| Importance
of Spay and Neuter
>>
Click
here for specifics
of our Spay/Neuter Discount Program
First, let's look at the numbers. While
estimates vary slightly, no matter how you look at it, pet
overpopulation is nothing short of a crisis
situation. Every year, between six to eight million
dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters; devastating
estimates of between four to five million of these
animals are euthanized because there are simply not
enough homes. The animals killed in our shelters
each day include kittens and puppies that never had a
chance, adults, seniors, purebreds, owner drop-offs and
strays alike. Many shelters are so full that any
animal that is an owner surrender is immediately
"put to sleep". The number of animals
killed each year in shelters does not include animals that
die on our streets and in our neighborhoods due to
abandonment, injury, starvation, or neglect. Spaying
and neutering is a simple and proven humane solution to
reducing pet populations.
| Statistics: |
(Estimates) |
| |
|
| Each
day about 70,000 puppies and kittens are born.
As compared to approximately 10,000 humans born
each day, with birth rates this high, there will
never be enough homes for these animals. |
70,000/day |
| |
|
| The
estimated
number of feral (homeless/wild) cats in the United
States:
|
60
– 100 million |
| |
|
| Theoretically,
the number of cats that can be produced by a
female cat and her offspring in 7 years
time: |
420,000
in 7 yrs
|
| Theoretically,
the number of dogs that can be produced by a
female dog and her offspring in 6 years
time: |
67,000
in 6 yrs |
| |
|
| Current
number
of cats and dogs entering shelters each year: |
6-8
million
HSUS
estimate |
| Current
number
of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year:
Despite these horrific numbers, there is
hope. In 1973, approximately 13 million
animals were euthanized by shelters, before the
onset of public awareness and spay/neuter
programs. |
4-5
million
HSUS
estimate |
| |
|
| Percentage
of all dogs entering shelters that are killed: |
61% |
| Percentage
of all cats entering shelters that are killed: |
75% |
| Percentage
of dogs in shelters who are purebred: |
25%
HSUS
estimate |
| |
|
| The
cost imposed on U.S. taxpayers each year to
impound, shelter, euthanize, and dispose of
homeless animals. |
$2
billion
USA
Today estimate |
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Dispelling The Myths of
Spay/Neuter
Numbers aside, spaying and neutering are simple surgical procedures
and are very beneficial to the welfare of your pet.
How many times have you heard "but I want her to have
just one litter" ?
While is is sometimes hard
to comprehend, “just one litter” does cause pet
overpopulation. In less than a year, all of the little
ones in your pet’s litter could be having litters of
their own. Every day, thousands of perfectly healthy
puppies and kittens must be euthanized and each one of
those thousands came from “just one litter.”
There is no benefit to
allowing your pet to have just one litter, or more. This way of thinking is
completely unfounded. Medical evidence suggests just the
opposite.
Spaying your pet before her first heat
greatly reduces the chance of her developing many forms of
cancer. Neutering a male will not only reduce his
urge to travel searching for a mate but will reduce the
chances of him marking his territory by
spraying.
We
would like to dispel the common myths and educate
you on the facts of spaying and neutering (HSUS).
| MYTH:
My pet will get fat and lazy. |
| FACT:
The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy
because their owners feed them too much and don't
give them enough exercise. |
|
| MYTH:
It's better to have one litter first. |
| FACT:
Medical evidence indicates just the opposite.
In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed
before their first heat are typically healthier.
Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as
young as eight weeks of age. Check with your
veterinarian about the appropriate time for these
procedures. |
|
| MYTH:
My children should experience the miracle of
birth. |
| FACT: Even if
children are able to see a pet give birth—which
is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and
in seclusion—the lesson they will really learn
is that animals can be created and discarded as it
suits adults. Instead, it should be explained to
children that the real miracle is life and that
preventing the birth of some pets can save the
lives of others. |
|
| MYTH:
But my pet is a purebred. |
| FACT: So is
at least one out of every four pets brought to
animal shelters around the country. There are just
too many dogs and cats—mixed breed and
purebred. |
|
| MYTH:
I want my dog to be protective. |
| FACT: Spaying
or neutering does not affect a dog's natural
instinct to protect home and family. A dog's
personality is formed more by genetics and
environment than by sex hormones. |
|
| MYTH:
I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like
less of a male. |
| FACT: Pets
don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego.
Neutering will not change a pet's basic
personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of
emotional reaction or identity crisis when
neutered. |
|
| MYTH:
But my dog (or cat) is so special, I want a puppy
(or kitten) just like her. |
| FACT: A dog
or cat may be a great pet, but that doesn't mean
her offspring will be a carbon copy. Professional
animal breeders who follow generations of
bloodlines can't guarantee they will get just what
they want out of a particular litter. A pet
owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, an
entire litter of puppies or kittens might receive
all of a pet's (and her mate's) worst
characteristics. |
|
| MYTH:
It's too expensive to have my pet spayed or
neutered. |
| FACT: The
cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex,
size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian's
fees, and a number of other variables. But
whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery
is a one-time cost—a relatively small cost when
compared to all the benefits. It's a bargain
compared to the cost of having a litter and
ensuring the health of the mother and litter; two
months of pregnancy and another two months until
the litter is weaned can add up to significant
veterinary bills and food costs if complications
develop. Most importantly, it's a very small price
to pay for the health of your pet and the
prevention of the births of more unwanted pets. |
|
| MYTH:
I'll find good homes for all the puppies and
kittens. |
| FACT: You may
find homes for all of your pet's litter. But each
home you find means one less home for the dogs and
cats in shelters who need good homes. Also, in
less than one year's time, each of your pet's
offspring may have his or her own litter, adding
even more animals to the population. The problem
of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated
one litter at a time. |
>>
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here for specifics
of our Spay/Neuter Discount Program
|
