Every day, thousands of healthy dogs and cats are euthanized. Every day! Most of these animals would make perfectly good companions if given a chance at a home. So why are they being killed? Simply because there are so many homeless pets, animal shelters simply don’t have the space or resources to provide care or find homes for them all. Those that aren't killed end up wandering the streets as strays. Many of these will die from diseases, starvation, or abuse and cruelty. I know because we have several cats at my house and every one of them was a stray that showed up at our house and Mom took them in and cared for them. Some of them were ill. Some of them were injured. All of them were hungry and skinny. But not all stray animals are lucky enough to find our house!Spay/neuter is an effective and humane way to save animals’ lives. Spaying (for females) and neutering (for males) are common surgeries veterinarians perform to stop animals from having accidental, surplus litters. Mom had me neutered shortly after I came to live with her. It didn't hurt and Mom bought me ice cream when she picked me up. The hardest part was being alone at the vet all day. An FDA-approved technique for dogs called zinc neutering, also performed by a veterinarian but administered by a shot, is now available in many places. I think I might have preferred that to the surgery!
Preventing litters reduces the number of animals for whom resources are not available. Most people support spay/neuter, especially once they understand how it saves lives. However, affordable services are out of reach for many pet owners, and funding is always needed to spay and neuter feral cats and stray dogs.
That's where you come in! You can make a big difference for animals by participating in World Spay Day. Learn where there are underserved areas in your community, and raise awareness for the need for services—or of the availability of existing resources. I know there are several low-cost spay/neuter clinics right here in Northwest Arkansas. I'll be sharing them on social media tomorrow! You can too! Use social media to spread the word about the power of spay/neuter. Help raise critical funds to spay and neuter those animals most in need.
Support World Spay Day in your community. Help reduce pet overpopulation. Let's be sure that every pet has a home.
