Readers Respond -- Gimme Shelter

In a word, yes, the city should open a city-run humane shelter, but

for many reasons having nothing to do with animals.

Huntington Beach desperately needs an animal care facility where

children see that pets are not throwaway items, to be tortured or put to

death at one’s whim. A pro-humane shelter in the city would provide a

center for humane education in the community, a safe place for animals

awaiting adoption, without the possibility of euthanasia, a pleasant,

convenient location for Huntington Beach residents to locate lost pets

and to adopt new ones and a privately subsidized spaying and neutering

program to reduce pet overpopulation.

Sending the message to our children that animal cruelty is not

accepted is an important element in raising well-adjusted,

community-minded, compassionate adults. And isn’t that what we all want

for Huntington Beach?

SUSAN BAILEY

Huntington Beach

A local shelter budgeted with what the city already allocates to the

county would become a center-point of community pride and enthusiasm,

generating much needed additional local volunteer fund-raising and

donated time. Never underestimate the power of community volunteerism.

Without a shelter here, our local residential and business community

will not drive out to the proposed county facility in Tustin to donate

their time and funds toward saving our local pets. Sad fact.

JOHN W. DE WITT

Huntington Beach

Opening a new shelter by the city is really ridiculous when they have

an excellent one in the county, which would be a lot cheaper and more

capable.

BEN MASON

Huntington Beach

A city-run shelter is a great idea. I personally have brought in four

strays since I’ve been living in Huntington Beach, and there seems to be

quite a few. I’m used to the Newland Street shelter, that’s the only one

I know about.

LINDA FEFFER

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach most definitely needs a city-run shelter. I have just

moved here and I find it unfathomable that a city this size that is

pet-friendly enough to have a designated dog beach does not address the

needs of the thousands of strays that die a horrible death each year.

Please cast my vote for it.

LYNN PAVLIK

Huntington Beach We need a city-run humane shelter in Huntington

Beach. The Orange County shelter does not meet our needs. We are a dog

friendly city and this would be a great opportunity to bring the

community together.

CATHY PARSA

Huntington Beach