It does not matter how many “rescue” groups are trying to place dogs and cats. We are all working with the same pool of prospective adopters. Some shelters, Tuolumne County included, are actually seeing a drop in adoptions due to other groups with competing populations of dogs and cats looking for homes. Even worse, some groups are not careful about screening adopters. We urge that these groups check to ensure a positive veterinary and care history on prior pets, as we do. Pets placed in inappropriate homes either suffer neglect or end up being disposed of. An adopter who does not follow through on spay/neuter of a new puppy or kitten leads to five to 10 animals needing homes instead of one.

We hear many excuses for not spaying and neutering. The fact is, if the welfare of dogs and cats is important to owners, they will get it done no matter what. If it is not important, they will offer reasons intended to relieve them of responsibility. Here are excuses we commonly hear:

“It is too expensive.” It actually costs more to raise a litter of puppies than to have the mother spayed. Tuolumne County has a Spay Neuter Assistance Program, under which a low-income household pays only $15 to spay/neuter a cat. Recently a young couple brought in a nursing mother cat with kittens. “She keeps having accidents (kittens).”  They “could not afford” to have her spayed – yet smoked cigarettes. Four packs would have paid for a spay. If you can’t afford spay or neuter, how will you afford a vet bill if your pet gets sick or injured?

“My dog/cat will become (fat, inactive, a sissy, etc) if neutered.”

Your pet becomes overweight for the same reasons you do – too much food and not enough exercise. Altered animals enjoy health benefits such as a much lower incidence of mammary tumors, testicular cancer and prostate disease. Dogs protect because they are territorial and possessive, not because they have testicles.

“I want to sell the puppies/kittens.” This is self-explanatory. Money is more important to some than reducing the number of animals being euthanized. This is exactly why puppy mills exist. Any time profit can be made, animal welfare goes out the window.

At Animal Control we must kill dogs and cats that cannot be placed in homes. I cannot describe the emotional toll this takes on a group of people who love and are committed to helping animals.

This is a preventable tragedy. Having a pet is a responsibility. In addition to altering your pet, you must provide it with food, water, shelter, proper veterinary care, and socialization. If you do not have the time or resources to do this, please do not get a pet. Our society seems to stress rights over accountability. It is time to take personal responsibility to end pet overpopulation.

© 2008, Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Spaying is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs of a female animal. Neutering is the surgical removal of the reproductive glands of a male animal.

Females and males should be spayed or neutered by 6 months of age. Currently some clinics are performing surgeries on animals as young as 8 weeks of age. Older animals can have the procedure performed as long as they are in good health. All sterilization surgery is performed under general anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian.

Female dogs and cats can be spayed when in heat or pregnant. This can usually be done up until a few days before delivery. These surgeries can take longer, and can therefore cost more. Spaying before having a first litter or heat cycle is usually a simpler procedure.

Spayed animals no longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that they stay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contracting contagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.

In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, spraying and other undesirable male behaviors.

In females, spaying dramatically decreases the incidence of breast cancer, and eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus. Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings as well as the attraction of available males.

The simple fact is that spaying and neutering greatly increase the lifespan of your pet, and increase quality of life as well!

Reasons to Spay and Neuter:

· Your pets are less inclined to roam or fight

· Your pets will be generally more affectionate

· Male cats tend to stop spraying

· Spayed/neutered pets do not become fat or lazy

· Spaying and neutering can be done as early as four months of age

· Your female pet can be spayed while in heat

· There is no reason your female pet “needs to have just one litter”

More Reasons:

· During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.

· In 1952 a Texas tabby had 420 kittens before having her last one at age 18.

· The largest known litter with all kittens surviving is 14.

· A single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just seven years.

· More than 35,000,000 kittens are born in the U.S. each year.

Irwin Schwartz is a board member of the Humane Society of Tuolumne County.

© 2008, Friends and Neighbors Magazine