THE ASK
Spay/neuter your dogs…always!
Talk about the impact unwanted litters have on canine welfare broadly.
Inform, educate, generate creative solutions, and share your knowledge. Knowledge is power and you are powerful!
It’s really simple…if a female dog cannot have pups, she won’t. Spaying is the only surefire way to prevent unwanted litters. Neutering male dogs is important for behavioral and health reasons, so all should be neutered. However, if a female dog cannot become pregnant, the potency of a male dog is irrelevant (sorry, guys). Let’s be clear, we’re talking about female companion dogs, not female breeding dogs or female working dogs. Certainly, we believe female breeding dogs should be spayed after no more than three litters, and female working dogs should also be spayed, but those are topics separate from female companion dogs.
So, why doesn’t every owner fix their companion dog? According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Los Angeles the top 10 worst reasons to not spay or neuter, and the reason why they are the worst reasons are:
1. I want my child to experience the miracle of life.
Willfully making more is not a wise choice. Rather than allowing the family pet to become pregnant solely to demonstrate the birthing process, use a video or other educational tool.
2. Pet will gain weight.
Pet obesity is a growing problem, but an unneutered/unspayed pet is not the solution. Work with your vet to make sure your pet is a healthy weight and provide daily exercise.
3. Neutering will take away his “manhood.”
Your pet doesn’t understand the concept of manhood, thus he won’t feel emasculated. That is a human trait. Unaltered pets often stray to find a mate. If your pet is not microchipped or wearing an ID Tag with collar, a reunion can be extremely difficult. About 80% of all pets hit by cars are unneutered males.
4. Pet’s personality will change.
Most often, there is no change whatsoever after a pet is spayed/neutered. If a pet changes, it’s usually for the better. Spay/Neuter can make a pet more calm and reduce unwanted behaviors like marking or trying to escape.
5. Pet will resent me.
Your pet won’t resent you. Pets offer love and companionship. They don’t judge or resent. That is a human quality.
6. It is unnatural to spay or neuter.
Humans domesticated cats and dogs long ago, and now it is our responsibility to care for them. With the current unwanted pet overpopulation, it is irresponsible to not spay and neuter your pets.
7. Eric Cartman defense: Don’t tell me what to do!
The simple fix for this is education. Nearly 4 million dogs end up in shelters every year, nearly 1/3 of which don’t make it out.
8. I want to breed my pet.
About one of every 4 shelter pets is a purebred, many the result of backyard breeding. There is no guarantee that the puppies you breed will find homes and if they do, that’s one less home for a pet waiting for adoption. Don’t add to the population of unwanted animals.
9. Animal is too young/females must have one litter.
These is a common misconception and patently untrue. Most pets can be spayed or neutered as young as 2 months old. Spaying before the first heat cycle dramatically reduces cancer in the reproductive organs and mammary tissue.
10. Can’t afford it.
You can’t afford not to! There are many resources including reduced or even free spay neuter options available. Call your local SPCA or humane society for a list of resources.
90% of these reasons are purely emotional on the part of an owner and should be challenged by every person concerned with canine welfare. Affordability is a very real issue, as is accessibility in some areas of our country. We’ve researched affordable spay/neuter options in Colorado, and these can be found in the Resources section of our website. The list includes options for areas that may have limited veterinary services. Also, the Texas Humane Legislation Network is launching a resource page in the near future, and we’ll put a link on our resource page when it’s published.
The bottom line is there is NO EXCUSE for “oopsy” litters. Millions of dogs die every year because owners do not take responsibility for fixing their dogs. Make no mistake about it, every pup that is born needs a home and if there isn’t one, they will lose their life.