Newsletter

Spaying & Neutering

Pet Overpopulation - Who's Responsible??

It is estimated that the national birthrate of cats and dogs is 5,500 per hour.  444,000 loving homes are needed to care for the offspring of 1,000 female dogs. 

National statistics suggest that approximately 11 million animals of all kinds enter shelters annually.  Of those almost 7 million are euthanized.  Why?  And who is responsible?

It's not the fault of animal shelter personnel that millions of animals are euthanized each year.  They are the ones who must ultimately make the decision.  They do not, however, cause these animals to breed indiscriminately, to become stray, to be unidentified and unvaccinated.

The responsibility and the blame lie with pet owners.  Just one litter of puppies or kittens does matter. 

Pet owners take responsibility:

• Sterilize your pets
• Identify your pets
• Confine your pets

Just The Facts, Please

There is no good reason for not spaying or neutering pets.

Myth      A female cat or dog should have a litter before she is spayed.

Fact       The sooner you spay your female, the better her health will be in the

            in the future.  As long as a kitten or puppy weighs more than 2

            pounds and is 2 months old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. 

            Many vets are practicing perfectly safe early sterilization.  There is

            no medical reason for a female dog or cat to have a litter first before

            being spayed.

Myth     Spaying or neutering will alter my pet's personality.

Fact        Sterilizing will eliminate the instinct to breed and the behaviors

             associated with reproduction.  Those behaviors are generally

             undesireable such a roaming, fighting, and marking territory. 

             Your pet will retain his genetic personality traists and remain as

             loving, social or protective as his environment and training molds

             him to be.

Myth      Companion animals become fat and lazy after being sterilized.

Fact         Lack of exercise and overfeeding make pets fat and lazy, not the

             sterilization surgery itself.

Myth       Sterilization is a dangerous and painful surgery for my pet.

Fact         Spaying and neutering are the most common surgeries

             performed on animals Most go home the same day as the

             surgery.

Myth        Male dogs should not be deprived of their "maleness" or

Fact          females deprived of being mothers.

               Those are human emotions and concepts being projected 

              pets.  Pets do not have a psychological attachment to their

              body nor do they have a need to bear young.  Reproduction

              for pets is dictated by instinct, not passion.

Myth       Children should witness the miracle of birth.

Fact          Not at the expense and suffering of animals who cannot

               speak for themselves.  Countless books and videos are available to                teach your children about birth in a responsible manner.  Letting

               your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping and

               and sterilizing is teaching irresponsibility to your children.  Anyone

               who understands the tragedy of euthanasia knows the truth

               behind this dangerous myth.

Pet Overpopulation Facts - National Statistics

Rates at which dogs breed:

• By the age of 5, a female dog and her female offspring can produce

           192 offspring, not including all the oppspring produced by the male              puppies.

• Female dogs reach sexual maturity at about 6 months of age, males at about seven months.  Smaller dogs mature earlier than large breeds.
• Female dogs can enter their heat cycles twice annually, but it varies greatly depending on the breed, age and even the female dog herself.  Some breeds enter their cycle only in the fall, whereas other breeds may cycle 3 times annually.
• Litter sizes can range from 1 to 15 puppies, depending on the size and breed of the dog.
• The gestation period for a dog is about 60 days from conception to birth.

Rates at which cats breed:

• Two uncontrolled breeding cats plus all of their kittens can produce 80,399,780  in 10 years.
• Female cats reach sexual maturity at about 7 months, males at about 10 months.
• Cats cycle continually about once a month from January through September.
• Normally female cats do not have cycles between October and December.  However, because of indoor artificial lighting, a cat's body can be tricked into its cycle early thereby going into heat year round.
• A female cat can go into heat as early as 4-6 weeks after delivering a litter.
• Cats average 4 kitten per litter.
• In cats, the release of a mature egg from the ovary may not occur spontaneously, as in humans or dogs, but can be triggered by the act of mating.
• The gestation period for a cat is 63 days.

What happens to the "leftovers" - national statistics:

• Approximately 11 million animals enter shelters annually nationwide.
• About 25% of the animals housed in our nation's animal shelters are purebreds.
• In a 1995 random survey of 1,100 animals care and control agencies:

               -56% of dogs and 72% of cats were euthanized.

               -25% of dogs and 22% of cats received at shelters nationwide  

                 were adopted.

               -Only 16% of dogs and 2% of cats were reclaimed by their

                 owners.

               -Cats were relinquished at a higher rate (36%) than dogs (27%)