Letters to the Editor

Two letters to the editor were printed in the Austin America-Statesman today regarding Town Lake Animal Center:

Monday, November 02, 2009

Town Lake animal disgrace

I recently saved a sweet three-legged 12-year-old dog from Town Lake Animal Center's death row.

I was shocked that Austin has such a poor excuse for an animal shelter. We waited in the adoption room for 20 minutes before we were told no one would be staffing the adoptions room that day. We were shuffled to another room, interviewed, then left on our own.

Most dogs had accidents in their cages. When I got my adoptee out of his concrete cell, he was pooping and peeing as he walked because he was house trained and must had been holding it for a while.

The experience was not adoption-friendly: too many rooms; old, dirty, jail-like cages; highly stressed, uncomfortable animals.

I can't believe Austin treats its sheltered animals this way. Shame on the city and whoever is charge at the shelter.

Stephen Plyler

Round Rock

Re: Oct. 27 editorial "Pets, progress depend on civility in Austin."

Animals are being killed at Town Lake Animal Center because of the lack of civility? It seems that the Austin Animal Advisory Commission begs to differ, as do animal welfare groups across the country.

Animals are being killed because of lack of strong leadership at the shelter and at the City Council. Cities all across the United States are no kill, and it isn't because of civility. It is because of common sense, economically sound decisions and deciding that killing healthy animals is no longer an option.

How many no kill conferences are the shelter Director Dorinda Pulliam and/or her staff attending? Austin should be leading, not lagging behind.

Sasha Evans

saevan@gmail.com

Austin