WHILE I'm sure many people will have sympathy for Gillian and Frank Jeynes after an animal shelter refused to return a kitten to them, I believe that the shelter has done the right thing.

Mr and Mrs Jeynes signed Suzy over to Worcestershire Animal Rescue Shelter because they believed the kitten was causing Mrs Jeynes' asthma attacks. However, after a visit to the GP, they discovered that Suzy was not the cause of Mrs Jeynes' asthma and so tried to take the kitten back from the shelter. But it was too late.

Some people may ask why the shelter wouldn't just hand Suzy back because, after all, their mission is to find loving homes for animals. But the Jeynes were given a number of chances to take Suzy back before signing her over legally, and the shelter could not then give her back because that would set a dangerous precedent.

If the shelter started allowing owners to 'give up' their pet for a couple of weeks because, say, they were going away on holiday and couldn't look after them, before then taking them back, the shelter would essentially become a boarding kennel.

Also, as a general consideration, I'm sure that staff at the shelter must feel that – and this is not a comment on the Jeynes, as their situation is specific – if someone keeps changing their mind over whether they want to keep a dog or cat, perhaps they're not the best person to be an animal owner.