YOUR article (LET, December 24) about how Blackburn Cat Rescue refused to let a deaf woman adopt a cat was beyond belief. It is not just unenlightened, attitudes such as this cause oppression and shame in the deaf community -- and in deaf families. Yes, deaf families.

It might shock Blackburn Cat Rescue to know that my deaf parents raised three productive, educated, employed, home-owning, voting, tax paying members of society.

I wouldn't trade the gift of being raised by deaf parents for a nanosecond. I thank God for it every day.

Oh, by the way, my parents loved animals and their compassion for our pets was a lesson taught to me by example.

LISA JUCHA, Torrance, California, USA (via email).