Why Spay or Neuter My Pet?

So often these days, we see dogs along the roads who are dirty, skinny, and seem lost or abandoned. When we look at social media, we are flooded with people looking for homes for an unexpected litter. Still others are looking for the owners of the stray dog that wandered onto their property. We see dogs in need everywhere we turn now. But what can we do? We can actually do a lot. One dog at a time.

All across the southern states, animal shelters are full and still there are stray, abandoned, and lost dogs everywhere. Most of these dogs have not had vaccinations and have not been spayed or neutered. Spaying female dogs and neutering males is the only way to prevent litters and reduce the ever-growing population of dogs needing homes. We must reduce the flow and this is the only humane way to do it.

First, consider that a male and female dog have a litter of puppies on the average of twice a year and each pup also goes on to produce litters of their own. When those offspring each have litters too, the population grows to an estimated 67,000 more dogs within only 6 years. Just one pair made that much difference! Now think of how many dogs have not been spayed or neutered in our county and you will need a calculator to multiply how many dogs will be added in just a few years. This is why the enduring answer can only be spay and neuter for every dog.

In addition to stopping reproduction, there are other health benefits too. Spaying or neutering your pet may reduce wandering off, fighting, aggressiveness, mounting, and urinating indoors. More importantly, they are much less likely to develop cancer.

The best time to spay or neuter a dog is at 8-10 weeks old and at least 2 pounds in weight. There is no benefit to waiting after a first heat for females. You can put an end to every male dog in the neighborhood coming to your house to visit her with this simple procedure.

If we can agree this is the best course of action, we then come to the issue of how can this be accomplished? Vet care is expensive. Several organizations have developed ways to address this though. Flying B Animal Rescue & Sanctuary’s Snip It in the Bud program provides spay and neuter vouchers from donations to make it more affordable. DeHart Veterinary Services is low-cost and the SPCA of Texas, TCAP, and Spay Neuter Network offer special pricing when grant money is available. It is expected that public demand could bring more low-cost options in the near future.

I urge you to do your part to stop the dog overpopulation crisis by spaying and neutering your dogs and giving them the additional health benefits to help them live longer lives. This is a big problem for our county, but it can be overcome if each one of us do our part.