The Importance of Spaying & Neutering

Posted on 20. Nov, 2009 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie, Community Efforts

“Many people are surprised to learn that nationwide more than 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats.” US Humane Society

I get emails everyday about dogs being PTS (put to sleep) because shelters are running out of space and not because the dogs are unadoptable.  Even puppies are having to be put down.  The worse is when they have to be PTS by gas chambers.  Gas chambers are 30-45 mins of torture for these dogs.  I found this letter that someone whose job it is to gas animals wrote in 2008.  I had no idea that this was practiced to euthanize dogs until today.  I am in tears.  I can’t imagine this sort of suffering.  Here is some information on states that have banned it and states that still use it: More States Taking on Gas Chambers.  This is what the Humane Society has posted in an article on their resource site:

Currently, 32 states have direct licensing laws. Of these, however, 12 states still allow the use of carbon monoxide chambers, while 8 make no mention of the practice and 12 ban it altogether. The remaining 18 states have no direct licensing laws. Five of these states permit the use of carbon monoxide chambers, 13 make no mention of the practice or have no information available, and one explicitly bans it.

Honestly, these problems- such as overcrowding shelters, high-kill rates, animal suffering, just will not stop until we do something about puppy mills, backyard breeders, and spaying and neutering.  I don’t think people fully understand the consequences of not spaying and neutering until they go to shelters and see for themselves.  What did these animals do to deserve such a destiny ?  Now, although I do believe every dog/cat should be spayed or neutered, I do not believe in mandatory spaying and neutering.  It does not seem to work because people who cannot afford to have their dog neutered/spayed end up turning their animals into shelters, some people won’t abide to the law, and others may refuse to take their animal to a vet in fear of receiving a fine or losing the pet!  It has been shown that mandatory laws like this do not work in lowering the animal intakes and euthanization rates.   However, I do think that cities should work on lowering the cost of spaying and neutering so that more people can afford to do so.  I think this would be a better alternative than making this practice mandatory.  In Houston, we have SNAP, which offers low cost/free vet services to low income families.  They are a mobile clinic!  Pretty awesome, if you ask me.  You can also donate to SNAP by clicking here.

Some people don’t believe in spaying/neutering because it is unnatural.  Here is another article that dispels some of these myths.

Puppies at a high-kill shelter

Soooo….if you haven’t spayed/neutered, please please please consider doing so.

Cheers and Happy Barkin!

Annvi and Tobiah