Be part of the solution

You had a Terre Desiardins write in, addressing her comments to the Mariah SPCA.

She says she is a volunteer at the shelter, who, said we had two animal control officers and was putting down the SPCA. You're right, we did have two officers, but you forgot to say one working and one on medical leave for two months. Now we have another one -- untrained.

If they were all doing the job as the SPCA does, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, doing investigations instead of driving by.

As she feels we have no rights, maybe she should look up the animal laws 574. Just because Nye County wanted to ignore the laws, the attorney general, federal government and Department of Agriculture don't.

We are trying to get Animal Watch started. One person per street to call in abuse or bad situation. Unlike Nye County wants everyone to shut up.

They forget, we are the taxpayers, they are the employees, not the owners of Nye County, but answerable to everyone.

So because the second largest county in the nation has 10 whole people employed for animals covering 500 miles in one direction and the smallest animal shelter. Even though they promised in 2000 they would build a good one on the 40 acres at the end of Mesquite.

Guess what, we are still waiting seven years later.

I'm sure you mean well, maybe you haven't been out here very long or just now became involved with animals.

Two of these 10 people employed for our animal services have three full-time jobs, so which one is being neglected?

You can tell me -- as for the shelter, volunteers are suppose to be there for the animals, to ensure their time in the shelter isn't lonely, scared, have hot or dirty water, take them for walks, do some training, so they are not rejected or on the street again.

Not just slammed in the cage, left alone, or outside without shade cloth with their water hot, and left alone, while everyone is busy in the office playing games on the computer, talking or opening the door to have a cigarette.

The difference is that we care. That's why we worry about nothing being done for the animals, except by an inmate, or because someone is looking.

Don't ever put down the work of all of our SPCAs; since two SPCAs wasn't enough out here, there are now four.

It shouldn't take four days to go out with animal control to check animals we called in about. So putting us down, at least we check on animals, what do you do? Pacman?

I'm sure you are doing the best that you can do. So do we, but we don't get paid or need the attention. The animals do. Something very much lacking in Nye County.

I try hard not to put someone down, but because you're a volunteer you think you are somebody. Without truly doing for the animals, you are still nothing, and guess what, the rights you talked about, the SPCA has them, but you don't, except as an everyday citizen.

Others employed to do the job are answerable to everyone, that's why they are paid.

Everyone does have an opinion, now you have heard mine. Why aren't the animals of Nye County worth more than a trip to Sweden, or the next pack of chewing gum?

With your attitude, I can understand why half the properties are up for sale. Be part of the solution not part of the problem. That's what a citizen does.

MAUREEN ROSE

Animals Angels USA

An SPCA for Animals

Unfit animal owners

I have worked with animal rescue groups for years but never have I seen the horrors perpetrated on so many animals as I have in this town.

The main problem is the people who get pets and don't spay or neuter them and let them run loose, then take the babies to the local pound or a rescue group and continue to have batch after batch of puppies or kittens and drop them off somewhere else to have to kill.

It is stupid to think there are enough homes for the thousands of unwanted animals in this town.

No one should get a pet and then say they don't have the money to take proper care of it, such as spaying, neutering or shots. That is no excuse.

Either save your money until you can afford to take care of a pet, or even get a credit card, and put costs on it and pay it off in payments.

There is low-cost spaying and neutering available at the pound.

Depending on which judge this woman was arrested with all the neglected cats gets, she can get off scot free.

I used to work for the best rescue group in town. A woman had over 60 small-breed dogs in her filthy home. It was so bad, even the hazmat team had to be called in.

It was unbelievable what terrible shape most of these little dogs were in. Most of them were terribly inbred and many were so starved they couldn't tolerate food.

We had to feed them small amount of cottage cheese or yogurt to line their stomaches so they could eat.

Two of them I will never forget. One tiny female was so imbred she had no jaw and no teeth. One tiny male, whose leg was hanging on by one small strip of skin and was full of maggots that had eaten his leg off.

This woman went to court time after time. Each time Justice of the Peace Brisbell gave a continuance. I kept going to the court each time. The last time she was let off indefinitely, without even a fine.

Thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours were spent to save these tiny dogs and she didn't have to pay anything.

If anyone doesn't realize the horrors so many animals go through in this town, just drive around on a hot day and see all the horses in small enclosures with their heads down and no shade.

I used to run a two-county humane society in another state. It covered a city, a college and many small towns. There wasn't a tiny fraction of the problems as in this hell for most animals called Pahrump.

KATY JANDA

Huge fan

I have never written a fan letter before, but I am writing one now.

Since Saturday night I have become a huge fan of our new Miss Pahrump, Jill Wulfenstein. She has alwasy been such a bubbly, sweet girl, but the exuberance that she displayed the other night was spellbinding.

If the confidence and poise she exhibited during the pageant were indicators of what we can expect during her reign, then we will all be proud to have her representing our town.

DEANNA FLOYD