Why Spay and Neuter?

Can you imagine working at a Humane Society where literally thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized because of the volume of animals coming through the doors?

Statistically, a female cat can give birth to 20,000 kittens in five years. The lions share of these are brought into a Humane Society by the public, or picked up by Animal Control and then taken to a Humane Society. The numbers for dogs aren't quite as staggering but are still excessive.

SPAYING YOUR DOG

One Humane Society in East Texas reports 9,003 dogs and cats were brought to them in 2007. Of those, 6,708 were euthanized and 2,904 were adopted. Since 1988 their records show a total of 193,363 animals have gone through their doors; 145,000 were euthanized.

Humane Societies have become a dumping ground for unwanted or stray animals instead of a rescue and adoption center. Unfortunately, there's only so much room in any facility. With every nook and cranny filled, the only option for those not adopted is to be euthanized.

So why is this happening? I wish I could say that all pet owners are responsible and have their pets spayed or neutered. The real key in controlling the number of unwanted animals is a proactive spay and neuter program. This solution is so much kinder than having defenseless animals euthanized.

Some Humane Societies are hosting educational programs to teach school children about responsible pet ownership. Some are including a "lost and found" section on their websites to try to reunite owners with lost pets. Others are supporting more stringent laws and penalties for owners who don't spay or neuter their pets.

Any effort to reduce the number of unwanted animals is worthwhile. Won't you do your part?

Why Spay and Neuter?

Debbie Foster is the owner of Pet Beds Unlimited and an avid animal lover. You can find a wide selection of quality pet beds, dog crates, dog carriers [http://www.petbedsunlimited.com/dog_carriers.html], and dog pens [http://www.petbedsunlimited.com/dog_pens.html] at http://petbedsunlimited.com [http://www.petbedsunlimited.com/home.html]

SPAYING YOUR DOG