We are asked this many times and the answer is a definate YES! The reasons are many. Primarily it is better for your dog, for you and for your community.
A spayed/neutered dog will live a longer, heathier life. Spaying females eliminates the chance of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the chance of breast cancer, especially if she is spayed before her first heat cycle. Neutering males eliminates testicular cancer and greatly reduces the chance of prostrate cancer.
Spaying/neutering (S/N) is good for you because it reduces the risk of very expensive health problems. Dogs are better, more affectionate companions. Unsterilized dogs often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems. S/N pets are less likely to bite, roam the neighborhood, run away, and get into fights.
Spaying/neutering is good for the community because shelters spend millions of dollars to control unwanted animals. Shelters are overwhelmed with unwanted animals.
SOME OF THE MYTHS ABOUT SPAY/NEUTER
MYTH: Dogs are less protective after sterilization
FACT: Any changes from S/N are generally Positive
MYTH: Male dogs don't give birth so I don't need to neuter him.
FACT: Simple - it takes two to tango. While a female may only have one litter at a time a male can impregnate many females each day.
MYTH: Spay/neuter is expensive.
FACT: If the cost of of the one time surgery seems high think of the cost of raising a litter of puppies or the cost of battling one of the cancers mentioned above. There are agencies that can help with the cost of the surgery (P.A.W.S. in the Kansas City area)
SOME FACTS
- 52 million dogs live in the U.S.
- For every human born each day, there are 7 puppies born
- One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in 6 years.
- More than 11,000,000 dogs are euthanized in shelters every year. Millions more are simply abandoned - sentenced to die of disease or under the wheels of a car.
- Approximately 61% of all dogs that enter a shelter are euthanized because of a lack of space.
10 WORST REASONS NOT TO SPAY/NEUTER YOUR DOG
1. "Just on litter and we will have "Fluffy" spayed" The entire pet overpopulation problem stems from this mentality.
2. "My dog doesn't run loose so he doesn't need to be fixed". Murphy's Law says otherwise.
3. "We will find "good" homes for all the puppies". Are those homes going to be responsible and S/N the puppies? Or are they going to find "good" homes for all of the puppies they bring into the world? What about the millions of dogs already in shelters waiting for "good" homes. (25% of all the dogs in shelters are purebred dogs purposely bred for "good" homes).
4. "I want the kids to see the miracle of birth". Fine, go to the library and check out a video. Don't forget to show them the miracle of death on euthanazia day at the shelter.
5. "My dog is so cute...........". The shelters are full of cute dogs.
6. "It isn't natural". There hasn't been anything "natural" about dogs since man got involved thousands of years ago.
7. "A female should have at least one litter for health reasons". Medically, factually and ethically this is wrong.
8. "Neutering my dog will make him fat and lazy". Too much food and not enough exercise will make him fat and lazy.
9. "Fixing my pet will change its personality" The primary influence on personality is the environment it is raised in.
10. "I just couldn't look my dog in the eye if I had it spayed/neutered". Come on- get serious.
