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Female dogs and cats can have their first heat and get pregnant as young as 5 months old. Spaying your kitten or puppy before her first heat will eliminate the possibility that your pet will start having litters. It will also greatly reduce her chances of mammary cancer.
Veterinarians agree, it is perfectly safe to spay/neuter your pet when they are as young as 2 months old.
1. You'll save a life. The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from a private humane society or animal shelter, breed rescue group, or the local animal control agency, you'll help save the lives of two animals—the pet you adopt and a homeless animal somewhere who can be rescued because of space you helped free up.
2. You'll get a healthy pet. Animal shelters are brimming with happy, healthy animals just waiting for someone to take them home. Animal Humane, and most shelters, examine and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive, spay or neuter them before being adopted. In addition to medical care, dogs are screened for specific temperaments and behaviors to make sure each family finds the right pet for its lifestyle.
3. You'll save money. Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet from a breeder or through other sources. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter's fee a real bargain.
4. You'll feel better. Pets have a way of putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. In addition, people who adopt pets report experiencing gratitude from the pet, they know you saved their life.
5. You won't be supporting puppy mills and backyard breeders. By adopting instead of buying a pet, you can be certain you aren't supporting cruel puppy mills or backyard breeders with your money. Places like these will continue to operate until people stop purchasing their dogs. Instead of buying a dog, visit your local shelter where you will likely to find dozens of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours.
Check Animal Humane's adoptable pets site, or your local shelter’s website, find a dog or cat that has been in the shelter the longest and email their information to friends.
Educate yourself about pet overpopulation, and speak out when the opportunity presents itself! Become an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Talking Points:
Four million cats and dogs-about one every eight seconds-are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets. Spay/neuter is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation, ensuring that every pet has a family to love them.*
Many cats and dogs that die as a result of pet overpopulation could have made wonderful pets. Between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year: far too many to all find homes.*
A solution is possible and starts with each of us taking one small step: getting our own pets fixed. To help stop pet overpopulation further, consider adopting your next pet from an animal shelter.
Visit SpayFirst.org and visit the 'Start a Program' tab. This site will guide you through some of the basic steps that you need to take in order to create a spay/neuter program to reduce the number of homeless animals in your community. Since programs have different capacities and are run on different models based on the communities they are serving, we strongly recommend developing your program based on an assessment of the area you'll be serving, even if you plan to start small and 'ramp up.'
You can also view model Spay/Neuter programs here.
Fundraise and donate to SPAYNM or your local spay/neuter organization.
Four million cats and dogs, about one every eight seconds, are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of accidental litters of family pets. Spay/neuter is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation, ensuring that every pet has a family to love them.*
Many cats and dogs that die as a result of pet overpopulation could have made wonderful pets. Between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year: far too many to all find homes.*
A solution is possible and starts with each of us taking one small step: getting our own pets fixed To help stop pet overpopulation further, always adopt your pets from shelters.
