Essay On Spaying And Neutering

Keep it in Check: Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Pets are a common sight in many households today. In fact, according to the APPMA National Pet Owners Survey, 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet. At the top of this percentage are dogs and cats. One of the most important decisions an owner of a dog or cat has to make is whether or not to get them spayed or neutered. There are various reasons why people choose to not have this done, but all those reasons can be proven invalid. Many factors come in to play as why this is such an important thing to do. The effects of dogs and cats not being spayed or neutered has become such a major issue that it should be a law that all pet owners have to get their pet spayed or neutered.

Overpopulation of unwanted pets has become a major issue in the United States. According to Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society, there are 70 million stray cats and dogs in the United Stated. 6 to 8 million of those enter shelters each year. An estimated 3 to 4 million are euthanized in shelters

The myths that spaying and neutering is cruel, will change the animal’s personality, or will make the pet fat are not true. Spaying and neutering will give a pet a longer and healthier life. The risk of breast cancer in females, and testicular cancer in males is greatly reduced. Females will also no longer have messy heat cycles, and will not attract males. In males, the urge to roam and mark territory is eliminated. Some people would say that they do not want to give their pet an unnecessary, risky surgery. If this surgery is done when the animal is young and healthy, it is almost completely safe. The consequences of not getting this done are much riskier. The urge that males have to wander away from home can put them in very dangerous situations, such as getting ran over by cars or fighting with other males. For females, giving birth is a very risky