What a horrible story! I wonder how sick these animals were, or whether this cull was done mainly to get the numbers down. The article states that "About 1,000 of the 1,800 animals in the shelter were euthanized this week in an effort to reduce the population to a more manageable level." One wonders about the other 800 animals and why their lives appear to have been spared.

The Humane Society of the United States, like PETA, does not have any shelters. Like PETA, they believe in phasing out domestic animals. Here is a statement from Wayne Pacelle, now the president of HSUS.

"One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding." Wayne Pacelle, now CEO, HSUS, 1993

For an interesting overview of the Humane Society of the United States , see http://www.pet-law.com/hsus.html

One wonders why groups, like HSUS, who are opposed to the whole concept of domestic animals get invited into shelters and how objective their reporting is. Best Friends in Utah or the San Francisco SPCA could probably give much better advice on everything from disease control up.

The person running the Lied Animal Shelter tried hard to save the animals. I am sorry that she now feels that she was misguided.

“Our policies were written to save every animal we possibly could,” Ms. Gale said. “In that misguided policy, we caused animals pain.--- From now on, she said, unadoptable animals will be euthanized after 72 hours at the shelter, as the Humane Society recommends."

I am unsure that killing of animals so quickly after admission is a solution. Better hygiene for staff, careful cleaning of animals areas, vaccinations and routine procedures like deworming, careful staff/volunteer observation of animals, isolation areas for sick animals, adequate veterinary care, foster programmes, spay/neutering are so important in helping to control shelter epidemics.

I am amazed that two of the biggest and richest animal groups show little interest in the hands-on care of animals. We already know about PETA and its lethal solution to pet over-population. Now we have HSUS's "72 hour" solution.