Editor:

I am writing in response to The Aegis's Sept. 7 article titled No-Kill animal shelter debate rages on Page A16.

As a young, teenage girl I feel like the members of HOPE, Humane Options to Prevent Euthanasia, don't take into account how difficult it is to keep the Humane Society of Harford County running without their negative actions and their harmful words. I agree that the number of cats, 63 percent, and dogs, 26 percent, euthanized is high, but why would the members of HOPE, who seem to care about the animals a lot, want there to be a no-kill policy when some of the animals that the shelter puts down are sick and in pain?

There is no reason for an animal to have to live every day when they are suffering. How are any of the animals going to get adopted if all of them become sick because one animal has a disease that is spreading to all the other animals? The shelter won't let anyone adopt an animal that bites, so why should the shelter spend its money on the mean and hopeless animals rather than feeding all of the friendly and healthy animals that have a chance to be adopted?

I adopted my dogs from the Humane Society 5 years ago and I know for a fact that if either one of them was suffering or dangerous I wouldn't think twice about euthanizing one or both of them for the safety of myself and my family.

The workers at the Humane Society are the animal's family before they are adopted. They dedicate their time to these animals each day and it shocks me that anyone would have the guts to fight against the care they provide to every animal that is brought in.

Rachel Monroe

Forest Hill