Why is it important to spay and neuter your dog? According to the Humane Society 6-8 million homeless animals enter animal shelters every year. About half of these animals are adopted, and tragically, the other half are euthanized. Yes you read that right: 3-4 million dogs are killed each year. Many of these animals are healthy, sweet pets that would have otherwise made great companions. While most are mixed breed an astonishing 30% of homeless dogs are purebreds. Proving that just because an animal has “Papers” doesn’t mean it should be bred. These horrible numbers are what spurs animal advocates to constantly encourage the general population to have their dogs spayed or neutered.
Animals find their way into shelters for a variety of reasons. But millions of dogs every year are taken to shelters because they have been abandoned or because their owners can no longer care for them. By spaying or neutering your pet you can do your part to prevent this tragedy from happening.
In addition to population control, there are several lesser known benefits to having your dog spayed or neutered. These benefits include: preventing uterine, mammary or testicular cancer. Plus neutered or spayed dogs are far less likely to roam, bite, scratch, or fight.
Male dogs are inherently territorial. If a male dog isn’t neutered, then he will be likely to try and exert his dominance over other dogs particularly when a female is involved. In females dogs spaying eliminates the heat cycle, putting an end to, flagging, licking, bleeding and the pheromones which attract male dogs.
Spaying and neutering does not mean your dog will become lazy, gain weight, or have a personality change. The only thing these procedures do is prevent your dog from seeking out other dogs to mate with. According to the Humane Society, “…. in six short years, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to hundreds of puppies.” There is no reason not to have your dog spayed or neutered, and if more people did there would be drastically less homeless dogs roaming the streets for scraps, and fewer dog related attacks against pets and/or people.
In an effort to reduce the number of dogs, a spaying and neutering program has begun in some cities and has resulted in a 30%-60% decline in euthanasia. While this is good news, it is up to all individuals across the nation to not only spay and neuter their pets, but adopt them as well. What other choice do we have? Spay USA maintains a list of veterinarians that offer discounts on spay/neuter: (800)-248-SPAY. Friends of Animals also has a similar discount network: (800)-321-PETS