EDITOR:

After watching the Fox-5 TV coverage of problems at the Atlanta Humane Society and reading the previous letters-to-the-editor in this newspaper, I wanted to address another issue.

So far, the emphasis seems to be on dogs (and particularly puppies) and especially the parvo epidemics at AHS. But what about cats? One news segment shows AHS staff actually driving to New Orleans to pick up over 20 cats.

Perhaps AHS hasn’t been in Alpharetta long enough to know that we have a cat overpopulation crisis right here in our own community, and especially during “kitten seasons” in the spring and fall.

Local rescue organizations receive calls and emails daily from people begging them to take in their cats for a variety of reasons, including allergies and losing their homes because of the bad economy. It’s heart-breaking for a group with only foster homes and no shelter to hear these sad stories, because they know that such cats usually end up at our county animal shelter, where most of them will be euthanized.

Several former AHS volunteers have told me that they often saw people come to the Alpharetta center and ask for help with cats (and dogs) they could no longer keep, and were turned away because the center was “full.” Well, no wonder when they are taking in animals from other parts of Georgia and other states! And now this organization that has enough money to fund expensive trips to other states and that (according to the FOX news report) pays its president over $200 thousand a year is draining donations away from local all-volunteer groups that desperately need resources and who do help our area’s animals.

Here’s my advice to north Fulton animal lovers: Next time you want to help the animals in our own community, make a donation or (better yet!) volunteer your time to help a local pet rescue and adoption group.

Kim Carter

Roswell