Letter: Changing numbers won't save animals

The figures for Las Vegas, Henderson and unincorporated Clark County look a lot alike, and not much like the press releases from AFI. Las Vegas does have a higher adoption rate than Henderson or Clark County, but in 1998 many of its adoptions were made at its off-site facility in Henderson. This of course makes the Las Vegas adoption rates higher and Henderson's lower.

The facts are that in 1998 AFI euthanized 6,876 animals, not 615 unadoptable animals as reported in Greenspun's column. The term "adoptable" animals used in the column is meaningless as its definition varies. Some animal organizations declare every animal not adopted "unadoptable."

AFI doesn't go that far, but 91 percent of its animals not adopted and euthanized are declared "unadoptable." If AFI wants to proclaim Las Vegas "euthanasia free" they can do so at any time by declaring the remaining 9 percent of animals not adopted are "unadoptable."

This won't help the animals, though. the same number will be killed as were killed before the city became "euthanasia free."

With Las Vegas euthanizing three times as many animals per 1,000 residents as the better cities, the misleading claims that Las Vegas is on the verge of solving the pet overpopulation problem should be stopped.

These claims are a major disservice to the very animals we and Greenspun are trying to help. The claims make it much more difficult for us to convince the people of the Las Vegas Valley that there is a major pet overpopulation problem here and to enlist their help in solving it.

JUDITH RUIZ President, Las Vegas Valley Humane Society

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