Dear Editor,

In your article on Aug. 30, “How Much is That Puppy in the Window” by veterinarian Dr. Fred Self, Dr. Self gave his opinions on factors to consider when looking for your family’s new furry friend.

He discusses interacting with breeders and sellers and questions to ask about the dog but failed to mention our Shelby Humane Society. In 2010, Shelby Humane Society took in 4,960 animals from Shelby County.

Of those, only 892 were adopted locally and another 1,169 were transported to New Hampshire and Maine as part of their Shelter Partners Program. That leaves almost 2,000 pets that never found a loving home. At Shelby Humane Society, they encourage responsible pet ownership and want you to contact them with questions about your potential pet’s personality, demeanor and history. Even better, visit the adoption floor to spend time with the pets and see if there is one you develop a bond with. Pets there are all sizes and breeds (even purebred).

You can visit Shelbyhumane.org to see just some of the available pets, visit the shelter in Columbiana or at offsite adoptions on Saturdays at PetSMart in Inverness or Sundays at Petco in Alabaster.

Before being put up for adoption, all pets at Shelby Humane are vaccinated, tested, microchipped (register to the pet owner) and spayed or neutered.

All this for an affordable adoption fee of $80 for dogs and cats under six months and $60 for those over six months.

I wish Dr. Self had mentioned this in his article about considering pet ownership. He overlooked and missed an opportunity to encourage families to consider to adopt, not shop.

Lacey Bacchus

Pelham