- Between 3 and 4 million adoptable animals are euthanized in animal shelters each year simply because they do not have homes.
- Spaying and neutering dramatically reduces the number of stray animals on the streets.
- The term “spay” refers to removing a female animal’s ovaries and uterus so that she cannot reproduce. The term "neuter" refers to removing a male animal’s testicles so that he cannot reproduce (although the term neuter technically means the sterilization of either a male or a female animal, today it is typically used to refer to the procedure for a male animal).
- Pets should be spayed or neutered at young ages, before 6 months for a male and before a female’s first heat.
- Historic records indicate that surgical procedures to sterilize male animals date back as far as 284 B.C.. Such surgeries for companion animals date back about 100 years.
- Spaying and neutering can help reduce the incidence of some of the most common types of cancers so your animal is likely to live a longer and healthier life.
- Spay/neuter surgeries can only be performed by licensed veterinarians.
- The cost of spaying and neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for one year.
- 78 percent of pet dogs and 88 percent of pet cats are spayed or neutered.
- Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering.
- Many unneutered pets have aggression problems and often mark their territory with strong-scented urine, which can make the household unbearable. Early neutering can nix aggression.
Know someone looking for a new pet? Encourage them to adopt! GO
Source: ASPCA, PETA, The Anti-Cruelty Society
