Heartsong
Spay Neuter Clinic
Why Spay or Neuter? It's good for you, it's good for your pet!
Reasons Why People Don't Spay/Neuter
1.The excuse:
Just one litter and then we'll have her spayed.
Just one litter and then we'll have her spayed.(Studies show these animals contribute to the pet overpopulation problem and the litter becomes part of the 800,000 taken to shelters each year. When the owner cannot find homes for the puppies,they are discarded. Sometimes, on rare occassion, a protective female will bite someone while protecting her young, and she then also becomes a statistic, as the family discards her as well. )
2.The excuse:My pet doesn't run loose, it's always confined so he/she doesn't need to be fixed.
My pet doesn't run loose, it's always confined so he/she doesn't need to be fixed. (Murphy's Law says otherwise. Even when you think your pet is not running at large, other pets are. They will dig into your yard to get at a female in heat. In the same way, your male will eventually dig out to get to a female in heat. So whether you have a male or female, once your boundary is breached, your pet is no longer safely contained in his or her yard.)
3.The excuse: We intended to have her spayed but we kept putting it off. She got out one day and yada yada yada, now we have to find homes for the litter.
(Don't procrastinate! Make sure you have the surgery done before 4 mo. of age. At Heartsong we spay and neuter pediatrics, as early as 8 - 12 weeks. The recovery time is much shorter, and you eliminate behaviors, as well as health issues.)
4.The Excuse:I want my children to witness the miracle of birth.
I want my children to witness the miracle of birth. (There are movies out that show the miracle of birth without the process of bringing a litter of puppies or kittens into the world. Call a farmer and ask if your children can witness a cow giving brith. There are many ways of 'witnessing' the miracle without endangering lives (see #1) then take them to a local shelter and let them look into the eyes of the pets waiting for someone to love them. Teach children to be responsible, and volunteer with them at a local rescue. Many more animals could be saved if more people would volunteer their time.)
5.The excuse:My dog is so cute and a champion, there should be more of him/her.
My dog is so cute and a champion, there should be more of him/her. (Shelters are full of cute and unique dogs, most with only a few days to live.Statistically speaking, of the 800,000 pets put to death in our country's shelter 25% are AKC registered animals. This does not bode well for a run of the mill mix breed.)
6.The excuse:I can't afford it.
I can't afford it. (There are many low-cost programs available, Heartsong Spay Neuter Clinic currently has 2 locations nationwide, with several more in the planning stages. Many Humane Society's offer voucher programs, just call and ask. Currently Heartsong works closely with local Humane Society's to honor these vouchers, making spays and neuters very affordable.)
7.The excuse:It's not natural.
It's not natural. (The entire way we raise, feed, and care for our animals is unnatural. It is part of our responsibility to our pets as we have taken on the role of caretaker and guardian. Chemotherapy is not natural, but we would not deny a cancer patient the benefits of chemo because its not.)
8.The excuse:I just couldn't look my dog in the eye if I had him castrated.
(Watch it, you're anthropomorphizing. It isn't healthy to assign human characteristics to your pet. He doesn't feel the same about his anatomy as a human does. In fact his entire sexual drive is hormonal, brought on by the pheromones the female emits when she is in estrus.)
9.The excuse:A female dog or cat should have at least one litter for health reasons.
A female dog or cat should have at least one litter for health reasons. (Medically, factually and ethically wrong. In fact, many health problems can be prevented with spay/neuter surgery. Females virtually eliminate mammary cancer risks if spayed before the first heat cycle. Males will avoid testicular cancer. There are other health and behavioral issues that can be avoided through spay and neuter.)
10.The excuse:Spaying/neutering my dog will make her/him fat and lazy.
Spaying/neutering my dog will make her/him fat and lazy. (Too much food and not enough exercise will make a pet fat and lazy.)
11. The excuse:Fixing my pet will change its personality.
Fixing my pet will change its personality. (The primary influences on an animal's personality are the kindness and care with which it is raised.)
The unchecked breeding of 2 dogs and their offspring can produce over 67,000 puppies in just 6 years. There are many reasons to spay or neuter your pets.
Its good for them: For males it eliminates their drive to dig or climb out of fences to seek females.
It eliminates the chance of testicular cancer.
It makes them a better family pet.
Females spayed before their first heat are free of the chance of developing mammary cancer.
Male dogs will not be digging or climbing into your yard to get to your females,
It makes the female a better family pet.
PUBLIC NOTICE :AS we no longer have a full time veterinarian, all NON REFUNDABLE deposits made prior to our vet leaving will be used for the care of the shelter animals. We will not be refunding these deposits, but they are tax deductible. Thank you for understanding.
