Top Reasons to Have Your Pet spayed or neutered.

If you have ever adopted a pet from a shelter, you know that there is no shortage of choices. You walked in and immediately went “awwwww, Look at that one, or that one.” Though these animals are cute, they are there for a reason. They were most likely dropped off because another dog or cat had a litter of unwanted pups or kittens. Each year more than 4 million pets are euthanized because there is nowhere for them to go. Besides controlling the pet population, there are a number of great reasons why you should get your pet spayed or neutered.

· Eliminate health risks – Male animals will not develop testicular cancer, and for female animals, the risk of breast or mammary cancer is greatly reduced.

· Prostate risk eliminated - Without the influence of testosterone from the testicles, prostatic problems are much less likely. Enlarged prostates can cause difficulty in urinating and also can lead to constipation.

· Reduce wandering – Neutered and spayed pets are less likely to wander away from home to find a mate or follow a scent. Less wandering means less chance for your pet to get into trouble.

· Reduce Aggressiveness – In tact animals are more likely to be aggressive toward other animals and worse yet, people.

· Less Territorial Markings – Neutered males and spayed females mark less than intact animals. This means less stains and odor in your home.

There are many more reasons to have your pet spayed or neutered, but the main reason is to control the pet population. Animals should not have to be euthanized because of something they can’t control. Help the pet population and do your part by taking care of your pet and having it spayed or neutered.

No-kill shelters, do they work?

There are many no-kill shelters for unwanted dogs and cats in the United States. Several large metropolitan areas are moving to a no-kill concept in the near future and some already have made the change. Unfortunately, because of the large numbers of animals surrendered each year, detailed in our previous blog, no-kill shelters may not work.

Some shelters are run by private organizations and must limit the number of animals that they accept. These are typically the most successful no-kill shelters. Some are even run in conjunction with a local humane society or animal shelter so that the animals that are apparently healthy and adoptable may get the little extra time they need to be adopted but the city’s shelter can still humanely euthanize animals that can’t be adopted. Can a city’s humane society start turning away surrendered animals because “the inn is full”? If they do, where will these unwanted pets go?

Many no-kill shelters will accept animals only that they deem adoptable. This means that unhealthy or aggressive animals will not be accepted. This might not be such a bad thing, but if these animals are then simply turned out on the street, we could have a real problem on our hands.

Some shelters will have to continue accepting pets, even when they are already at maximum capacity. This will lead to overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, disease that runs rampant, and lower likelihood that the animals will be eventually adopted.

Many people can’t care for sick or injured pets and we need to have some way to help these animals, whether it is through humane euthanasia or veterinary care followed by adoption.

There is not one answer to this problem, but responsible pet ownership, including spaying and neutering is one step towards reducing the number of unwanted pets. When you’re ready to introduce a new pet to your household, don’t forget about the adoption option!