One of the worst excuses I have heard is that preventing pets from having litters is unnatural and that if God thought it was a problem, he would make them sterile. The fact is that we have already interfered with nature by domesticating dogs, cats, and other animals. We domesticated the dog 15,000 years ago and the cat 8,000 years ago. In doing so, we helped create this problem. Now it’s our responsibility to solve it. It’s also unnatural to be killing so many of them in our pounds and shelters each year. You can’t blame the shelters, but you should blame breeders and dealers of any kind.
I’ll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens; we want just one litter.
The whole overpopulation crisis is caused by this line of thinking (or lack of thinking). You may find homes for all of your pet’s litter, but each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters. Also, in less than one year, each of your pet’s offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time.
Spaying and neutering are too expensive.Whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost and relatively small compared to the benefits. It’s a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter, or treating cancers or injuries from fights. There are many well-priced spaying and neutering opportunities if you look for them.
My dog is purebred, and they do not end up in shelters. Wrong, darling, in the last few years, purebreds in shelters have increased drastically to around 25%, or even more by now. There is a breed-specific rescue for almost every breed. Sadly, you value one life more than another.
I can’t look my pet in the eyes and castrate or spay them. How about looking into the eyes of the animals in shelters who will be humanely killed because people didn’t sterilise their pets? Did you know that thousands of healthy animals are euthanised (humanely killed) daily!
My animals don’t get out, so I don’t need to sterilise them.
Accidents never happen, do they? You know that thing called Murphy’s Law? Your unsterilised female, for example, attracts males to your yard, or your male wants to get out because a female is in heat close by.
Sterilising my pet will make them fat and lazy.
No, overfeeding & the lack of exercise do that.
I just can’t look my pets in the eyes and neuter them.
How about you come & look those in the eyes that have to be euthanised because there are just not enough homes.
My pet is so cute & unique, there should be more of her/him.
Animal shelters are full of cute & unique animals that need a home too.
My pet’s personality will change after the procedure.
If it did, it would be for the better, but their owner, environment and breed can influence their personality.
A female should have at least one litter before she is spayed.
Factually, medically and ethically, this can be challenged.
It’s mutilation.
If you call sterilisation mutilation, what do you call the killing of thousands of healthy animals every day because there are not enough homes?
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND JOIN THE SPAY & NEUTER REVOLUTION!
Changing the fate of animals and the massive overpopulation crisis revolves around three principles, namely spaying and neutering, education, and stricter and enforced laws for those who don’t respond to being asked nicely. No breeding can be “responsible” when we have a massive overpopulation crisis.
- Spay & neuter your pets.
- Share, educate & advocate for it.
- Donate to spay & neuter campaigns.
- Support petitions and legislation on the topic.
- Don’t support animal dealers, breeders, or pet shops that fuel the overpopulation crisis.
- Keep your animals safe in your yard.
- Adopt from reputable organisations. This is the only ethical option!
We cannot adopt our way out of this massive overpopulation crisis, and we can’t save the animals as fast as breeders are breeding them. Please help us change lives by spaying and neutering your pets to prevent unwanted litters. You can also help by educating others on this topic and by not supporting free animal ads, breeders in any form, pet shops, or animal brokers.
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