Is your pet fixed? All of mine are!
I have seen many a male dog owner refuse to have their male dog neutered believing it will make their dog “less male.” Owners of female dogs will tell you it is unnecessary to have their dog fixed because “we don’t let unfixed males anywhere near her.” When it comes to excuses for why a pet is not fixed I have heard them all!
Let’s look at some of the excuses I have been handed over the years and dispel the myths.
1.) We can’t afford to spend that much money on the dog.
Okay, I have a couple of problems with this one:
A) Low cost spay and neuter clinics exist in just about every community these days, and while there may be a bit of a wait to get your pet into surgery, the cost is far below what the average vet will charge you for the same surgery.
B) What the hell do you mean you can’t afford it? Spay and neuter surgery is an expense that should be factored into the decision to bring an animal into your home. It is part of the cost of properly maintaining your animals health.
2.) Our dog never leaves the house without us, and we don’t let male dogs anywhere near her!
Again, I have a couple of problems with this one as well:
A) So what you are saying is you will never leave your dog out in the yard alone even for a minute? Your dog will NEVER accidentally escape your yard? A stray dog will NEVER accidentally enter your yard? You are leaving an awful lot to chance don’t you think?
B) Are you aware that dogs who are spayed/neutered stand less chance of developing reproductive cancers? Avoiding unwanted pregnancy is NOT the only reason to have your dog fixed.
3) We want her to have a litter before we have her fixed so she doesn’t lose her protective instincts and our children can see the miracle of birth.
A) The idea that female dogs must have a litter before being fixed or will lose their protective instincts is a myth. It has no basis in medical fact. There is little to no change in personality or instincts when a dog is fixed.
B) If you want to show your children the miracle of birth rent a DVD. Have you given a single thought to what will happen to the puppies from the litter you bred as an educational moment for your kids? Where will they go? Can you guarantee they will all have great homes for life?
4) Our dog is male there is no danger he will have puppies so fixing him is not necessary.
A) What about your neighbors unfixed female? What happens when Fido escapes the yard to get to her because she is in heat? Not your problem you say? Then you have no business owning a dog!
B) What about the fact that having your dog fixed could prolong his life? Animals that have been spayed or neutered stand less chance of developing reproductive cancers.
5) It is against our religion.
A) I am all for religious freedom, but this is ridiculous! Your dog does not believe in your religious beliefs. Refusing to have him/her spayed or neutered because of what YOUR church tells you is acceptable for human believers is a little nuts in my humble opinion. (Yeah, I know I will probably catch flack for that one but whatever!)
B) I am pretty sure God doesn’t want your dog producing litter after litter in his honor.
These are just a few of the regular excuses people trot out for not having their pets fixed, there are many more. My point here is this, if you are going to call yourself a responsible dog owner, then take the responsibility for seeing that your dog is not adding to the pet overpopulation problem by having them spayed or neutered.
Yes, your pet’s offspring could be shelter animals
People believe that their pet’s puppies or kittens will never become homeless shelter animals. But the reality is that every time the dog finds his way under the fence to visit the neighbor’s female dog, or the indoor/outdoor cat comes back home pregnant again, the result is a litter of dogs or cats. Even if they are placed into homes, it is still possible for them to end up in shelters once they become “hard to handle,” or for them to reproduce further and for the next generation of puppies or kittens to wind up homeless.
Let’s avoid that unhappy circumstance by having our pets spayed or neutered. It’s healthier for everyone involved!
Until Next Time Remember,
A Spayed/Neutered pet is a happy pet!
Everydogsmom
Everything Worth Knowing... 
I have never seen low cost spay or neuter clinics in Ottawa, but, I could be wrong. I saved the money and had to wait a bit longer than I wanted to, but Bella is spayed and Rusty is neutered. They are indoor cats who don’t go out. but who the heck knows ? I am not taking a chance should they manage to get out one day…..AND I don’t want the whole house full of male “spray” thank you very much and I don’t want Bella keeping me up all night when she is “in heat” and meowling all the time, plus I couldn’t stand it, to me it sounded like she was in pain….If and when I ever get a dog, it will most likely already be spayed or neutered, but if not, I will do it, make no bones about it, lol.