SCAA's Rebuttal Letter

For "Dog Date Helps Owners Find Perfect Pet Partner"
Shangai Daily Article - July 6, 06

To Whom It May Concern:

We read with shock and disappointment the article in the Thursday, July 6 Shanghai Daily entitled "Dog Date Helps Owners Find Perfect Pet Partner" written by Fu Yingqing. We represent Second Chance Animal Aid (SCAA), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping abandoned and neglected animal companions in Shanghai.

One of our goals is to educate people about spaying and neutering dogs and cats. The animal population in Shanghai, and in many other cities, is out of control. We have been working diligently to help abused and abandoned animals, spending roughly RMB 200,000+/year to make these animals healthy and to find loving homes for them. It is shocking to us, as well as to our over 500 members, that this irresponsible exercise in excessive breeding would be organized and promoted.

Every day we receive many calls from people who have found a dog, cat, puppy or kitten and want our help in getting it healthy and finding a home for it. Often, these people get upset with us because we cannot help them - we do not have a shelter and depend on dedicated volunteers to take needy animals into their home. We are overburdened.

Organizing and promoting a dog matchmaking day will undoubtedly result in more unwanted dogs. Some may argue that breeding purebreds is different - it is not. Purebred animals are as demanding as any other pet and many will certainly be abandoned at the first sign of behavioral problems. The health benefits of spaying and neutering animals apply to all cats and dogs, regardless of breed.

Some of the benefits of spaying and neutering your pet include:

• Encreasing your pet's life span.
• Eliminating or reducing the risk of certain cancers or other expensive and difficult to treat diseases.
• Reducing aggression.
• Reducing the likelihood of a pet biting anyone.
• Reducing the risk of your pet running away from a safe home.
• Reducing the number of unwanted / neglected animals wandering the streets or caged in overcrowded shelters.

We urge all responsible pet owners to put the health and well-being of their pet, and of the pet community at large, ahead of a desire to recklessly breed their animal. We also encourage all responsible pet owners and animal lovers to boycott this irresponsible event.

While we are very grateful to Shanghai Daily for your sponsorship in the Monday issue of your paper, this kind of event is working against what we are promoting.

For more information on responsible pet ownership, please refer to the SCAA website (scaashanghai.org) and our links to other animal welfare organizations.

Sincerely,

Carol Wolfson, SCAA Founder and Executive Director
Cat Brandell, SCAA Director
Lee-Anne Armstrong, SCAA Foster Care Director