Spay/Neuter Programs

Would you kill a happy, healthy, loving pet?  If you answered “no”, then spaying or neutering your pet is absolutely essential.

Both surgeries are safe when done by a qualified veterinarian. And not only are they safe, having your pet spayed or neutered also has significant health benefits.

Through neutering, you can help your cat (or dog) live a happier, healthier, longer life. Spaying eliminates the constant crying and nervous pacing of a female cat in heat. Spaying a female dog also eliminates the messiness associated with the heat cycle.

Neutering of male cats (and dogs) can prevent certain undesirable sexual behaviors, such as urine marking, humping, male aggression and the urge to roam. If you have more than one pet in your household, all the pets will generally get along better if they are neutered.

A long-term benefit of spaying and neutering is improved health for cats (and dogs). Spaying females prior to their first heat cycle nearly eliminates the risk of breast cancer and totally prevents uterine infections and uterine cancer. Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and enlargement of the prostate gland, and greatly reduces their risk for perianal tumors.

The other compelling reason to spay or neuter your pet is the very real fact that there are too many animals in the shelter systems already and all those needy pets need homes. Humane societies, animal shelters, rescue foundations … some are forced to humanely euthanize sweet, adoptable animals simply because no more space is available.

Others, who are not so fortunate, die in the streets. Their deaths are not so humane: they can die from exposure to the elements – bitter winds, cold temperatures, or extreme heat; slow starvation, trying, but unable to scrounge enough food to survive; a painful disease, slowly weakening them until they can no longer keep going; poisoning, or outright cruelty.

Animal shelters, both public and private, are faced with an incredible burden: What to do with the population of cats (and dogs) that they are desperately searching for homes for? Approximately 3.7 million animals are euthanized at shelters each year, due to the sheer fact that not enough people spay/neuter their pets. Having your pet spayed or neutered ensures that you will not be adding to this tremendous burden.