Shelters are still safest bet

To the Editor:

The bill that would require pet stores to post information about the background and medical history of the dogs and cats they sell is a step in the right direction, but the best way to ensure that you aren't supporting cruel puppy mills is to adopt an animal from your local shelter instead.

Most puppies and kittens who are sold at pet stores come from mass-breeding facilities where animals are kept in tiny, feces-caked cages and are never given any love, attention, or even a chance to roll in the grass. Food, veterinary care, and shelter are often inadequate, and female animals are often killed when their worn-out bodies can no longer produce offspring. What's more, every time someone buys an animal from a pet store, breeder, or anywhere, it means one less home for a dog or cat in a shelter whose life depends on being adopted.

If you are ready to provide an animal with a loving, lifelong home, please save a life by adopting your new companion from a shelter or rescue group and having him or her neutered or spayed. For more ways to help, visit www.HelpingAnimals.com.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Pollard-Post

Research Specialist

PETA

Norfolk, Va.