A Sultan, Wash. animal organization has much to celebrate for World Spay Day. Pasado’s Safe Haven has received a grant from the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation to continue their spay and neuter efforts, Pasado’s representative Jenny Fraley stated on Monday, Feb. 25.
This is the third year that the Milgard Family Foundation has funded this project. The one-year grant will provide spay and neuter surgeries for animals belonging to people who are on public assistance in Pierce County.
Approximately 3000-3500 spay and neuter surgeries will be provided with this grant.
Pasado’s Director of Homeless Prevention Initiatives, Jenny Fraley, discussed why this grant was vital to spay and neuter efforts in Washington State.
“According to the 2010 Census, over 30% of the residents in Washington state live below the 200% Federal Poverty Level,” Fraley explained.
“Most of these people are on some form of Public Assistance. This program provides ‘free’ spay and neuter services to those animals in Pierce County who would otherwise go without.
"This means that there will be fewer unwanted litters and more healthy animals.
"At Pasado’s, we see the results of unaltered pets on a daily basis: Unwanted animals on chains 24/7; feral cats living a life of fear and sickness in the wild; healthy cats and dogs euthanized in overcrowded shelters; dogs condemned to death due to aggression (an unaltered male is more likely to bite than an altered male); the list goes on and on.
"Spaying or neutering your pet is the compassionate, moral, and responsible thing to do on so many levels," Fraley added.
Congratulations, Pasado's, on continuing your life-saving work.
To learn more about Pasado's Safe Haven, visit their website here.
The ASPCA’s top ten reasons to spay and neuter pets:
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
- Neutering provides major health benefits for your male. Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
- Your spayed female won't go into heat. While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently.
- Your male dog won't want to roam away from home. An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate, including digging his way under the fence. Once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
- Your neutered male will be much better behaved. Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. Unneutered cats and dogs may mark their territory by spraying urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
- Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Some studies have shown that neutered animals can become heavier, but the real issue is lack of exercise and overfeeding. Altered pets will remain fit and trim if you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
- It is highly cost-effective. The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
- Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna, and frighten children.
- Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth. Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children—especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
- Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation. Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
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