It's not the "free" word that is important - it is the "good" word that is all that matters.

AAS asks for no fee or donation for our neediest dogs - we are so grateful to anyone who will stand by a dog with health or behaviour problems, that we would not dream of making them pay for their kindness and decency.

And we pay for behaviour modification lessons for as long as they are needed. And we offer to pay for all meds for old dogs, not that we are often taken up on that.

In fact, we never have been for long, and that is because of the words "good home". We only choose good homes and we hold out for the right good home as well.

Where the SPCA still seems not to get the principles of animal welfare is in the "good" part. As recently as last year the SPCA drew a Shih-tzu's future out of a hat. When one of the many applicants complained, she was told that the SPCA didn't have time to choose between them all.

Of course, that is not animal welfare, but it is efficient animal disposal. The Shih-tzu should have been offered to a rescue group that does have the time to carefully screen, but we suspect that having appealing sellable product like Fifi keeps those customers coming in. We can't think of any other reason to hang onto a Shih-tzu but then pick its new owner out of a hat.