That's right. The message is twofold, really. Spay or neuter your pets! And don't buy (from a pet shop or even the most reputable of breeders). Adopt instead from a shelter or rescue.
Local rescue organizations work very hard -- often during whatever little free time they have -- to pull dogs from kill shelters and place them with fosters. Once those dogs and cats are ready for permanent homes, rescues post pictures and bios in the hopes of finding them forever homes. When you adopt one, it frees up a slot for another dog in dire circumstances to be saved.
That's right. By adopting a pet in foster care from a local rescue (or even from a shelter) you are potentially saving TWO lives. Isn't that awesome?
When you adopt from a rescue, the pet you receive will or should already be spayed or neutered. But say you get your pet from somewhere else. Someone you know has a dog that has just had puppies, for instance. Then please, please, please spay or neuter your pets.
"My dog lived for 17 years and I didn't neuter him!" someone might say. Well, that's great. And it's also lucky that your dog was never stolen out of a backyard or got out somehow -- because this is where the problems begin. Accidents happen. And if your dog or cat gets outside even for a few days and is not fixed, the potential for puppies or kittens that may potentially end up at the city pound are great. And not every pet is the same, just as not every human is the same. I have a maternal uncle who died of lung cancer who never smoked in his life. I have a paternal uncle who died of lung cancer who smoked all his life. Spaying or neutering your pet doesn't guarantee your pet won't get some types of cancer, but you do better your pet's odds when you do it.
Dr. Andrew Jones explains the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets far more eloquently than I can. Please do check out his short article and spread the word.
No comments:
Post a Comment