PAWS: Resources and Fact Sheets

Why Spay and Neuter Your Companion Animals

What is Spay & Neuter?
A spay is the surgical removal of a female animal's reproductive organs so she cannot become pregnant. A neuter is the surgical removal of a male animal's testicles so that he cannot impregnate a female. The surgeries are performed by a veterinarian while animals are under general anesthesia so that they do not feel any pain. An animal may experience some discomfort after the surgery, but most veterinarians will provide medication to help ease the soreness. When someone says an animal is "fixed" or "altered" that means the animal has been spayed or neutered.

PAWS spays and neuters every animal adopted from our shelter, even those as young at eight-weeks-old. We also recommend that people have their pets altered as soon as possible. Animals, especially cats, can get pregnant as early as five-months-old. For more questions about the procedure, and when to have your animal spayed or neutered, speak with your veterinarian.

View a list of low-cost clinics in the Puget Sound region

Learn more about Spay Day

Benefits for Your Pet--and for You
Your companion will live a longer, healthier life and you will experience fewer headaches if you get him or her fixed.

Spaying and neutering lowers the odds of breast cancer and dangerous uterine infections in females and prostate problems and testicular cancer in males.
Un-neutered pets may be anxious because they have no outlet for their natural urges. Neutering eliminates this frustration and makes your companion less distracted, more easily trained, and a more contented member of your family.
By reducing the animal's urge to roam in search of a mate, the surgery decreases the chances that your pet will become lost, get into fights with other animals or be hit by a car.
Spayed females will not have the messy heat cycles nor attract unwanted males.
Animals who are spayed or neutered are three times less likely to bite. However, your pet will still be protective of his home and family even after being altered. Aggression is different from protectiveness.
Altered animals are less likely to spray, wail, mark territory, or make inappropriate sexual approaches toward people or objects.
Many communities offer lower licensing fees and other benefits for spayed or neutered companion animals.
You will save money by not having to pay for food or veterinary care for an unexpected litter of puppies or kittens.

It's a Lifesaver
Every year more than 150,000 dogs and cats end up homeless in Washington State shelters. Some are saved from the streets, some are given up by their families, and others are rescued from cruelty. Countless others never make it to shelters and suffer without someone to care for them. Spaying or neutering pets prevents animals from being born accidentally, and is an effective and humane way to save animals' lives.

Benefits for Your Community

Stray animals get into garbage cans, scare people, cause car accidents and cause property damage.
Irresponsible or accidental breeding contributes to dog attacks and bites.
Some stray animals kill or injure wildlife.
Communities spend millions of dollars every year to provide care for unwanted, abandoned and neglected animals. Spaying and neutering more animals leads to fewer taxes spent on caring for homeless animals.

The Truth About Spaying and Neutering
Myth: "My pet will become fat."
Truth: Too much food and not enough exercise makes animals fat, just like it does for people. If you monitor food intake and provide exercise, your pets will stay trim.

Myth: "He's a purebred with papers and so he can't be fixed."
Truth: One-fourth of dogs in shelters are purebreds. Purebreds and their pure- and mixed-breed offspring also suffer from pet overpopulation—and contribute to it.

Myth: "I will find good homes for all of the kittens (or puppies)."
Truth: That may be the case, but if each of the eight great homes ready to welcome your pet's offspring would instead adopt from a shelter, they—and you—could provide loving homes for and potentially save the lives of eight deserving animals waiting for a new home in a shelter.

Myth: "My pet is so special, I want another pet just like her."
Truth: There is no guarantee that your pet's offspring will be just like her. Even professional, experienced breeders can't be sure that puppies and kittens will inherit the parents' best qualities. In fact, they may just as easily inherit the worst qualities.

What is the cost?
The cost of a spay or neuter surgery depends on the weight, age and gender of your pet, whether or not your pet requires vaccinations and a number of other variables. It is important to remember, however, that it is a small, one-time cost compared to the numerous benefits it provides, and the number of unwanted issues that it will help you and your pet avoid.

Resources for Low-cost Spay and Neuter
There are a number of low-cost clinics in the Puget Sound area that can help. Every February PAWS organizes a community-wide Spay Day where a number of other veterinary clinics lower their fees in order to help get more animals spayed and neutered. Seasonally, PAWS also offers low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for animals of low-income individuals. Call or visit PAWS' website for details.

Learn more at:
Pets911.org
SpayUSA.org or 800.248.SPAY
HumaneSociety.org

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