LETTER: In Defense Of The Animal Shelter

To the editor:

This letter is in reference to the article on the dog that had been adopted out and then reunited with it's owner. I feel some further information may be helpful to inform people about the City Animal Shelter and the work that is done there. It is a difficult place to be for those people who truly care for animals and their needs, and we are fortunate in the individuals that are there at this time.
It is an unhappy truth that in the city regulations, animals that are not re-claimed within 3 days of their acquisition are then deemed to be owned by the city, and after 5 days may legally be euthanized. I am so appreciative of the Shelter's policy to keep the animals as long as possible in the effort to find them placement. It is telling that in the instance reported in the paper, the dog had been cared for at the Shelter for 3 weeks.
The dogs are fed, their cages cleaned, dishes washed, and they are played with, socialized and petted daily. In addition, volunteers help them to be taught to walk on leashes, and follow simple commands if possible. If they are ill, employees from the shelter will bring them to a clinic for treatment, and follow up the therapy at the shelter until recovery.
I am sure that administrative glitches occur, as it looks like happened in this case, and all involved feel badly, I know. But the fact that the dog was kept for over three weeks, cared for and fed, is something for which I am thankful.
Our Shelter employees are dedicated and concerned, from the animal control officer to the manager, and I must say that they are almost always effective at doing a difficult job.

Thank you for your time,
Teresa Gonzales, D.V.M.
San Antonio

LETTER: In Defense Of The Animal Shelter