Spaying/Neutering--A Change For The Better

Spaying or neutering your dog or cat will not only improve the health and well being of your beloved family member, but you will also be taking one of the important steps toward solving the problem referred to as too many pets and not enough homes. In our county, not every loving and adoptable dog or cat is placed in a home. In 1999, the most recent statistics available, 5,175 dogs and cats were put to death in San Mateo County. We estimate that 1,462 of these animals were suitable for re-homing. You can be part of the solution by making sure your dog or cat is surgically altered.

We may not think that our decision is going to really have much of an impact. But the surprising math is that two unaltered cats’ offspring can create 420,000 cats in seven years. Two unaltered dogs and all of their offspring can create 67,000 dogs in just six years.

Spaying and Neutering is a Change for the Better.

• You get a healthier pet. Spayed/neutered pets are less likely to roam away from home, get injured in fights or get lost. They live twice as long and are less likely to develop breast, uterine, ovarian, prostate or testicular cancers. This means lower medical bills.

• You get a happier family member. Spay/neutered pets are freed from the constant need to roam and seek out mates. Their personalities do not change. They are calmer because they are more focused on being a loving member of their caregiver family. And with adequate daily exercise and a reasonable diet, they don’t get fat.

• Your pet can relax and smell the roses. Spayed females and your family avoid the annoyance of serenading would-be suitors - screaming and howling throughout the day and into the night. Altered animals are less territorial, less likely to fight and less likely to bite. Walking your pet becomes a lot safer.

• Your pet and your house will be cleaner. Spayed females will not have heat cycles that soil your rugs and furniture. And neutered males are less likely to mark furniture and rugs with urine. This means less special cleaning bills.

• Spaying or neutering your pet is a good investment. It will cost you more to care for one litter of puppies or kittens created by your family pet. Even a responsible breeder rarely breaks even or makes money by selling dogs or cats. And once you multiply the increased food, basic supplies, veterinarian and advertising costs to find homes for the animals, the cost of altering your pet will look like a very smart investment.

• Show your children the real miracle of birth and saving a life. In our multi-media age, you can easily find many great birth education TV documentaries, videos or CDs to bring home. Consider having your children participate in the “miracle of saving a life” by adopting a rescued pet as a family member from a public shelter or a private adoption center like Pets In Need. Explain to your children that by giving a loving home to a spayed or neutered animal you are actually saving lives of thousands of dogs or cats.

 
Founded in 1965, Pets In Need receives no federal, state or local government support.

Published in the San Mateo County Times, February 23, 2002