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Did you know?
Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. - and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born.
As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, an estimated 6 to 8
million dogs and cats are euthanized in animal shelters each year in the United States. Millions more are abandoned, only
to suffer from disease, starvation or injury before dying.
One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in 7 years.
One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years.
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What can you do to stop the suffering?
Spay and neuter your pet! In addition to saving lives, spaying and
neutering can also drastically improve your pet's health and life expectancy. The idea that pets become fat or lazy when they
are spayed or neutered is a myth. Sterilized pets lead healthier, longer lives. Spaying a female eliminates the possibility
of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Neutering a male reduces the risk of both prostate
enlargement and prostate cancer. Neutering also will make your pet more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights,
or become lost.
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The FACTS of Spay/Neuter
MYTH: It's better to have one litter first.
FACT: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the
evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs
and cats as young as eight weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian about the appropriate time for these procedures.
MYTH: My children should experience the miracle of birth.
FACT: Even if children are able to see a pet give birth—which
is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion—the lesson they will really learn is that animals can
be created and discarded as it suits adults. Instead, it should be explained to children that the real miracle is life and
that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.
MYTH: But my pet is a purebred.
FACT: So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal
shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats—mixed breed and purebred.
MYTH: I want my dog to be protective.
FACT: Spaying or neutering does not affect a dog's natural instinct
to protect home and family. A dog's personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.
MYTH: It's too
expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered.
FACT: The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size,
and age of the pet, your veterinarian's fees, and a number of other variables. But whatever the actual price, spay or neuter
surgery is a one-time cost—a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It's a bargain compared to the
cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter; two months of pregnancy and another two months until
the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop. Most importantly,
it's a very small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets.
MYTH: I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of
a male.
FACT: Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering
will not change a pet's basic personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
MYTH: But my dog (or cat) is so special, I want a puppy (or
kitten) just like her.
FACT: A dog or cat may be a great pet, but that doesn't mean her
offspring will be a carbon copy. Professional animal breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can't guarantee they will
get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, an entire litter of puppies
or kittens might receive all of a pet's (and her mate's) worst characteristics.
MYTH: I'll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens.
FACT: You may find homes for all of your pet's litter. But each
home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters who need good homes. Also, in less than one year's time,
each of your pet's offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet
overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time
MYTH: My
pet will get fat and lazy.
FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their
owners feed them too much and don't give them enough exercise.
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Prevent a Litter
It's Good for You,
Your Pet, & the Community
It's Good for You
- Spayed and neutered pets are better, more affectionate, companions.
- Neutered cats are less likely to spray and mark territory.
- Spaying a female dog or cat eliminates its heat cycle, which can last twenty-one
days, twice a year, in dogs, and anywhere from three to fifteen days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat
often cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
- Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to bite. Unaltered animals often exhibit
more behavior and temperament problems than those that have been spayed or neutered.
It's Good for Your Pet
- Spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
- Spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer
and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer.
- Neutering male dogs and cats reduces the incidence of prostate cancer.
- Neutered animals are less likely to roam and fight.
It's Good for the Community
- Communities spend millions of dollars to control and eliminate unwanted animals.
Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks.
- Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
- It costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $2 billion each year to impound, shelter euthanize
and dispose of homeless animals.
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