What is the real size of the problem anyway, it can't make that much of a difference, can it?

• One dog and her puppies, in just six years, can produce 67,000 puppies.
• In the United States, every day, 70,000 (or more) puppies and kittens are born. Just 10,000 humans are born each day.
• More than 11 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year.  Millions more are abandoned in rural and urban areas.
• As many as 25% of dogs entering shelters each year are purebreds, including Scottish Terriers
• Approximately 61% of all dogs and 75% of all cats entering shelters are destroyed.
• The number of animal shelters in the United States: Between 4 and 6 thousand (HSUS estimate)
• Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2
• Average number of animals in an average canine litter: 6-10
• In the United States it is estimated that an animal is euthanized every 1.5 seconds (In the time it took you to read this far, about 10 animals have been killed)

Isn't it best for my pet to be well adjusted by letting her have one litter before she is altered? No.  Having a litter doesn't make your pet more well adjusted.  Proper training and upbringing does that.  Spaying and neutering pets before they are bred, and especially females before they have their first heat cycle, greatly reduces the risks of some cancers and helps your pet to live a longer, healthier life.  Four to six million dogs and cats are euthanized every year in the United States, and most of those where products of "just one litter".

Won't my pets become fat and lazy after they are altered? The greatest factor in pets becoming fat and lazy is overfeeding and under-activity.  A sensible diet with little or no "people food" or "table scraps" and a reasonable amount of exercise are the surest ways to keep  your pets slim, trim and healthy.   And if you MUST give your pets treats and tidbits, try a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Keep experimenting until you find something that your pet likes, its a healthy snack and good for them too.

Isn't spaying or neutering expensive? Not really.  Compare the one time cost of a spay or neuter operation ($50-150 approximately, based on the size of the animal) to the mounting costs of frequent veterinary trips because of bite wounds from fighting, injuries from roaming, and sometimes even the cost of birthing the puppies or kittens and shots and food for them before homes can be found.  The costs adds up in a hurry.  And now, low cost spay and neuter programs are being implemented across the country, so no one has an excuse not to alter their pets anymore.

Won't the surgery be painful for my pet? Modern veterinary procedures and anesthetics offer no pain during surgery and only moderate discomfort afterwards.  Your pet will be up and about after 24 hours, and will resume completely normal activity in about 48 hours.  Most animals recover and heal much faster than people do.

Since my male can't have puppies, it isn't necessary to have him altered is it? Yes.  It takes both male and female animals to produce a litter, and truthfully, it is just as important to neuter males, since they can father litters every day of the year, and sometimes father many litters per day.  While females only are fertile about twice a year.  Males can roam and father many litters if left unaltered.

How early can I have my pet spayed or neutered? Modern veterinary medicine in cooperation with humane and animal interest groups are now offering spays and neuters to pets as early as 6 weeks of age.  Most studies have concluded so far that there are no ill or developmental effects from this early procedure.  And in fact some owners adopting pets from shelters (small puppies and kittens) are now able to adopt altered animals and not have to worry about the procedure at all.  If you don't have access to early spay and neuter programs, around 6 months of age, depending on the size of the animal and the breed, is adequate to have them altered.  Again, if possible females should be altered prior to their first heat cycle.

But what if we want another pet just like the one we have now? Contact your breeder and ask for a puppy from either the same breeding that produced your dog, or a breeding very similar.  If you adopted your pet from a shelter, chances are with the millions of homeless animals out there, you can find something that is very much like the dog you have now.  Or even find one that you like better *grin* (And you'd also be helping save a life!)

Won't my pets personality change? If anything, your pets personality will change for the better.  Females are more docile, and affectionate, and males are less likely to be aggressive or want to roam.  Any way you look at it, the benefits of a longer healthier life and a more positive personality are a  win-win situation for both you and the dog.

What if I want my children to experience the miracle of birth? With all the cable television on TV today, somewhere, sometime you can find a show about a lion, tiger, hippo or something giving birth.  But its not real you say? Fine.  Contact your breeder, or your veterinarian and ask if they are expecting any litters anytime soon, and arrange to have it video taped or to attend it in person.  And while you are educating about life, take time to take a trip to your local shelter and educate your children about the death of millions of unwanted pets as well.  Where there is life, there is death, and its certainly a fact that we all have to deal with.

Isn't it true that we can make money by selling the litters? No.  Most reputable breeders are lucky if they break even, let alone go in the hole with each litter.  Responsible breeders take the time to have their pets tested for all types of diseases before breeding.  They research pedigrees to make sure that there are no health problems that will occur in the offspring.  They spend money to feed and supplement the mother during the pregnancy, as well as frequent check-ups to make sure all is going well.  After the babies are born, they need to have shots, one or two wormings as well as a nutritious diet while they are growing.  And all that is assuming that there were no problems with the pregnancy, birth, or no sick offspring that required extra medical attention.  Anyway you look at it, you're going to be loosing money.

But my pet is a purebred, and he/she has papers that means they are breeding quality, right? WRONG! This quote was taken from the AKC website :

"There is a widely held belief that "AKC" or "AKC papers" and quality are one and the same. This is not the case. AKC is a registry body. A registration certificate identifies the dog as the offspring of a known sire and dam, born on a known date. It in no way indicates the quality or state of health of the dog. Quality in the sense of "show quality" is determined by many factors including the dog's health, physical condition, ability to move and appearance. Breeders breeding show stock are trying to produce animals that closely resemble the description of perfection described in the breed standard. Many people breed their dogs with no concern for the qualitative demands of the breed standard. When this occurs repeatedly over several generations, the animals, while still pure-bred, can be of extremely low quality."