USA Today published the results of a survey yesterday, asking people who have gotten dogs (and cats) in the last 12 months whether or not they’d had the pet spayed or neutered yet.
The survey, commissioned by PetSmart Charities through Ipsos Marketing, showed that 48% of dogs and cats who found families in the past year remain unsterilized. 13% of dog guardians have ended up with a litter as a result, although only half of these were unintentional.
This is especially sad given that as many as 4- 6 million shelter animals are put down each year in this country. Another question asked by the survey showed that most people don’t know just how bad the overpopulation problem is. Well over half of the repondents thought the figure was under 1 million, while more than a quarter thought only 100,000 or fewer animals were being euthanized.
Compounding the problem is that many people don’t know when they should get their pets sterilized. This isn’t just lay people who are confused. Vets can’t agree on an ideal age for sterilization either. Some say you should wait until 4 – 6 months, while others want to get the animals sterilized before they are adopted by families, essentially as soon as the puppies are weaned.
Who is best at getting animals spayed / neutered? Those who live outside the Southern states and those who are over the age of 35.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
There are many positive reasons for getting your dog spayed or neutered other than just reducing the population of dogs which by itself is a great reason. For example a male dogs chances of getting testicular cancer becomes zero, click to read about the Importance of spaying/neutering your dog.
I should have added that that is if you do it under 6 months.
The problem with sterlizing is that in a male dog they generally stop growing in that area once they are fixed so they develop problems urinating because their penis is disproportionate to their bladder. Or that’s what I’ve been told.
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