To the Free Speech writer of last week who questioned, “What good is the Fayette County Animal Shelter?” I have a plethora of answers for you.

FCAS is a spotlessly clean, well-run, compassionate facility that accepts stray dog turn-ins, responds to loose dogs, injured dogs, as well as abused and neglected ones.

It cares for dogs (and cats) in its possession humanely and makes every effort to adopt them into good homes.

Fayette County Humane Society, the volunteer arm of FCAS, also assists with adoptions by taking available animals to Petsmart on the weekends.

These people could be spending time with their own families, pets, or hobbies, but instead load dogs and cats into kennels, transport them to Petsmart, sit for hours in the hopes that decent, responsible people will adopt them, and at the end of the day, reload those not chosen and return them to the shelter or foster care.

The whole process involves much time and energy as well as the disappointment at the end of the day at having animals unadopted who won’t be “going home.”

Back to the Fayette County Animal Shelter — did I mention that the employees there provide information and education to individuals as well as schools? Oh, and one more thing, when the kennels become full and there’s no room for yet one more animal, the shelter euthanizes them humanely by use of injection.

Yes, they have to kill perfectly good dogs that once belonged to someone. Perhaps someone like you or your son-in-law who had no qualms about trying to turn in a year-old mixed breed dog as well as a mixed breed beagle and her puppies.

It’s apparent that you’re completely oblivious to the pet overpopulation problem (ever heard of spay/neuter?) in addition to your cold indifference to domesticated animals that are at your mercy.

Those puppies aren’t like a pair of shoes to be returned to Wal-Mart. Your son-in-law allowed his dog to reproduce so it’s therefore HIS responsibility to place the puppies in homes, not stick them with a shelter or rescue group.

While it is not the policy of FCAS to accept owner turn-ins, other shelters do. FCAS, by your own admission, gave you a list of those shelters, but you had the nerve to complain about “the closest one being in Atlanta.” I guess you’ve never driven all the way to Atlanta to attend a ballgame, concert, or dine at a particular restaurant.

The Fayette County Animal Shelter is funded with the tax dollars of Fayette citizens, and you’re costing us money. Your statement that “We don’t need an animal shelter that only deals in puppies or the dogs that they can make a profit on” is so uninformed and off-base, no wonder you wrote to Free Speech where you didn’t have to sign your name.

For your dogs that you want to turn in, IF you haven’t dumped them outside the county by now, I offer this prayer by Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a clergyman, humanitarian, and philosopher dedicated to the concept of “reverence for life” for all creatures.

“Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, for animals who are suffering; for animals who are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death. We entreat for them all thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them, we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kind words. Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals, and so to share the blessings of the merciful.”

Linda Conley

Tyrone, Ga.