This is a wonderful article, and Dr. Brestrup's book is equally wonderful.

I'd like to point out that this problem is not limited to shelters - it extends itself into the *rescue* community. I've servered my relationship with more than one rescue due to the fact that they are willing to accept killing an animal who is not in need of euthanasia. This problem doesn't stop at the "group" level - part of policy.

Just recently an individual who took a dog from a "surrendering family" told me that if she couldn't find the dog a home the dog would be "put down" - killed because people had deemed her unwanted. The person making this statement is a woman that sees herself as a rescuer, a proponent of animal protection. She stated that she was "nice enough to take the dog out of a bad situation."

How can so many people miss the connection? What, on a personal level, is one to do to change such thinking?

Via email I communicated at great length with the woman mentioned above - nothing I said led her to believe that in alleviating someone of their responsibility she took responsibility herself. She did not see that having taken the dog, the dog was now in her care and "hers." Nothing I said led her to think that killing the dog was anything other than a viable solution.