Should your pet be spayed or neutered? Many veterinarians agree spaying or neutering is beneficial for your dog or cat’s health. February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and we want to share information about this topic. The Doris Day Foundation created World Spay Day and Spay/Neuter Awareness Month to spread awareness about pet homelessness due to overpopulation in shelters. Every year there are approximately 7 million animals that enter shelters. You should know that less than half of these pets get adopted, the rest get euthanized.
There is a solution… don’t put off spaying/neutering your pet! Spaying and neutering brings many health benefits, keep reading if you need help deciding if this choice is right for you and your dog(s).
Should Your Pet Be Spayed Or Neutered?
Spaying and neutering are procedures that can help cut back on the number of unwanted puppies and kittens in shelters. When “kitten season” arrives there is no room for the for these unwanted litters. Additionally, purebred dogs also end up in shelters when the pet parents have them bred and cannot find new homes for the puppies. Puppies, kittens, dogs and cats sometimes wait months, even years, before they find their forever homes.
Reasons to have your pet spayed or neutered:
- Spayed or neutered dogs have fewer behavioral issues than unaltered pets. A dog in heat is a magnet for unaltered dogs in the neighborhood and can result in unwanted puppies. Unaltered male dogs will roam in search of a female.
- Spayed and neutered dogs are calmer. It is a myth that a spayed or neutered dog will become fat and lazy. Your dog may be calmer and less likely to stray, but will remain happy and loving.
- Your dog or cat may be healtheir. Spaying can prevent uterine tumors or breast cancer. Neutering eliminates the probability of testicular cancer.
- Reduce pet overpopulation. In the United States, close to 4 million unwanted dogs enter shelters annually. Many of them will never leave the shelters for a forever home.
Should your pet be spayed or neutered? We understand spaying and neutering is a personal decision. We urge pet parents to talk with their veterinarian to gain a full understanding of the health benefits of spaying and neutering and the best time to have the procedure done. Additionally, many organizations such as Lucy Pet Foundation offer free or discounted services and are a good resource for learning more about the procedure.
The number of pets being euthanized in shelters is dropping every day in part because of responsible owners spaying and neutering their pets, love the mutt you’re with and celebrate this win!
Robbi Hess, award-winning author, is multi-petual. When not caring for her pets or taking them on walks, she is a speaker, efficiency and effectiveness guru, content creator, social media manager and blogger. She writes at All Words Matter, My Divas Dish, and is the story editor and chief cat herder at Positively Woof/Crimeless Cat.
