Juneau Animal Rescue Control Officer Karen Wood plays with a couple of adult cats on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau Animal Rescue Control Officer Karen Wood plays with a couple of adult cats on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Opinion: Killing cats at shelter due to overcrowding is murder

I’m appalled at the lack of sensitivity about this subject.

This letter is in regards to the news article that appeared in the Empire last week, “Hoarding cases leave local animal shelter at ‘cat-pacity.’”

The definition in the Merrimack-Webster dictionary states that “euthanasia” is the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (such as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.

Pardon me for pointing out that this definition does not in any way speak to killing cats because of overcrowding. That’s plain old murder folks, let’s call it what it is. How about lower adoption fees, until the numbers of cats decreases, and a low cost spay-neuter fee for the rest of time.

I’m appalled at the lack of sensitivity about this subject.

Toni Shattenberg,

Juneau


• My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire.