Central to the Shelter’s humane work is educating pet owners about the importance of spay/neuter surgeries. Spay/neuter surgeries benefit pets, pet owners and the community.
Unwanted Pets
Findings show that low/no cost spay/neuter services reduce the number of unwanted animals relinquished to shelters or animal control because unaltered animals are more likely to be relinquished to shelters than altered animals. Some behaviors that unaltered animals may exhibit can include dominance, aggression, marking, heat spotting, heat vocalizing and running off. In fact, a Tufts University study indicated that nearly one third of relinquishments could be directly attributed to animals being sexually intact.
Statistics from Spay USA reveal that for each kitten/cat spayed, the number of unwanted kittens is reduced by 12 per year; for each puppy/dog spayed, the number of unwanted puppies is reduced by 16 per year. Extrapolated out, an unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their offspring, producing two litters per year, with 2.8 surviving kittens per litter can total 66,088 cats in six years. An unspayed female dog, her mate and all of their puppies, if none are every neutered or spayed, can add 67,000 dogs to an already burgeoning population. More than 12 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year in America.
These facts make a compelling case for spay neuter surgeries. These unwanted animals will never need to be captured, housed and euthanized by Animal Control, nor will they suffer abuse, neglect and death on the streets.
Pet Health Benefits
The animal health benefits of spay/neuter surgeries are many.
Spaying female dogs and cats, especially before the first heat cycle, significantly reduces the risk of mammary gland tumors, ovarian and/or uterine cancer. Spaying also eliminates the risk of life-threatening pyometra, a uterine infection, often with such non-specific symptoms that by the time it is diagonosed, it is too late, and the pet dies. Even when prompt diagnosis is made, the pyometra surgery, is very difficult and dangerous, and sadly, not always successful.
Intact male cats and dogs risk testicular cancer. The simple neutering surgery eliminates this risk and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.
Spay/neuter surgeries help pets live longer, healthier lives.
Your community
The American Veterinary Medical Association states that "the capture, impoundment and eventual destruction of unwanted animals costs taxpayers and private humanitarian agencies over a billion dollars each year. As a potential source of rabies and other less serious diseases, they can be a public health hazard."
Stray animals can easily become a public nuisance, soiling parks and streets, frightening children and elderly people, creating noise, causing automobile accidents, and sometimes even killing livestock or other pets. Even owned pets, when allowed to roam, can become a part of the problem. Spay/neuter surgeries help decrease the numbers of unwanted pets and help keep owned animals safely at home.
