer hospitals, food banks, and emergency rooms. Donations or charities and volunteers are requested to help fund or provide labor for programs for the library, fire stations, parks, ill people without enough money to cover expenses, back packs for kids, disasters, and Boys and Girls Clubs. The list could go on and on with examples of pro bono work. I do pro bono work as does my dentist.

In a perfect world, perhaps we as a caring society wouldn't need to help those with less. Unfortunately, it is not a perfect world. The free spay and neuter day is not about people who can make conscious choices about their lives but about neglected and unwanted animals who have no choice in life. One day of free spay and neuter will create for those pets a life like Sandi Latham's pet was fortunate enough to have.

Mary Herrmann, Oakhurst