According to the American Humane Association, out of the staggering 30 MILLION puppies and kittens born every year, only 1 in 10 find permanent homes.
Approximately 35% of shelter animals are adopted; the rest, some 6 to 8 million annually, are euthanized.
There are two main reasons for these tragic numbers:
1. Pet owners who do not sterilize their pets contribute to wanton, ill-considered breeding.
2. Pet owners who fail to make a lifetime commitment to their pets by training them or taking them with them when they move.
Advantages of Spaying and Neutering:
SPAYING YOUR FEMALE DOG MEANS SHE IS:
- Less likely to be aggressive
- Will not have heat cycles that soil carpets, rugs, and furniture
- Less likely to have mammary tumors, uterine cancer, breast cancer, or ovarian cancer. Breast cancer is fatal in about 50% of dogs and 90% of cats.
- Less likely to exhibit annoying heat behaviors such as whining, crying, pacing, and frantic attempts to get outdoors.
- Less likely to develop pyometra, a condition where the uterus becomes infected and swells with pus. The treatment for pyometra requires overnight hospitalization, IV fluids, antibiotics, and spaying the dog to make the uterus shrink. This can be quite expensive and painful for the dog.
NEUTERING YOUR MALE DOG MEANS HE IS:
- Less likely to be aggressive
- Less likely to attract unneutered males during their heat cycles who can spray urine around your home and yard.
- Less likely to be territorial and to roam to look for a mate (80% of dogs hit by cars are unneutered males.)
- Less likely to exhibit annoying mating behaviors such as whining, crying, pacing, and frantic attempts to get outdoors.
- Less likely to mark your home and belongings.
- Less likely to develop testicular cancer (the second worst disease for male dogs) and less likely to develop prostate cancer
- More likely to be focused on their owner due to the loss of an urge to mate, and more likely to focus on their owners and excel in training.
Spayed and neutered pets are, in general, healthier, happier and easier to care for. You will save money in veterinary bills and in licensing fees.
You can have the surgery done very cheaply as well with the assistance of the City of Shawnee Spay/Neuter Voucher program or Animal Rescue Center sponsored spay/neuter program for low-income families.
Most people do not realize that an overwhelming pet overpopulation problem exists.
Sure, many people know that animals die in shelters, but do they realize the true cause? Ignorance may be bliss, but it is ignorance that is killing these innocent, loving creatures.
- Only 1 in every 10 dogs born finds a permanent home!
- Only 1 in every 12 cats born finds a permanent home!
- At any given time there are thousands of dogs and cats wandering the streets.
How can YOU help?
- Spay and neuter the pets in your home.
- Rescue from the shelter instead of purchasing from pet stores.
- When you adopt an animal, be prepared to make a lifetime commitment, through good times and bad.
- If you are considering breeding your pet, consider all the homeless, loving pets that are at the shelter, waiting for homes.
Information gathered from The American Humane Society.
