Every day about 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in the United States. Every year 4 - 6 million are euthanized because there are not enough home for all of them.
Our communities spend millions of dollars to control and eliminate unwanted animals. Our animal shelters are overburdened with unwanted animals. Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem.
Here are the top ten reasons to spay or neuter from the ASPCA:
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breat cancer, which is fatal in about 50% of dogs and 90% of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
- Neutering provides major health benefits for your male. Besides preventing unwanted litters. neutering your male pet prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
- Your spayed female won't go into heat. While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. Ibn an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently - sometimes all over your house.
- Your male dogs won't want to roam away from home. An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate. That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
- Your neutered malewill be much better behaved. Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
- Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Don't use that excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds. Not neutering.
- It is highly cost effective. the cost of your pet's spay or neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray.
- Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can pray on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
- Your pet does not need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth. Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children - especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
- Spay and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation. Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
Be a responsible pet owner. Spay and neuter your pets.
Live in Missouri and consider yourself an animal lover? How about a "pet friendly" license plate for your vehicle. This specialty plate is just $25 with $20 from the sale of each pet friendly license plate going into a fund that pays for spay and neuter services.
It's a really nice looking four color plate with original art work by 501creative. You can order yours here at the MoSHA web site.
In Missouri, more than 150,000 unwanted dogs and cats end up in shelters and animal-control facilities annually. Fewer than half of them are placed in new homes. Untold thousands of dogs and cats roam our communities as unwanted strays. Most strays die of hunger, dehydration, exposure or as the result of disease, abuse or serious injury. Animal advocates, for decades, have promoted sterilization as one key way to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats and put an end to the needless suffering and death of countless companion animals.
Money raised through the sales of these license place is allocated through a grant process. To qualify for a grant, the recipient must be a 501-c-3, nonprofit agency or municipal animal-control agency that offers spay and neuter services for dogs and cats in Missouri. Grant applications are reviewed by a three member panel and administerd by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
The 2010 grant recipients (from 2009 donations) include: OPSPOT and Spay Neuter in Kansas City; the Humane Society of Ray County in Richmond, MO; Seven Bells Sanctuary in Cole Camp; Friends of Animals Humane Society in Eldon; and the Humane Society of St Joseph in Buchanan County.
For more information contact The Missouri State Humane Assciation who adminsters the program.
Make plans now to attend
Rover-ultion Luv a Bully Adoption Event
Saturday, October 23, 2010
12 - 5 pm
Mill Creek Park on the Country Club Plaza
Kansas City, MO
for more info kcluvabully@yahoo.com
Adoptable bullies and other breeds of dogs * Low cost microchip clinic * Hot dog bobbing * Costume contest * BSL protest march * Prizes * Help make Kansas City no - kill by 2012
Hosted by Kansas City Dog Advocates,IncrediBulls, Wayside Waifs, No More Homeless Pets KC, Animal Haven, Spay Neuter Kansas City, Halfway Home Adoption, Furry Kids Refuge, and the Missouri Pit Bull Rescue.
Talking Dogs at For Love of a Dog is a member of the DogTime blog network and we share DogTime's goal of keeping dogs out of shelters and helping those who are in shelters find loving homes. DogTime is working with the ASPCA to create awareness around their ASPCA Guardians donations program. The ASPCA Guardians are a group of dedicated friends who make regular monthly gifts. This level of support makes it possible for the ASPCA to reach and rescue animals in need.
The ASPCA Guardians are a group of dedicated friends who make monthly gifts that provide a consistent, reliable income stream which allows the ASPCA to focus more resources on their lifesaving programs and less on fund raising.
With a donation through ASPCA Guardians you can make a real difference every single month of the year. Here's what your donation can do:
- $18 per month can help 10 animals get adopted
- $20 per month helps keep the ASPCA Disaster Response Trailers stocked.
- $36 per month allows 5 dogs and 5 cats to be spayed and neutered and receive vaccinations. In 2008 the ASPCA Mobile Clinic Program spayed and neutered over 23,220 animals - a 63% increase over 2007.
The sad reality is that an animal is abused every 10 seconds in the United States. Join the ASPCA to stop animal cruelty. Find out more about the ASPCA. To donate to the ASPCA please click here. Check out this video we received from DogTime Media
Now, here's some good news. There's a new low cost spay and neuter clinic in Springfield, MO called Saaf House. Open four days a week, Saaf House offers reasonably priced vet care for companion pets. Their web site posts prices for various procedures, vaccines and other services.
Saaf House is a project of the Springfield Animal Advocacy Foundation (SAAF), a not for profit formed in 2007 by folks from various local animal welfare agencies. They have a big goal: to make southwestern Missouri no kill by 2018. They aim to acheive that goal by reducing the number of animals coming into Animal Control, increasing adoptions, and educating the public about animal welfare issues. Saaf House is just the latest in their arsenal of solutions to the problem of homeless animals.
SAAF members include: the Animal Abuse Council, Castaway Animal Rescue Effort (CARE), Pet Connection, Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), Springfield Greene County Animal Control, Canines 'N Cats Adoption Station. Rather than taking in more animals and building more space to shelter them, these Missouri Ozarks animal organizations are implementing proactive programs that will save both money and lives.
Handcrafted pet lover bracelet teamed very earthy deep peach and charcoal Marble ovals with copper. Hand stamped copper circles are gently domed and proclaim SPAY and NEUTER. All are hand wire wrapped with copper jeweler's wire. Perfect gift for any pet lover, pet rescue volunteer or animal rescue foster mom. A stylish bracelet with an important animal welfare message; one of a kind jewelry from For Love of a Dog. Sure to fetch conversations that can save dog and cat lives.
If you can't decide between a Shepherd, a Setter, or a Poodle, get them all. Adopt a mutt. Quotation from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Starting Over Airedale Rescue (SOAR) FundraiserMay 1, 2010 in Toledo, OHSOAR is a non-profit organization, established in July, 2009, in the state of Michigan. SOAR covers 3 Midwestern states, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
They have rescued and rehomed 19 Airedale Terriers, from July thru December of 2009, every Airedale was bought up to date on their vaccinations, and received all the medical attention needed for each specific case along with being spayed/neutered. Each Airedale Terrier is then groomed, microchipped, and receives a new leash and collar before going to their new ,forever home.
Starting Over Airedale Rescue is having their very first Fund Raising Auction, May 1, 2010, in Toledo, Ohio. For more information visit the Starting Over Airdale Rescue organization on the web. Big woofs to these great volunteers!Tucker at For Love of a Dog
Mark your calendars now for Arizona Beagle Rescue's BeagleFestMarch 14, 2010 at Kiwanis Park in Tempe AZ. Last year, more than 600 people and 350 beagles attended and they raised over $7,000 for beagle rescue. Volunteers sell raffle tickets for gift baskets and the like, plus they also give prizes for contests such as Longest Ears, Last to Come When Called, and so on. Every dollar raised goes directly to pay for vet bills, shelter fees, and spay/neuter. All of the organizers are volunteers who are dedicated to saving the lives of beagles and beagle mixesArrrooo! Visit Arizona Beagle Rescue for more information.I may not be a Beagle, but I like these people! Woof! Tucker at For Love of a Dog
Nope, you didn't read that wrong. Spay and NASCAR really do go together!
You, know I love NASCAR. What can I tell you? I'm a guy and I'm from southside Virginia. And we love NASCAR. My new favorite driver is Greg Biffle. Why, you ask? Well, here's something to woof about!
Greg Biffle is not only a NASCAR stock car racing superstar, but he's also the spokesperson for SPAY/USA, a nationwide network and referral service for spay and neuter services.
He's a passionate for animals and, of course, he's already spayed and neutered his won dogs. Greg believes that by raising awareness about the prevention of unwanted litters, pet owners will follow his lead and alter their pets. That's the best way to reduce the number of shelter euthanasias. Check out his public service announcement. Did you realize that right now euthaniasia rates are about 4 million a year? Before I head out for a nap in the sunshine, I just want to remind you to spay or neuter your pets... and if you've got a dollar to two to spare, support a spay/neuter program in your area. The dogs of America will thank you!And BARK if you love NASCAR!Woof! woof!Tucker
Sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, this conference welcomes newcomers to animal protection movement, as well as experienced advocates. Taking Action for Animals will be held July 24-27 in Arlington, VA. 80 speakers, 4 tracks of workshops, vegan meals, and an exhibit hall full of experts. The HSUS says:- Find out how to end the euthanasia of millions of pets in two special workshops: How to be more effective in promoting spay and neuter and The Shelter Pet Project - a 3 year national public service campaign to encourage adoption.
- Learn the most effective tactics for getting an elected official to listen to your views and then meet with your members of Congress during Lobby Day.
- Learn how to reduce the threat of swine flu and other emerging infectious diseases and prevent a pandemic.
- Meet Ginnifer Goodwin - animal advocate and star of the hit movie "He's Just Not That Into You."
- Enjoy comedian and author Carol Leifer and singer/songwriter Nellie McKay
Register before June 20 and save $25 on registration. Book your hotel room by July 2 to receive a special group rate at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. For more information
