I didn't say I championed the cause of not rescuing or sheltering unwanted animals. I said I championed the cause of no longer being an enabler. I need to know your definition of the word "unwanted". If it simply means that the owner no longer wants the animal and seeks a guilt free disposal ground like an SPCA or kindly rescue group, then yes, I champion the idea of saying NO to that person. That animal is their responsibility- they must do their own dirty work. I refuse to give them an easy guilt free solution, so that they can go and get another animal when the time is convenient, knowing full well that if the new one doesn't work out then that's okay because the nice rescue lady will take it off their hands. If your definition of "unwanted" actually means "homeless", as in no known owner or caregiver, a true stray, well, then yes, there needs to be an appropriate facility to round up and care for these animals. That facility would be a municipal pound, and the taxpayers dollars would pay to run that pound. There would be no more private pound contracts like those held by the SPCA. The SPCA should be the inspector of these pounds, with the power to make sure they are run in a humane fashion. And perhaps after taxpayers get sick of paying for the warehousing and disposal of homeless aniamls year after year, they, and their mp's will be a little more open to considering spay neuter and control of breeding bylaws.
Where is this idea working already, you ask? Well, no where that I know of, because "rescuing" and enabling people to dump their pets semms to be an ever increasing hobby for a lot of well meaning but uncomprehending people. Good Lord, it's all over the internet, take a look. Dogs are being driven here and flown there, passing each other in the night, shuffling around from place to place, often with inadequate screening of homes and little or no followup. Trust me on this one, I know of what I speak- I could tell your MANY horror stories of dogs betrayed by "rescuers". So you see it can't possibly work until the ever growing "rescue" machine starts to think about why it exists, and how to stop the problem. It is far more complex than simple spay and neuter bylaws, that are difficult to enforce in the first place. The problem is essentially this: we live in a society where the majority of people simply think "I WANT". Think about that. "I want a dog. I also want to have freedom to come and go as I please. I want my possessions to remain unchewed, I want my neighbours to stop complaining that my dog is disturbing them with his incessant barking because he has to live outside because I want my freedom and I want my possessions not to be destroyed. I want to get rid of this dog. I want him to go to a good home though, but I am too lazy to do the legwork myself. I want someone else to take care of this problem for me." I never used to before- because I pitied the victim in all this, the dog- but now I say to people "Guess what? YOU CAN'T HAVE". Do it yourself." And if we all said that, then they would be forced to take care of their own responsibility, although, granted, not always in a pleasant way. And they might think twice about wanting another dog or cat. Am I making any sense? I know this will not happen overnight, or maybe not even in my lifetime, but it is still the direction I choose to take because it's the only one that makes any sense to me.
And as for a life on the streets, well, to be honest, if I were an animal I really would rather take my chances on the streets than huddle and wait in a cell on death row. But that's just speaking for myself-everyone is different.

Jennifer Dickson
President, Okanagan Animal Welfare Foundation
ps- I still don't know who you are? Will you ever say?