If you are in the market for a new pet, the best place to go would be your local animal shelter or Humane Society.

As you will read in the upcoming issue of “pink” magazine, the animals at the Demopolis animal shelter are not only well taken care of, but they are being trained to behave and obey commands.

The only cost to get a new pet would be the cost of spaying or neutering, which is usually about $125.

The tragedy is that many of the animals in the animal shelter were abandoned in some form or fashion by another pet owner. For whatever reason, some pet owners refuse to spay or neuter their pets, allowing them to run free and make more unwanted babies.

The animal shelter can only keep an animal so long before it has to euthanize it. That is not a pleasant action for anyone who loves animals to take, but it is necessary.

If you are interested in getting a pet, call the animal shelter at 289-3879. They will ask you a few questions about your living conditions — not to judge you, but to make sure that the animal is going to a good home. After that, you will be invited to come to the animal shelter to select your pet.

The animals at the shelter are not mangy, disease-ridden animals. They are cared for, cleaned up, given shots and kept healthy. The puppies at the shelter look like pretty much any other puppy you would find in someone’s home.

If you want to join the Bigbee Humane Society, call that same number. The membership is just $25 a year, and you can help other animals in our area.

If you already have a pet, please spay or neuter it to prevent bringing other unwanted lives that would be doomed from the start. Don’t add to the pet population problem. Do what you can to help contain it.

David B. Snow is the managing editor of The Demopolis Times.