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By Carol Kline for Noah's Ark Animal Foundation
 It's
a simple fact that there are too many dogs and cats born each year. Millions
of these innocent animals end up abandoned-either by the side of the road
or in animal shelters—to meet an uncertain fate.
It's a bad situation any way you look at it: it's expensive for taxpayers,
a safety hazard, a waste of resources and most importantly, a terribly
cruel way to manage the populations of companion animals who share our
hearts and homes. The good news is that there is an easy solution. If
all of us spay or neuter our pets, this problem can be eliminated.
Yet, somehow the problem persists year after heartbreaking year, because
not everyone is willing to do this one simple thing. Even well-intentioned
people who mean to have their pets spayed or neutered, wait too long and
find themselves faced with unexpected litters.
Money no longer has to be an obstacle. Financial assistance is available
from Noah's Ark's CCSNAP (Caring Community
Spay/Neuter Assistance Program), so everyone can afford to do the responsible
thing.
The plain truth is: People don't make it a priority. Here are five reasons
to make that spay or neuter appointment TODAY!
- It's the humane thing to do. One of the most popular excuses
people use to justify NOT spaying or neutering their pets is that they
feel it's not "natural." Domesticating wild animals and keeping them
in homes as pets isn't "natural" either. But the pet-owner relationship—with
all its joys and benefits—is here to stay, so it's up to us as
pet owners to responsibly manage this "un-natural" situation. We've
created animals who are dependent on us to give them homes, so we'd
better be sure there are enough homes. This necessitates our intervention
in our pet's reproductive life.
- An altered pet is a better-behaved pet. Another reason why
leaving pets in a "natural" (unaltered) state is a bad idea is behavior
problems. Dogs and cats are happiest without the biological drives (for
territory, dominance and mating) that help them succeed in the wild.
In fact, most of the common behavior problems in pets disappear once
the pet is neutered or spayed-especially when the animals are altered
at an early age. Veterinarians can spay and neuter dogs and cats starting
at 4 months of age. This also saves money since the price of the spay/neuter
operations is based on a pet's weight and younger pets obviously weigh
less than full grown ones. It's a documented fact: Spayed and neutered
cats and dogs make better pets. They are happier, more content and easier
to live with!
- Healthier pets. In addition, pets are healthier and live longer
after they have been spayed or neutered. Many cancers in both male and
female animals can be avoided by simply having a pet fixed before it
has a chance to reproduce.
- It saves money. There's a myth circulating that selling purebred
puppies can be lucrative. Any responsible "backyard" breeder will tell
you: If you think you can make money breeding and selling puppies, think
again! The truth is that only large, professional, "puppy mills" profit
from selling pups and that is generally at the expense of the dogs'
mental and physical health.
- Less work and mess. Another reason people give to not spay
and neuter a pet is that they want "just one litter" so that their children
can experience the "wonder of birth." This is a great idea in theory,
but in reality, it is expensive, messy and time-consuming to take care
of a mother animal and her brood. More importantly, what if it isn't
possible to find homes for all the puppies and kittens? Worse, what
if the new homes don't spay or neuter the puppy or kitten they adopt?
Then that "just one litter" can multiply exponentially, contributing
to those millions of unwanted animals that are born—and destroyed—every
year.
Noah's Ark urges everyone to please spay and neuter your pet… so there will
be homes for them all! |
