Spay and neuter! Stop the killing!
It is clearly the morally higher choice to spay and neuter before more puppies and kittens are conceived rather than euthanize millions of healthy young dogs and cats after they are born.
With adequate funding it is (we optimistically believe) clearly within the power of our society to put an end to the overpopulation problem of companion animals (dogs and cats) in one fell swoop by way of a massive spay and neuter campaign designed to change the mindset of the millions who do not yet realize there is an overpopulation problem.
The war on unplanned dog and cat pregnancies can end almost immediately if WE, collectively, decide to make it end! (If we don't, it won't.)
Straydog's Proposed Plan of Action:
- FIRST: We must educate the millions and millions of Americans who are still unaware that there IS an overpopulation problem. With Internet, newspaper, radio and television coverage of the war on unplanned dog and cat pregnancies we must massively bombard the unaware portion of the public, and we must keep up a massive media campaign until we finally DO make everyone aware of how dire the situation is for homeless dogs and cats and how simple the solution can and will be.
- SECOND: Once everyone has been made aware of the severity of the overpopulation problem, we must, as a society, make free spaying or neutering available throughout the country (and ultimately throughout the world)--just as we make FREE fire protection available to all.
- THIRD: With a drastic reduction in puppy and kitten births, the population of animal shelters will diminish rapidly. A solid plan must then be implemented to maintain stabilization of the population of dogs and cats at a low enough level to ensure no more homeless, no more killing.
NOTE: Although we refer to the following as "some positive news," please let us never forget that if even one dog or cat is killed because of being homeless, that's one too many!
Here's some positive news we just received via email 1/17/01:
SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAMS PAY OFF--EUTHANASIA RATES DOWN IN TEXAS
According to a survey conducted by the Houston-based Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), the number of animals euthanized at Texas shelters has dropped by 16 percent over the last three years. And during the same period from 1997 to 1999, the number of animals admitted to major Houston, Dallas and San Antonio shelters decreased by 23,921--about 11 percent. The success is largely attributed to state-subsidized spay/neuter programs. As reported by the Texas cities surveyed, 50,554 dogs and cats were sterilized in 1999, compared to only 23,823 in 1997--a whopping 112 percent increase. Kudos to groups like SNAP, which operates four mobile spay/neuter clinics, for their caring and commitment. Keep up the great work!
source: ASPCA