SECTION 2
In our second year,/we visited an animal shelter. A staff member explained,/“Last year/some 1,150 dogs were brought here. About 350 were returned/or given to new owners. The remaining 800 dogs were put down.”
We couldn’t make sense of the numbers. We understood/that there were inevitable reasons,/but humans were to blame/for most of the deaths.
The next institution was cold and ugly. A veterinarian calmly explained her job,/then broke into tears. In a trembling voice,/she said,/“We don’t need places like this!” She had become a vet/to save lives,/but her work was the opposite.
Outside,/we saw sacks of bones/for garbage pick-up.