Why
You Should Care
Simply
stated, pet overpopulation means that there are more
dogs and
cats than available, permanent homes.
But
how many of you have ever taken the time to consider what this
truly means.
According to the Humane Society of the United
States, every year between six (6) and eight (8) million dogs and cats enter
U.S. shelters and approximately three (3) to four (4) million of these animals
are ultimately killed. And this doesn’t take into account the untold
number of feral (untamed outdoor) cats and stray dogs that never see the inside
of a
shelter. |
 We
really have no idea how many homeless animals are roaming the
streets lost, hungry, injured and scared. There is no exact
answer because statistics, by definition, are merely estimates.
But
numbers are meaningless when you are talking life or death.
One life, avoidably and senselessly lost, is as unacceptable
as ten,
or a hundred or a thousand.
So why should you care? You should care because pet overpopulation
is a community problem. It will take each and every one of us to stop the death
and destruction caused by too many animals. As individuals, we all need to
make sure that our own pets are sterilized, and that we educate
our family and friends
to do the same. As a community, we must promote and support programs aimed
at reducing uncontrolled breeding. |
With
the billions of dollars spent on pets each year, it appears
that as a nation we truly do love animals. We are entertained
by them, we are comforted by them, we consider them our friends
and, we even learn from them. Yet, with very little thought
we see no problem in destroying thousands each hour rather
than face our responsibility to protect them.
To government agencies, “animal control” means
catching, housing and killing the unwanted dogs and cats in their city. The average
cost for this service is well over $100 per animal. Using the HSUS statistic
of at least six (6) million animals entering U.S. shelters each year, this means
that such destruction is, at the very least, a $600,000,000 (600 million dollar)
annual burden on all of us as taxpayers! It clearly stands to reason, then, that
stopping pet overpopulation saves both lives and dollars.
We know from our experience, (Actors and Others for Animals
has been in existence since 1971), that the only solution is to stop unrestrained
breeding through sterilization. At Actors and Others for Animals – with
the generous assistance and understanding of concerned supporters – we
are working to curb this too often ignored public crisis one day at a time, one
animal at a time.
Why should YOU care? Because as the great teacher and
humanitarian Albert Schweitzer recognized long ago “Man can no longer live
for himself alone. We must realize that all life is valuable and that we are
united to all life.”
THE
BENEFITS OF SPAY/NEUTER
There
are many benefits to sterilize your companion animal.
It
is Good for the Community
A
spayed/neutered animal will never add to the overpopulation
problem, saving the destruction of innocent lives and millions
of tax dollars.
It
is Good for Your Pet
Sterilized
pets typically live longer and healthier lives. For a female,
spaying (removing the ovaries and uterus) eliminates the risk
of uterine and ovarian cancer and significantly reduces the
odds of developing breast cancer. In addition, it eliminates
pyrometra, a very serious infection of the uterus.
Neutering (removing the testicles) in males, eliminates
testicular cancer.
In addition, spayed females never experience “heat” periods.
Neutered male dogs and cats are less likely to roam or get into fights or spray.
It
is Good For You
Guardians
of spayed or neutered dogs pay a much lower dog license fee
each year. In the City of Los Angeles, a sterilized dog license
is only $10, while an unaltered license is $100. Many other
cities offer a license fee differential if you have taken the
responsible step to have your pet sterilized.
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