Shelter staff disheartened by comments

To the editor:
    I am writing this letter is regard to Jennifer Hughes' letter in last week’s paper. I am the executive director for the Humane Society. I have been involved with the shelter for almost four years.
    I will say from my heart that I was deeply saddened to read what she wrote. I work with a group of individuals who work their tails off to provide a clean and healthy environment for all stray animals. We all work seven days a week, many hours a day to take pride in our work and our shelter. So for someone to pass judgment on us without knowing what goes on in a day, really hurt me.
    I believe that what happened to the cats was nothing we did or did not do as a shelter. It happens to all shelters at one time or another, no matter how "clean" their shelter may be. The assistant director and I are working around the clock dipping, spraying and testing the cats we did save. We are putting our heart and soul into this because that is what we do and who we are. We are animal people.
    So instead of focusing on the negative, we should focus on who we saved and how to prevent this in the future. I have 100 percent confidence in my staff at the shelter and I hope the public has 100 percent confidence in us as a Humane Society. Please know that we are working to solve this and working to reopen better then ever.
    So instead of kicking us when we are down, Ms. Hughes needs to think about people and how comments affect them. You should know the truth before you put things in writing.
Heather Miller,
executive director
Houlton Humane Society