Pet Over Population

Millions of animals are killed every year because they are homeless. According to Mercy Crusade Inc., an animal Welfare organization, "Ten to twelve million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year." Others, whose numbers are in the millions, are abandoned in rural and urban areas. The article also states that for every human born, seven puppies and kittens are born. The multiplication factor is especially evident in the Pet Population. Mercy Crusade Inc. indicates that a cat and her offspring can produce four hundred twenty-thousand kittens in seven years; a dog and her offspring can produce sixty-seven thousand puppies in six years. They continue by saying that seventy-five percent of the cats entering shelters are killed and sixty-one percent of all dogs entering shelters are killed. Mercy Cursade Inc. advocates spaying and neutering pets as a solution to this problem. However, spaying and neutering pets is often delayed or ignored due to misconceptions about this practice.

Myths, about spaying and neutering pets, are numerous. Some of them are as follows:

Spaying/neutering will make my pet fat. False. Overeating makes a pet fat. Pet obesity is due to too much food and not enough exercise.

A female dog or cat should have a litter first before altering. It is now considered better for a pet not to have a litter or heat period first.

There is too much risk to the pet. Spaying/neutering "are safe and relatively painless and are performed by licensed veterinarians," according to Mercy Crusade Inc.

At the Pets In Need Midwest Website, the following myths were addressed:

The dog will no longer be a good guard dog. False. Dogs don't lose their instinct to guard their territory, just their desire to roam. Not roaming helps to protect them from numerous hazards, such as, cars and disease.

Having a litter before altering improves a pet's instincts. False. She has those instincts anyway, and a complicated delivery could drastically increase the costs.

Proceedures costs too much. Though cost is necessary, your pet's babies will cost more if you have to buy them formula, due to the mother's under production of milk. She could also develope expensive complications, such as, cancer or pyometra (puss in the uterus), which requires an operation.

It denies them sexual fulfillment. False. The anatomical part that is removed is what triggers their drive to breed. Without it, they don't have any desire.

I can easily find homes for my pet's babies. The "good homes" may be a "good home" for someone's pet snake. According to Pets In Need Midwest site, a man admitted answering such adds, to feed his pet snake.

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