Today is World Spay Day! Yay! Why dedicate a whole day to it? Every year, 2.7 million companion animals are put to sleep in our nation’s shelter system. This is primarily due to overcrowding and people not spaying or neutering their pets.
It costs American taxpayers more money to house, feed, care and euthanize one pet per day than it does to spay/neuter 6-7 pets. Cost wise, it costs Americans over $2 billion per year to round up, house, kill and dispose of homeless animals.
In addition to the obvious reasons to fix your pet, there are others of which many pet owners aren’t aware:
Benefits of Spaying
- Your female pet will live a longer, happier life
- She won’t go into heat (which is messy)
- It prevents uterine infections (also known as Pyometra) and breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats
- Lowers aggressive and territorial tendencies
- It prevents unwanted pregnancies and litters resulting in behavioral issues
- Eliminates unwanted male canine visitors to court your female, resulting in the point above
Benefits of Neutering
- Prevents testicular cancer, prostrate infections and urinary tract disorders
- Reduces male anxiety and unwanted behaviors such as humping (how embarrassing!)
- He won’t want to run away from home in search of females
- Can reduce aggression, territorial or behavioral issues
- Eliminates the need to mark or spray
Now, wouldn’t it make sense to step up, do something to help save lives and ameliorate the issue? We sure do, so we put together some additional resources to help.
Because we are located in Southern CA, here are a few low-cost spay/neuter options for our fellow Southlanders:
- The Animal Network of Orange County: http://www.animalnetwork.org/AnimalNetwork/VetMedical/SpayNeuterHospitals.htm
- Simply Spay and Neuter OC: http://www.simplyspayandneuterofoc.com/
- The Lucy Pet Foundation: http://www.lucypetfoundation.org/
- Fix Long Beach: http://fixlongbeach.com/
- SPCA-LA: http://www.spcala.com/spay_neuter/spayneuterclinic.php
- Pet Assistance Foundation San Diego: http://petassistancefoundation.org/
- North Shore Animal League: http://www.spayusa.org/clinic-resources/california.php
For a list of low-cost spay/neuter clinics nationwide, the ASPCA’s website offers a searchable map to help you find low-cost spay/neuter programs in your community: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter
Funding options are also often available through your veterinarian, or via voucher programs through the county or city in which you live, so do not hesitate to ask your vet if they participate in such programs. Help yourself to a discount, while you help reduce pet over-population and ensure your pets live long, happy and healthy lives! It’s never too late!
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