World Spay Day is an annual campaign focusing on the importance of spaying and neutering pets.
World Spay Day officially falls on February 26, the last Tuesday of February. February is also Spay and Neuter Awareness Month and Washington State animal organizations are ramping up their spay and neuter programs before kitten and puppy season begins.
Why is it so important to spay or neuter your pet? Here are 10 wonderful reasons.
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier, happier life. Spaying helps prevent breast cancer, which is fatal 50% of the time for dogs and 90% of the time for cats. Spaying also helps prevent uterine infections.
- Neutering your male pet provides health benefits, as well, including the prevention of testicular tumors.
- Spayed females will not go into heat.
- Male cats and dogs will not be prone to “roaming.”
- Neutered male dogs and cats show far less aggressive behavior than unneutered males. Neutering also decreases or prevents the incidence of spraying and marking.
- Spaying and neutering does NOT make your pet fat! Only overeating and a lack of exercise can contribute to your pet’s weight.
- Spaying and neutering is cost-effective: It’s far cheaper than caring for a litter of kittens or puppies.
- When you get your pet fixed, it’s good for your entire community. Stray and homeless animals are a real problem throughout the United States.
- Pets do not need to have “just one” litter in order for your family to experience the “miracle of life.” There are lots of educational materials, including books and videos, to teach children about birth in a more responsible way.fer
- Spaying and neutering is the single most effective answer to the pet over-population problem. Currently, 4-5 million healthy companion animals are euthanatized in the U.S. every year due to overcrowding in shelters.
Last year alone, the coalition of shelters and partners in the greater Puget Sound area spayed and neutered over 400 animals on Spay Day.
There are 14 wonderful shelter partners that are collaborating in 2013’s 4-county Spay Day event, including:
Pasado's Safe Haven, Community Cat Coalition, Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project, Homeward Pet, PAWS, MEOW Cat Rescue, Seattle Animal Shelter, Regional Animal Services of King County, Seattle Humane Society, Purrfect Pals, NOAH, WAIF, Humane Society of Skagit Valley, and the Everett Animal Shelter.
Please help support these Washington State organizations as they work to eliminate pet overpopulation in Washington!
"Like" this column to help share it with others!
If you would like to continue to receive important information, features, and news related to pets in Seattle and beyond, please click the "Subscribe" icon located at the top of this column. It's free, convenient, and anonymous!
You can also find Seattle Pets Examiner on Facebook!
Comments