Spay Awareness Month on February, 2025: spaying dogs at a young age?

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spaying dogs at a young age?

I wouldn't personally spay or neuter a dog that early. I am responsible enough to keep a dog from becoming pregnant or getting another dog pregnant (heck, I've had an unaltered male and female together for years) so if I did plan to spay/neuter, I would wait.

With cats? Absolutely I would do it at 8 weeks. I wouldn't live with an unaltered cat -period- and don't intend to risk waiting for a heat cycle or the male to mature and start to mark.

I understand what shelters are trying to do with the early spay/neuter, and I respect that. Fortunately the two dogs I've adopted I was able to wait until they were 6 months old to have them done - which I did, promptly.

ADD: Oh, don't worry - I understand entirely where you and the shelters come from. My Lab mix is spayed, and has been since six months, but even my own family is constantly saying she should have been bred and would be a good mother - even despite her awful hips. Would she have been a good mother? Probably - she loves pups and is very "motherly" and she has a really great temperament - but that alone is no reason to bring 5-10 puppies into the world. I realize that, few people do, but at least I can keep my family under wraps :)

Spaying and Nutering...is it really that bad?

Spaying and Nutering...is it really that bad?

All my pets, whether dogs or cats, males or females, have all been fixed by 6 months of age! It should be a law! My pets have all been happy, healthy, well-adjusted animals.

I think there are a few different reasons these morons do not alter their animals.

One: They're stupid! The most infuriating thing I've ever heard is someone too stupid to get the facts say, "A dog needs to breed to feel complete." Puh-leeze! My guess is that person isn't getting any herself! Dogs breed by instinct only. They don't have emotions connected to the act like humans do.

Getting your pet fixed makes more sense. Anyone who has ever lived with a pet in heat will testify to that! It's healthier for the animal. It's less likely to run away and get lost or have an accident, less likely to get in fights with other animals, and it totally eliminates the risk of certain cancers of the reproductive organs. It's calmer, more affectionate, and less aggressive.

Reason number two: Laziness. People are too lazy to get the facts, or think they know everything. They figure if the dumb dog gets knocked up, they can just dump the pups off at the shelter (or God knows where!), and let somebody else deal with them. Then there are owners of male dogs that think it's not their problem at all! They have a male, their dog isn't getting pregnant, let the owners of the females get their dogs spayed if they don't want a litter of puppies running around. It's not their fault if their dog jumps the neighbor's fence!

Reason number 3: Too Cheap! These are people who really shouldn't have a pet at all! They are too cheap to get their pet fixed. They are the same people who won't take the animal in for regular check-ups or vaccinations, many won't even go to the vet when the animal is obviously very sick.

Never mind there are low and even no-cost neutering programs virtually everywhere!

Reason number 4: The worst of the worst : Greed! These are the people who think their dog is an ATM, spitting out puppies that can be converted into cash! As far as I'm concerned, they should all be lined up and shot! Especially the truly ignorant of the bunch, who get a mixed breed or low-quality purebred and breed it to another non-descript mixed or low-quality purebred, and expect people to line up to buy the pups! I would like to see laws passed to stop non-discriminant breeding by people who have no clue what they are doing!

I dream of running for office! My platform will be animal rights. I will pass laws that make it a crime to own an unaltered or unvaccinated pet. I will enforce leash laws and the licensing of pets. There will be stiff fines for people who let animals run loose, and jail time if the loose animals happen to be large, potentially dangerous dogs! People who break these laws will have to attend a pet-owner's awareness class. Breeding will only be allowed by licensed breeders.

Most importantly, I will nip the problem in the bud. I will have shelter workers talk to elementary school classes, to teach children to be responsible pet owners. I intend to raise a generation of kids who will know the importance of spaying/neutering and properly caring for their pets. If we start by teaching the kids, they will grow up knowing the facts, and hopefully will make the right decisions regarding their own pets. Eventually I would like to see the shelters close due to lack of need for them. That is my dream!

Cat gone for 2 months, will she ever return?

Cat gone for 2 months, will she ever return?

Two months is a long time for a cat to be gone, but there is always hope. I would post some signs with her picture on it. You could also check the found pet section in your local newspaper from around the time she went missing.

Holidays also on this date Saturday, February 1, 2025...