Editor, Gazette-Journal:

In last week’s Readers Write section, there was a letter from Tonya Higgins, D.V.M., asking people to donate to the Animal Resource Foundation (ARF). In the letter, she states, “Our mission is to keep our prices low so that ANY (emphasis mine) animal who needs to be altered can be.”

It is important to understand that ARF is a 501(c)(3) charity, supported by tax-exempt donations. No attempt is made to means test, or otherwise identify whether people seeking their services are actually unable to pay for spay or neuter procedures. This is unlike the Free Clinic for human patients, where means testing is done to ensure that funds go to people who need the support to obtain medical care.

I know of many people who have used ARF services who had the ability to pay for a spay or neuter procedure at one of the local veterinary hospitals. I believe that the staff and board of ARF are aware that many folks who could afford these surgeries use their se...