Did you know that over 10 million family pets go missing every year? In fact, one will go missing every 2-seconds. One of three pets go missing in their life time and only one in every ten that go missing will be found.
According to research, a male dog can smell a female in heat up to 3-miles away. The instincts of an un-neutered male to find that female in heat is so over whelming they will break down fens boards chew through gates and even dig out of their yard. A female in heat is like a drug to a drug addict. It’s not a want or desire, but instead it is something they must have at any cost.
Monika Helgemo with Antioch Animal Services says that of the 74-male dogs they currently have in custody only 8 arrived already neutered. The good news is that once your animals are fixed the desire goes away and reduces the likely hood of your dog running away.
In a world over flowing with homeless shelter pets, why wouldn’t you spay and neuter? Some people are dead set against it and I can’t help myself but ask why? I have heard some really silly reasons but then I have heard genuine concerns of good pet owner who are just really misinformed.
I want my dog to have at least one litter because I heard it’s healthier for her.
Spaying nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of unsprayed female dogs. Pyometra is a uterine infection that can become fatal within just hours. There is nothing natural about a death of a dog that could have been prevented by a simple spay.
I just love my dog so much and he or she is so special that I want to keep one of the baby’s when we breed
Consider the complications related to birthing. Are you equipped to pay a vet bills that could cost into the thousands for a C-section? Are you experienced enough to know when you dog is in trouble? And let’s not forget about the other puppies once they are born. What going to happen to the rest of the litter since you only want to keep one.
According to dosomething.org Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home. It’s just not fair to let your dog reproduce knowing these kinds of odds.
It’s just unnatural to neuter.
Neutering your male prevents testicular cancer if done before six months of age; it can drastically reduce risk of prostate cancer.
I’m afraid it will change his or her personality.
After spaying my wild husky she became more manageable. Dogs that aren’t spayed or neutered tend to be more hyperactive and have behavioral problems like chewing up household items and through fences. Neutering can reduce behaviors like marking by up to 90% and reduces aggression.
I want my children to see the miracle of birth
I’m not sure what they will lean from watching an animal’s give birth but a bigger lesson can be learned. If you want to teach your child anything it should be spay and neuter, our children are the next generation that could help lower the number of homeless animals. Teach them young and teach them early. They will one day be the voices that we are today.
A great learning lesson is taking them to the local shelter, talking to them about the responsibilities of being a pet owner and how to prevent so many homeless animals from entering the shelter by spay and neutering.
The cost. It’s just too expensive
with so many great low cost spay and neuter clinics, you can get a large dog like a pit-bull spayed for as low as $25. The cost for surgery to save a dog with Pyrometra could be in the thousands. I think even a spay of 200 is reasonable compared to that.
The top reasons animals enter the shelter system are:
- Stray
- Unwanted litter
- Health issues that the owner cannot take care of
- Owners are moving
Of the reasons animals enter a shelter, 3 out of the 4 could directly be affected by you as an owner spaying and neutering.
By the time you are done reading this article at least 60 pets in the US have become stray and only 6 will make it home. 96 kittens and puppies have been born and only about 9 will find a forever home.
The rest of the strays and unwanted litters will end up at the shelter or homeless on the street to fend for them self’s. Please spay and neuters don’t let your animals become a statistic.
Written by Kristy Keusch
1 comment
I have to agree with you on this one. All our pets in the last 60 years have been neutered. They are much healthier.
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