Should all cats and dogs be spayed and neutered if they are not being used for breeding purposes?

Question

What is your opinon?

Answer 1

Definately.
There are toooooooooooo many homeless animals on the streets.

Answer 2

I think all cats and dogs that are NOT an above average specimen of the breed and who have NOT passed the health check required for the breed should be altered!!!!!!
There needs to be more thought put into breeding than most people are doing. All "breeders" should be required to take back ANY AND ALL animals that they have produced should the owners not be able to care for them any longer. That would solve the shelter issue and make breeders screen homes better!!!!!!

Mr Lavos is a total dork. Who "ties" a females genitals???? That is not even done!!!! And a dog that has had a OVH will expect a longer life than an intact female. Everyone knows that.
Have a clue as to what you are talking about before you give crappy advice!!!!!!

Answer 3

YES! And 95% of dogs who are being used for "breeding purposes"--meaning people who have a family pet who they decide to breed just for cute puppies or for greed--should also be fixed.

I don't know how many times I have to type this: There are so many homeless animals in this country that 6 are put to sleep EVERY MINUTE of EVERY DAY, 365 days a year. While you've been reading this, 6 homeless pets just died. Why? Because more pets are born than can find homes. And how does that happen? Well, gosh, I don't know, maybe it's because we, humans, allow it to happen by not fixing our pets.

What can be done?

Spay and neuter your own pets. Unless you are an experienced, responsible, registered breeder who does health checks, genetic tests and pedigree checks, your animal has no business reproducing when there are so many homeless animals waiting to die in shelters.

Do not ever ever ever ever buy a cat or dog from a pet store, out of a newspaper or off of the internet. If you must buy a pure-bred animal, go to a dog show and meet breeders there. All dogs sold at pet stores and most sold in the newspaper or internet come from either Puppy Mills (think concentration camp for dogs) or backyard breeders (idiots who think that just because they have a boy dog and a girl dog that they didnt' fix, that makes them "Dog Breeders"). If you want a mixed breed dog, or if you want a pure-bred dog but don't plan on showing it and therefor don't need papers, go to a shelter or pound and rescue a homeless animal. One in four dogs currently in shelters is pure-bred. If you buy from a puppy mill or backyard breeder, you are supporting their business. Yes, the puppies are very cute, but if you buy one, you have just lined the pockets of a very very bad person and allowed him or her to continue torturing animals and contributing to pet overpopulation.

Be as loud and obnoxious as you want to be about telling people the truth about pet overpopulation. The lives of living creatures are at stake. So someone is offended? Big whoop when dogs and cats are dying in terrifying numbers.

And another 6 homeless pets just died as you finished reading this.

Answer 4

That is a personal choice. Since I am sure everyone will tell you all the reasons to S/N (and there are good reasons to), I will tell you a reason not to. Altered dogs have a 30%higher chance of getting bone cancer, the most prevelant cancer in dogs.

The overpopulation problem isn't so much about S/N as it is about responsible ownership. I have had numerous dogs for 30 years, and I have friends/family with numerous dogs. NEVER an accidental breeding with any of us. It is called responsible ownership. If you are like most the irresponsible, clueless people on this list who are asking questions like "how do I get my dogs to mate" or "why are my dogs stuck together", then for crying out loud, GET YOUR DOGS FIXED, you are not able to handle them!

But there are actually SOME people out there who are responsible owners and know how to handle stud dogs and bitches in season. It is not that difficult but I am astonished at how many people struggle with it here. I am not directing this at you, but the general population on this board.

Answer 5

It depends. I would recommend spaying females just because of the mess factor of heat, if nothing else. If you have a male dog that lives in the house or a secured, fenced in yard and won't escape or get visitors, no. Abstinence is a 100% perfect form of birth control for dogs too ;)

Answer 6

Its generally a good idea. Aside from preventing a whole slew of hormone and genital-related diseases and disorders, it tends to lenghten the animal's life span, with the exception of some female animals. Females usually live longer with their junk intact, but that's only if they don't die from infections or other problems that arise. Its best to neuter the males and have the female's genitals tied, which is a little bit more expensive, but its up to you. Aside from all that, you can get into a lot of trouble if your "equipped" pet gets a neighbor's pet knocked up.

Answer 7

Yes, absolutely. There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering and IMHO it is a hallmark of responsible pet ownership to not breed animals that you are unable/unwilling to care for.

Answer 8

yes! Please yes!

In the United States alone, more than 50,000 puppies and kittens are born each day. Millions of these animals enter America's animal shelters and 30 to 60 percent of them have to be destroyed each year - that is 4 to 6 million animals!

Why? Because people don't spay or neuter their pets. This leads to animals being born to die because no one wants them.

Answer 9

Absolutely! Animals that aren't spayed or neutered can get some serious illnesses in their old age. It's best if you aren't planning on breeding them!

Answer 10

Yes

Answer 11

If you do not want to have the responsibility of taking car of the puppies or kittens and if you do not think you could handle it or if you think you wont be able to find them homes after then definitely. Puppies and kittens are a lot of work! Keep that in mind.