I am not in the rescue/foster biz like many others here. I too am just an ordinary pet owner doing the best I can.
I'd like to put my spin on this "discussion".....
Some areas of the country have been hit harder by the economy than others which could cause people such hardship they feel they must give up their pets. In other areas, there seems to be a pervasive culture of viewing animals as nothing more than disposable toys. Some shelters are like heaven on earth for animals and others are awful. Some are no-kill but many more routinely euthanize thousands of animals each year.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this: the pet dumping, relinquishing situation varies so much from city-to-city and state-to-state we should keep in mind that, depending on where we live, our experiences will not be the same. Perhaps we could keep that in mind and "cut each other some slack"...
OK, I'm now stepping down from my soapbox.....