To the Editor:

I am seeing and hearing various opinions about the need for a new animal shelter in Haywood County. It is certainly understandable for there to be misunderstanding, even resentment, about an expenditure of this magnitude, supposedly for the benefit of homeless dogs and cats. Please consider, though, that many of our citizens find animal welfare a very worthy cause, and are proud of the advancements made over the past few years in this county. 

However, it isn’t just the animals in need of Animal Services’ protection, but also the general public. This county department also investigates potential rabies cases, investigates cruelty cases, deals with vicious animals, rescues stray animals and returns them to their owners, and houses privately owned animals in bite quarantine. A facility is needed that can accomplish these goals efficiently and effectively. The current shelter cannot. Perhaps some folks just are not “animal people”, and they may not realize how much the services of this department benefit them. 

It is a waste of time and  money to build a barely adequate new shelter — if we’re going to do it, let’s make it state of the art and a building our county can be proud of. Most importantly, let’s give this county department the tools they need to do their jobs.

Nancy Bulluck

Canton