Spay and Neuter Your Pet

We have been receiving an overwhelming amount of kittens and puppies these past couple of days and OH MAN are they adorable! At the same time, it's alarming to me how many young ones have been coming in because it just shows how many people don't spay and neuter their pets. It is SO important to spay/neuter your pet for a variety of reasons.

At the moment we have around 18 puppies and over 50 kittens...some in foster homes and some at the shelter. Here is picture of a litter of 10 Pit mixed puppies that came in on Saturday:

Here are 3 more Pit mixed puppies from a different litter:

Yes they are adorable and fun to play with, but I bet you the majority of them will end up back in a shelter. It boggles my mind that people will purposely breed their dogs or cats to be able to sell the puppies when shelters are FULL of homeless animals. It's selfish and completely irresponsible in my opinion. So next time a friend tries to sell you a puppy from a litter their dog just had in the backyard...think twice please! Save a homeless animal from a shelter :)

6 Reasons why spaying and neutering your pet is important, for cats and dogs:

1. It helps fight pet overpopulation.
• Thousands of puppies and kittens enter shelters nationwide; many that are euthanized and with some ending up as strays. It's a vicious cycle that needs to stop, and it begins with people taking responsibility and spaying/neutering their pet.
2. Drastically reduces the chances of your pet having health problems. 
• Having your pet fixed early will remove the likelihood of them getting many types of cancer: such as uterine, mammary, and/or testicular cancer
3. No more female unspayed females going into heat.
• Need I say more? Less of a mess to clean up! It is best to do it before the dog's first head which is usually around 6 months, that way you can avoid having to deal with a frustrated female looking for a mate. They tend to yowl, look for a way out, and unfortunately bleed.
4. Male dogs and cats won't roam away from home.
• Where do you think they're off to? To find a female in heat of course! Reproduction and finding a mate is their instinct and if they are not neutered, be prepared to go hunting for your dog and cat. 
5. It is highly cost effective.
• It costs way less to spay and neuter your pet than it costs to care for a litter of puppies or kittens. There are many rescue and reasonably priced clinics that will do the surgery for an affordable price. 
6. More well-behaved neutered males at home.
• Male cats and dogs use spraying to mark spots as their territory, in the home and outside. Neutering removes the desire to do this behavior and also reduces aggression in males. Testosterone is reduced after neutering and is the hormone that creates that behavior.

Spaying and neutering is essential in reducing the amount of unwanted pets that are left homeless and that are euthanized. It is important for us as a community to spread the word and make people understand why it is necessary for us to spay and neuter our animals. It will benefit both of you in the long run!

I wanted to end the post with a picture of my sleepy cat Jax. He loves to snuggle and plop himself next to me and snooze away :)

Sources:
1) Spaying or neutering your pet. (2011, August 26). Retrieved from http://www.vetstreet.com/care/spaying-or-neutering-your-pet
2) Top 10 reasons to spay or neuter your pet. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/spay-neuter-top-ten.aspx