Spay/Neuter Outreach Isn't Reaching Far Enough

PetSmart Charities recently funded a study of 3,000 adults -- 1,000 of whom had acquired a pet within the last year -- on their attitudes about pet adoption, overpopulation, and sterilization. The result: we have a lot of work to do.

It's disappointing, but no surprise, that a large number of pets aren't spayed and neutered; 48 percent of unsterilized pets acquired in the last year still haven't had the surgery. What's worse is that of the 13 percent of dog owners and 19 percent of cat owners that had litters, more than half were accidental. Yet, when asked about pet overpopulation, only 39 percent of respondents between the ages of 18-34 thought unwanted litters were a significant contributor to the problem. (This makes me wonder if sex education needs a boost, too.)

Only 24 percent of respondents have adopted a dog or cat. That's far too close to the number that are contributing to the problem ... and if you do the math with the average litter size, it's easy to see why so many animals are euthanized each year.

Why aren't pets being spayed and neutered? The top reasons were 1) pet is too young, 2) surgery is too expensive, 3) haven't gotten around to it, and 4) wasn't necessary because pets are confined.

What this means is that 1) young pets are getting pregnant, 2) people are winding up with the expense of caring for an entire litter, 3) they have even less time for basic pet care with kittens/puppies around, and 4) obviously pets get out (or strays get in).

(The age excuse is based on the lingering belief that pets shouldn't be spayed or neutered until they're at least 6 months old. However, those practicing shelter medicine have proven that dogs and cats can be safely sterilized as young as 6-8 weeks old.)

Apparently euthanasia is still a well-kept secret. 62 percent of the 18-34 year-olds and 47 percent of those 55 and over estimated that fewer than 1 million animals are euthanized annually; a full 28 percent put the number at 100,000 or less. The real number? 6-8 million animals each year. Six figures might seem like a big enough number to have some impact, but it's not very many in the grand scheme of things (i.e. the estimated 77.5 million dogs and 93.6 million cats in American homes). There's nothing insignificant about millions of deaths.

These numbers need to change. Start by educating everyone you know about why they should choose not to breed. For those concerned about cost, there are low-cost clinics and resources to make it more affordable. Spay Day USA is coming up at the end of February, with low-cost and educational events happening around the country.

Just when you think everyone you know is up to speed on the importance of adoption and spaying and neutering, remember this survey. Awareness is the key to ending unnecessary euthanasia, and we can't just rely on the major organizations to make it happen. There are a lot of great programs out there, but word-of-mouth is still the strongest campaign tool.

Photo credit: ncfc0721