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The New York Times mag fills a front-of-book page with a grab bag of the week's correspondence. Some of the people they print are mad, some are sad, and some are impressed. Who are these people? Why did they decide to write in? Did they read whatever they're writing about during brunch? Or, was it on a porch! Gawker Weekend will provide you with that back story.

It's been a few weeks since we last did this feature; in fact, we thought we were done with it, but when we saw Debra Griggs' letter in this week's issue of the Times Magazine we knew we had to bring it back. The Jim McGreevey letter about Pope Benedict XVI caught out eye too, but we couldn't reach him. Debra's letter was more interesting anyway: hers was about dogs, and dead dogs at that.

After doing a little research, we learned that Debra (pictured) is a real estate agent in Virginia. According to a bio, her "real estate team is proudly known as 'the Housedogs'!" She does not have much free time; when she does, "she is happy just sitting on the deck with her husband enjoying their beloved dogs."

We called Debra to ask about her dogs, her work, and her reasons for writing in to the New York Times Magazine. Click through for our Q&A.

A little context, first: Debra was writing in response to Charles Siebert's April 8th article (now behind the Times-Select wall) about animal shelters and euthanasia. She had liked the line about how dogs who are about to be killed "vomit or soil themselves the minute they enter the euthanasia room." "How heartbreaking that they know they are about to die," she wrote, "and how humbling. For if they do know, then they must be very smart."

We first got in touch with Debra last night, but she wanted the evening to look over the materials. She got back to us this morning. We were in the shower!

Thank you for calling me back.
 Oh, sure. I reminded myself of the article, and I reminded myself of the letter I wrote. I'll just kind of give you some views on it, if that's okay.

Yes.
 I think we as human beings make ourselves feel better about the killing of millions of animals in shelters because we tell ourselves that they are not as valuable as other dogs. Our dogs. As sensitive, for example, and therefore not as bright, and lesser than. The way we as a society are able to tolerate and stand the carnage is we pretend to ourselves that the dogs that are killed in shelters are different. What I loved about this article is the singular phrase about how dogs "vomit or soil themselves the minute they enter the euthanasia room." And guess what. That doesn't surprise people who work with dogs.

Do you work with dogs?
 I volunteer. I founded a rescue group, I founded a regional coalition, I serve on two state boards that are focused on improving the conditions of animals. My professional life is that of a real estate broker. And I jokingly say that I sell a lot of real estate to pay my really high vet bills.

So, do you have dogs?
 Of course.

What kind of dogs do you have?
 I have what I lovingly refer to as street trash.

What are they like? How long have you had them?
 Well, I have two resident dogs, Fred and Ginger—I say resident dogs because we also foster dogs. Fred and Ginger are about 11 years old. I picked them up on the street 10 years ago. Because dogs who come in as a pair are harder to adopt out, we kept them. We didn't want to separate them, they clearly depended on each other.

They were together when you found them?
 They were clearly a pair. Ginger got into my car right away, and Fred was cautious. The joke is that I drive an S Class Mercedes. So we joke that Ginger saw a better life ahead. She loves food. She loves being well-cared for. Ginger was made to be well-cared for. Fred stood in front of the car. He didn't want to get in the car; he didn't trust me. But he wouldn't let me drive away with Ginger in the car. So he was very strategically reacting to the situation.

When did you get involved in the dog business?
 About 10 years ago. That's when I began picking up one dog, two dogs, three dogs off the street and finding homes for them. An article was written in the paper about me and my husband's rescue effort.

How many foster dogs do you have? Do you just have a ton of dogs?
 I live in a urban area where zoning laws prohibit too many. I have 2 resident dogs and 2 foster dogs. I've had them for about a year. But I have 15 placed in other people's homes.

Don't the dogs get used to you after a year?
 Oh, they get used to you, and your heart breaks when they leave. But the game is the more you adopt out the more you take in. I have a website, by the way: www.artanimals.org.

Why is it 'art'?
 It stands for Animal Rescue of Tidewater.

I thought you meant art art.
 No.

I have a dog.
 Do you!?

Yeah, we also got him from a shelter.
 God bless you. What kind of dog is it?

Street trash! Actually, it looks like the one in the upper-right hand corner of your website, but crossed with a spaniel or something.
 Let me pull it up.

Sure.
 Aww. Oh my gosh, that's—what a darling face!

Thanks.
 That is a sweet little face.

—LEON