Neutering pets improves the quality of their lives

Neutering is one of the greatest gifts you can provide your pet, your family and your community.This routine medical procedure not only helps control pet overpopulation, but it may also prevent medical and behavioral problems from developing, allowing your pet to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.

Neutering improves your pet's health, reducing or eliminating the risk of certain cancers and other diseases. Because neutering often reduces the tendency to fight with other animals, it also protects your pet from fight-related injuries and from dangerous viruses spread through bite wounds.

Neutered animals wander less and stay closer to home. As a result, they are less likely to be lost or hit by cars. Neutering reduces or eliminates spraying (marking objects with a spray of urine), yowling, howling, escaping and other troublesome behaviors.

You won't have to deal with the mess or the inconvenience of a pet in heat (or a male pet reacting to a female in heat). You'll be saved the considerable amount of time, money, and hassle (not to mention property damage!) involved in raising litters of puppies or kittens.

Also, neutering has a direct impact on the incidence of dog bites in a community. The majority of dog bites (60-80 percent) are caused by intact male dogs. Pregnant or nursing female dogs are more likely to bite, as well. Reducing your pet's likelihood of biting or fighting may also help protect you from potential legal action.

Neutered pets are less likely to engage in behaviors that could cause problems with neighbors.
Celebrate Spay Day

The 15th annual Spay Day USA takes place Tuesday. During Spay Day, each American is encouraged to help solve this problem by sponsoring the neutering of at least one cat or dog. Each owner with an unaltered pet is asked to make an appointment to have his or her cat or dog neutered.

Since Spay Day USA's inception in 1995, participants have altered over 1 million animals, saving millions of lives and tax dollars.