LETTERS : BIRTH OF 17 PUPPIES NO CAUSE FOR REJOICING.

I'm writing about the front-page coverage you gave to the supposedly ``blessed event'' for a Canyon Country family of what looks to be a mixed-breed dog giving birth to 17 puppies to add to our horrible problem of pet overpopulation. I can't believe I saw this article in the same newspaper that printed a series of articles recently on the number of animals killed in the city shelters because there are not enough homes to go around.

There was nothing mentioned of the irresponsibility of these people in having both a male and female dog with neither being spayed or neutered. What did they think would happen, keeping these dogs together without altering them, but for the female to become pregnant? I wonder if this was her first litter!

This family certainly does not get a pat on the back from me. I worked as a volunteer at our local shelter for 10 years and have sadly seen hundreds of adorable puppies - yes, some cute blond ones like those on your front page - lying dead after having been euthanized because people aren't responsible for spaying and neutering their pets. Now this family has 50 callers wanting their puppies, and so they are not worried about placing them.

I have rescued and placed many dogs, cats, puppies and kittens through the years and have never relied on a drawing or lottery system. I interviewed the prospective adopters and had a detailed contract signed by them stating that I will take the pet back if ever they cannot keep it. And I have on occasion had to take a pet back - usually a puppy, because most people don't realize how much time and effort it takes to raise a puppy into a well-mannered and housebroken dog. Will this family be willing to take back one - or 17 - wild, untrained, unhousebroken, 6-month-old dogs?

I also spay or neuter all puppies and kittens before placement. This can be done when the pet reaches 8 weeks of age. Certainly this is not too long for the owners to keep these young animals with their mother. Several vets in our area can do this.

This family could immediately neuter their male dog and as soon as the pups are weaned, spay their mother and have these pups altered before placement. They could request a donation from the adopters for this altering cost. This way they will have put a stop to their part in contributing to our pet overpopulation problem.

I and my fellow animal rescue friends hope this will be done. Can you imagine if each pup fathered or mothered just one litter of 10 pups each? That would be 170 pups created from this one backyard breeding.

Kathy Lueder

Castaic