I do not know where to begin because I am just beyond distrought over the fact that the local S.P.C.A (animal shelter)euthanized my 15 year old cat after I told them she was missing. My cat, MiMi is about 16 or 17. She never goes far, if anywhere at all. One day she was out in the yard getting sun, which she normally does, and then takes a stroll around the property before coming in. MiMi was picked up by the animal control officer who found her in the alley and feared she might get hurt. MiMi was taken to the shelter. That evening we searched all over the neighborhood for MiMi because she NEVER stays outside very long. That was a Thursday. The following day I called the police department and was told that the animal control officer went on vacation. I asked about any cats that might have been picked up and was told that one had been though they had no description. We waited through the weekend to see if MiMi would return. She did not, so I went to the S.P.C.A and to look at the cats that they shelter when lost, found, or given up by their owners. I saw a three cats that looked exactly like our MiMi, but one that I was I thought for sure was her. Excited that it might be her, I ran to her and called out her name. Being that she is and older cat she was beginning to lose her hearing, so I called her name pretty loud. The cat, sleeping, actually raised it's head. I told the person assisting me that the cat looked like MiMi. I was told that the cat was a boy. I asked, if he was sure that the cat was a boy. He told me that he was sure that his people knew what they were doing. I accepted his answer, not wanting to undermine him or the others. Each of the three cats that looked like Mimi, I was told were boys. I left the shelter feeling very down. After MiMi hadn't shown up for several days, and me getting no sleep, I went back the following week to look again for MiMi. The same cats were there plus a few new ones. I looked at all of them and then spent a little longer with the two older ones that resembled MiMi most. The other that looked like her was a younger cat and I had ruled "him" out. So, it was down to just the two. I was still being told that they were boys. I went back to the shelter a total of five times over an eight week period. Just last week I finally got a chance to speak with the animal control officer that might have picked up MiMi. She remembered picking up a cat thatshe thought matched the description I gave her. She checked her logs and gave me an I.D. number for the cat she picked up. She told me the cat was still there and who to call and speak to. She also thought the cat she picked up was boy. I called about the cat and was told it had been euthanized (only two weeks after). They gave me a date and told me the cat that they had put down ("killed") was a female. They claimed she was underweight, not eating, and had a host of problems, on top of getting sick while she was there. I would like to see any of them when they reach 100 years old and beyond, and end up in a strange place. MiMi had not reached 15-plus years being a stray cat, and was obviously a well taken care of cat. She came to them as a "found" cat, not a "stray". That means they knew she had a home. They could have given her more time to reconnect with her owners. They could have taken the time to try and contact me knowing I was looking for her. If their goal is to stamp out euthanization then why are they not making every effort to preserve life? They have foster homes for the kittens, why not for the elderly cats? Because they think money can be made off of the older cats? So, they automatically euthnize them and then say they were suffering. "Our MiMi" deserved to live a full and complete life, espeially, after having lived so long. Any pet deserves a right to a full (long)life. We, as her family, deserved to see her through to the end of her life and to make her as comfortable as we could throughout. I am sick to my stomach because I took their word for it that those cats were males, and walked away. I am sick to my stomach because "our MiMi" was actually alive two of the times that I had visited the shelter. My name and contact information along with a description of my cat was only taken the fourth time that I had visited the shelter looking for MiMi. Everythiong that could go wrong there did. I donate money to this shelter and have always viewed them as compassionate, caring, and really doing something good for the animals. Every life counts! And "Every life counts" should be there motto because the story about stamping out euthanasia is half-hearted. I feel like I have donated money just to have my own pet put to sleep. Now, I want to know more. I want to know how they will ensure that this travesty will never happen again> I want to know what are their intentions for the other elderly cats that come through? And, I want more than just a half-hearted apology. All of our pets have lived full lives, anywhere from 14 -18 years old. We have a cat here now that is about 16 or 17 years old. She looks worse than MiMi but, is content in her elderly years. I would hate to think of her ending up at the S.P.C.A because they may put her down the very same day due to how scraggly she looks. Can someone please tell the S.P.C.A that, "OLD AGE IS NOT A DAMNED DISEASE"!