letters
TO THE EDITOR
DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT'S OVER. SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED!
ambiance, but the service in general is
pretty deplorable. Uninspired, inept waiters
who don’t know jack about the food they
serve can ruin an otherwise great meal. I
might be more critical than most because I
worked in food service for years in a state
where less than minimum wage was paid to
tipped employees, and so I lived and died
by my tips. The servers I worked with took
pride in providing a great experience for the
guests at their tables.
Of course there are exceptions in Eugene,
but they are far too rare. (A shout out to the
awesome bartender at Bar 201 who made a $9
cocktail seem like bargain.) It's all well and
good to encourage people to keep eating out,
but restaurant owners need to pay attention to
more than just the food. Otherwise I’d rather
stay home and cook it myself.
Mitch Moore
Eugene
pets, and a quarter of them are purebred.
While most owners have good intentions,
few are prepared for the work and fi nancial
strain involved with caring for a new litter.
Even if you fi nd homes for all of your pet's
puppies or kittens, it means there are now
fewer homes available for shelter pets.
Contrary to popular belief, letting your
pet have even one litter will not improve its
behavior. In fact, the mating instinct in both
females and males may lead to undesirable
behaviors that could cause frustrated
owners to relinquish the pets to shelters.
Intact animals are more likely to “mark,”
and those looking for mates can become
aggressive and may injure themselves, other
animals and even people.
A spay/neuter surgery is a one-time
expense that can dramatically improve
your pet’s quality of life. Altered animals
are generally more affectionate and have
signifi cantly lower risks of developing
certain cancers. Neutered males have a
reduced breeding instinct, making them
less inclined to roam and fi ght.
Luckily, there are several options for
Low Cost spays and neuters. At the WAG
Clinic (345-3566) surgeries for male cats
are only $37, and females are $47. Dogs
start at $75. Or, call the city of Eugene Spay
and Neuter clinic at 682-3643.
Jessica Berg,
Melinda McCormick,
Nicole West
Shelter Animal Resource Alliance
SPAY IT DON’T SAY IT
It’s disappointing that in your pet issue,
you fail to mention that the reason “shelters
are overfl owing” is because of the simple
fact that not enough people are spaying/
neutering their pets. In the U.S., seven
times more cats and dogs are born than
people, meaning that more pets are entering
shelters than there are people able to provide
homes for them. When shelters get too full,
innocent animals are killed to make room
for new ones. It’s conservatively estimated
that of the 6-8 million cats and dogs that
enter shelters every year in this country,
half of them (3-4 million) are killed. These
animals are often the offspring of family
Southtowne Shoppes
2835 Oak Street
541-485-2222
A BIG FAT THANK YOU to EMILY for
11 years of AWESOME PIE SERVICE!
I don't know how we'll do it without you!
We miss you already!
Come see Emily before she's gone! Her last
day is August 20th, and then she's off to
Portland. Thanks for your support!
Mon-Sat 10-7 E Sun 12-6
11th & Willamette in the ❤ of Eugene
www.sweetpotatopiestore.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our story on spay and neuter did not
make it into our print version of the July 30 Pets issue, but
can be found on our website.
Your New Neighborhood Bistro
lunch | dinner | weekend brunch
TUESDAY - FRIDAY:
Lunch 11:30 - 2:00
Dinner 5:00 - 9:00
SATURDAY - SUNDAY:
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Brunch 9:00 - 2:00
Dinner 5:00 - 10:00
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EUGENE WEEKLY AUGUST 13, 2009 7