“It’s a staggering problem,” said Nelson. “But the numbers are coming down every year. In 1977, for example, we had to put down 50,000 to 60,000 cats, so the public is getting wiser about the need to spay and neuter pets.”

And during all this time the SPCA sold intact dogs and cats. It sold spay/neuter certificates too. And when the dogs or cats didn't get sterilized it got to pocket the certificate money, so it didn't make sure the animal got sterilized.

And then it successfully blamed the "irresponsible public" for the pet overpopulation problem and all the killing the SPCA "has to" do.

Who's the most irresponsible of all, the public which doesn't sterilize or the the agency which doesn't sterilize and which knows how many dogs and cats it kills every year? What a con job that was for so many decades! Money for jam and the blame everywhere but on itself.