On Feb. 26, individuals and organizations across the country will come together for World Spay Day - a day of action to fight the tragedy of companion animal euthanasia by advocating increased spay and neuter efforts. Click here to read a previous article about World Spay Day.
Animal rescue volunteers, shelter staff, veterinarians, animal welfare professionals, business owners and individuals will join forces to provide spay/neuter services and promote spay/neuter as an effective means of decreasing the killing of homeless cats and dogs in shelters. This effort will ensure that the offspring of our companion animals won’t be born only to die alone in a shelter without a family who loves them.
Whether you are an animal advocate, a volunteer with a rescue organization, an animal health care professional, a media professional or just someone who wants to make a difference for the animals in your community, there are many ways you can participate in this important event. Click here to find out how you can get involved in Spay Day activities in your community.
“Sterilizing dogs and cats is the best way to stem the overpopulation of cats, dogs and other pets, and to prevent homelessness and suffering,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “World Spay Day allows caring people the world over to come together and raise awareness about the life-saving benefits of spaying and neutering and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this global effort.” (quote from HSUS Feb. 4, 2013 Press Release)
Animal care professionals agree that spaying and neutering companion animals is the best long-term solution to pet overpopulation. It is the only permanent, 100% effective means of birth control for companion animals and it also improves the quality of life for the animals.
No matter how homeless animals end up in shelters, half of them will die even though most of them are perfectly healthy and adoptable. Each of these animals’ lives has value. Each is a unique creature with needs and feelings. Many of them were part of a loving family at some point in their lives. The fact that most are healthy and affectionate when they are killed makes their deaths all the more unnecessary and poignant. We have the ability and the obligation to meet the challenge of reducing the number of needless animal deaths. World Spay Day is a great way to begin to meet this challenge.
Additional articles on World Spay Day and spay/neuter awareness:
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