No-kill policy is a good idea gone bad

This is a wake-up call for the Panhandle Animal Shelter's “no kill” policy. A monster has been created. Your good intentions have sadly gone beyond bad.

Instead of accepting young kittens and puppies that are quite possibly adoptable, you have created a waiting list for people. These people can no longer afford nor want to keep the animal(s) they try to give the Panhandle Animal Shelter.

So, now people are simply dumping their animals and hoping someone finds and keeps them, or the people simply divorce themselves from any thoughts/feelings for these unwanted animals, or they are taken to a veterinarian to be put to sleep. Perhaps these animals are being run-over as they wander around (how do you think this makes the poor person that runs them over feel?), perhaps some are starving to death or possibly being tortured “for fun.”

Keeping virtually unadoptable dogs and cats alive just so Panhandle Animal Shelter's board can feel good about themselves and what they're doing to preserve life, is killing-off truly adoptable animals.

Just a suggestion, but how about a three-week hold period. If the animal is not adopted by then, the animal is humanely put to sleep (euthanized). With this policy, perhaps some of the truly adoptable animals will have their chance at life, and there “will be room at the inn”, for them. We urge everyone to spay and neuter their pet(s), to alleviate this ongoing problem.

GAIL and MICHAEL HARMELEIN

Sandpoint