Today was open day at the refuge. Despite the weather volunteers turned up and lots of dogs were walked. We were also alerted to the possible arrival of more puppies tomorrow, so tonights blog is about sterilising your pets.
Last Tuesday, World Spay Day shone a spotlight on the lifesaving power of spaying or neutering dogs and cats.
We fully support the sterilisation of dogs and 100% of our females and most of our males already leave the refuge sterilised. This is for lots of reasons but the most important is because spay or neutering slows the population growth and is critical for reducing the overpopulation and making life better for those dogs already here.
Already there are far too many dogs in France. Lots are either euthanized (not at the SPA Caracssonne) or neglected and that is simply because there are far too many . Puppy after puppy, litter after litter arrive at the SPA and whilst puppies are relatively popular it means that our dogs who have been waiting a long time, the oldies or our black dogs just don’t have a chance. Spaying or neutering also provides an effective way to reduce the number of animals living on the streets, of puppies just given away who often face a very uncertain future and who often arrive at the SPA when they become less cute and enter adolescence.
There are lots and lots of reasons why you should sterilise your dogs. Females in heat are a strong attraction for unneutered male dogs so sterilising you female also means that fewer male dogs wander off in pursuit! These dogs can travel miles and are often involved in accidents, fights with other dogs or become lost enroute. Neutering your males removes the urge to seek out a female in heat, it keeps him safe.
There are many myths about sterilisation…
Myth: An animal needs to have a litter/one heat before sterilization.
Fact: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier.
Myth: It’s not natural to spay/neuter and will upset my dog or cat.
Fact: Applying human emotions to animals is neither realistic nor applicable when it comes to identifying a need for sterilization.
Myth: I want my dog to be protective.
Fact: It is a dog’s natural instinct to protect home and family. A dog’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.
Myth: I do not want my male dog to feel like less of a male. (yep, usually the guys who say this!)
Fact: Pets do not have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet’s basic personality. He does not suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
Myth: My pet will get fat and lazy.
Fact: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and do not give them enough exercise.
Myth: But my dog is so special, I want a puppy just like her.
Fact: Your pet’s puppies or kittens have little chance of being an exact copy of your pet. There are homeless pets waiting for homes who are just as cute, smart, sweet, and loving as your own, they just havnt had the same chance as yours.
The health benefits for both male and female dogs who are sterilised are numerous and we will cover those in a future blog but please think about sterilising your dog. It’s the one thing you can do to help the overpopulation and make life a wee bit better,safer and healthier for those already here!
Thats a lot of puppies!