2008 Woodie Awards
Spaying or neutering pets reduces the number of animals left homeless in shelters
Abby Millsaps
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Student Life
Spaying and neutering pets can help reduce the number of animals that end up in shelters and are ultimately euthanized.
In the United States, four million cats and dogs each year are euthanized because of overpopulation in humane societies, shelters and pounds, according to the American Humane Association.
There are different forms of euthanasia. In more modern shelters, animals are injected with an overdose of an anesthetic that leads to a quick death, according to the American Humane Society. In Stark County, the dog pound uses injection.
In more rural areas, including Ohio and Kentucky, gas chambers are utilized. According to Christina Weyrick-Cooper, a Stark County dog pound volunteer, "Gas chambers are a really miserable way to die."
After euthanization, the animal carcasses are often thrown into a freezer until they are hauled away in mass.
Euthanization occurs when either an animal's pre-determined time in the shelter expires, or when a shelter reaches full capacity. The Stark County dog pound "only euthanizes when there are not enough cages," according to Weyrick-Cooper. "We all start to panic when we are down to one cage."
Spaying and neutering pets can significantly reduce euthanasia rates, according to Richard Allen, a doctor of veterinary medicine, because it decreases the number of puppies and kittens on the streets.
"The surgery to fix them is relatively painless," Allen said, "and they bounce back happy and healthy." Pets can undergo the procedure as early as eight weeks old, and younger animals often have the shortest recovery times. Allen also added that "pets who have been fixed suffer from fewer long-term health and behavior problems."
Janet Tobiassen, also a doctor of veterinary medicine, differentiates between spay/neuter procedures. Spay refers to the surgical operation that is performed on female cats and dogs, leaving the animal incapable of producing offspring. Neuter refers to the surgical procedure performed on male cats and dogs, also resulting in infertility.
The Best Friends Animal Society is an animal sanctuary that has a "no-kill" policy toward all creatures. In order to help them uphold this policy, there are specific things that every pet owner should do.
Best Friends advises pet owners to spay or neuter all pets and any outdoor cats they are feeding. The organization's Web site, www.bestfriends.org, said that "when we spay and neuter our pets, we bring a halt to the endless cycle of animals being born who end up as homeless pets at shelters."
Best Friends also suggests people encourage and help friends and family members to get their pets fixed. There are fees for spaying and neutering, as with any medical procedure, but there are also options for reduced rates. To find low-cost spay/neuter services people should call SPAY/USA at 1-800-248-SPAY or visit http://www.pets911.com.
In the United States, four million cats and dogs each year are euthanized because of overpopulation in humane societies, shelters and pounds, according to the American Humane Association.
There are different forms of euthanasia. In more modern shelters, animals are injected with an overdose of an anesthetic that leads to a quick death, according to the American Humane Society. In Stark County, the dog pound uses injection.
In more rural areas, including Ohio and Kentucky, gas chambers are utilized. According to Christina Weyrick-Cooper, a Stark County dog pound volunteer, "Gas chambers are a really miserable way to die."
After euthanization, the animal carcasses are often thrown into a freezer until they are hauled away in mass.
Euthanization occurs when either an animal's pre-determined time in the shelter expires, or when a shelter reaches full capacity. The Stark County dog pound "only euthanizes when there are not enough cages," according to Weyrick-Cooper. "We all start to panic when we are down to one cage."
Spaying and neutering pets can significantly reduce euthanasia rates, according to Richard Allen, a doctor of veterinary medicine, because it decreases the number of puppies and kittens on the streets.
"The surgery to fix them is relatively painless," Allen said, "and they bounce back happy and healthy." Pets can undergo the procedure as early as eight weeks old, and younger animals often have the shortest recovery times. Allen also added that "pets who have been fixed suffer from fewer long-term health and behavior problems."
Janet Tobiassen, also a doctor of veterinary medicine, differentiates between spay/neuter procedures. Spay refers to the surgical operation that is performed on female cats and dogs, leaving the animal incapable of producing offspring. Neuter refers to the surgical procedure performed on male cats and dogs, also resulting in infertility.
The Best Friends Animal Society is an animal sanctuary that has a "no-kill" policy toward all creatures. In order to help them uphold this policy, there are specific things that every pet owner should do.
Best Friends advises pet owners to spay or neuter all pets and any outdoor cats they are feeding. The organization's Web site, www.bestfriends.org, said that "when we spay and neuter our pets, we bring a halt to the endless cycle of animals being born who end up as homeless pets at shelters."
Best Friends also suggests people encourage and help friends and family members to get their pets fixed. There are fees for spaying and neutering, as with any medical procedure, but there are also options for reduced rates. To find low-cost spay/neuter services people should call SPAY/USA at 1-800-248-SPAY or visit http://www.pets911.com.
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