To the editor: Last week, a dog named Marshmallow was euthanized at the city’s South L.A. Animal Shelter. So was 1-year-old Paco at the county’s Lancaster Animal Care Center. Both were young, friendly, healthy dogs who were loved by the volunteers. (“California lawmakers propose banning sales from dog brokers in crackdown on puppy pipeline,” Feb. 11)
As I write this, more dogs have been cleared for euthanasia at the county’s Palmdale Animal Care Center. All have good notes. All are healthy and young. You can see them on the Palmdale shelter website.
This killing goes on every day at facilities across Southern California just because there are too many dogs in a broken shelter system.
Perhaps California puppy brokers such as Ashley Vincenti, who was quoted in your article, should walk with these doomed, frightened dogs as they urinate out of fear to the shelter’s back room. There, they will be pierced with a needle and injected with drugs to stop their beating hearts.
Melissa Klaskin, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Thank you for highlighting the atrocious puppy mill business that many of my caring friends and I have known about for decades. Finally, it looks like The Times has taken on this vile industry.
Immediately upon reading your article, I called the office of Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) and spoke with one of his assistants about his bill to close a legal loophole on puppy mills.
Thank you, Los Angeles Times. You have made my day.
Rita Burton, Cambria, Calif.
