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Letter: Working toward no more unwanted pets

Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I have worked in the field of animal welfare, trying to help and save homeless animals, for 40 years. When I started this work, shelters in our country were doing well if 15 percent of the dogs and cats who came in the door left alive. There were no rescue groups or spay/neuter clinics. We still saw epidemics of distemper, and Parvo virus was starting to move across the country, both incredibly contagious and fatal diseases which swept through the unvaccinated dogs in shelters, killing many of them.

I encourage your readers to look now at the articles on today’s Pet Page. In 2015, over 95 percent of homeless dogs in shelters in Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex counties left alive, either returned to their owner, transferred to a sister shelter or rescue for adoption, or adopted locally. The 5 percent who were euthanized were either too aggressive to safely be adopted, or were injured or sick beyond what medical care could help.

Because we have so many...

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