What a Shelter Vet Wants Every Pet Owner to Know about Spay and Neuter
"It was the summer after 6th grade when everything clicked. My family brought home a puppy named Cassie, and I just knew. This is what I'm going to do with my life."
Dr. Emily Scott has been devoted to animals since before she can remember. Horses, rabbits, hamsters, fish. She grew up caring for them all. But it was Cassie, that sweet, stubborn family dog who lived 14 wonderful and medically eventful years, who pointed her toward veterinary medicine.
Those medically eventful years left an impression. Watching Cassie move through health scares, treatments, and recoveries gave a young Emily an early education in something that still drives her work today: how much a pet's long-term health depends on the decisions made early in their life.
From there, she followed the path she'd charted as a 12-year-old. Vet school in Philadelphia. An internship in San Francisco. Years in emergency medicine. And eventually, the discovery that shelter medicine was where her heart truly belonged. She recently joined the team at Pets In Need, and she couldn't be more at home.
"I've always been drawn to the animals that need the most advocacy. Working in shelter medicine means I get to care for them every single day."
Why Spay and Neuter Is at the Heart of the Work
February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, and for Dr. Scott, it's a chance to talk openly about something she sees make a real difference for individual animals and for entire communities.
But she's quick to reframe how most people think about it.
"People hear 'spay and neuter' and think it's just a routine box to check. It's so much more than that. It's one of the most meaningful things you can do for your pet's long-term health."
When animals aren't altered, the medical risks are significant and largely invisible until they aren't. Dr. Scott regularly treats conditions like pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection that can develop rapidly and require emergency surgery, as well as mammary cancer, prostatitis, prostate cancer, perianal hernias, and perianal tumors. Most of these conditions are entirely preventable through spay and neuter.
"These aren't rare edge cases. They're things I see regularly, and they're heartbreaking because most of them could have been avoided. When I'm treating an animal for something like this, I always think about the owner and how differently things might have gone."
The impact doesn't stop at the individual animal, either. When more pets in our community are altered, fewer end up without homes, easing the burden on an already overwhelmed shelter system. It's a ripple effect that Dr. Scott has watched play out over the course of her career.
"It's one of those procedures where the benefits go far beyond the animal on the table. You're protecting your pet, and you're protecting every animal in your community that's waiting for a home."
Removing the Barriers That Stand in the Way
Wanting to do right for your pet is one thing. Being able to access the care to do it is another. Dr. Scott has seen firsthand how cost and access can stand between a pet owner and the services they genuinely want for their animal.
That's exactly why Pets In Need's Spay and Neuter Program matters so much to her.
Pets In Need offers affordable spay and neuter services, making it easier for families to follow through on care that might otherwise feel out of reach. And the support doesn't stop there. We also offer Low-Cost Vaccine clinics, a Community Veterinary clinic, and a Pet Pantry, so families can find everything they need in one trusted place.
"When I tell a pet owner their animal needs to be spayed or neutered, I want to be able to say: and here's how you can make that happen. Pets In Need lets me say that."
February Is the Perfect Time to Act
Spay and Neuter Awareness Month is a reminder that this is a decision with real consequences for your pet's long-term health, for your peace of mind, and for the animals in our community who need homes.
Dr. Scott's message is simple: don't wait.
"I've seen what happens when people put it off. I've also seen the relief on a pet owner's face when they know their animal is protected. That's what this month is about."
Ready to Schedule Your Pet's Spay or Neuter?
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