I hear many people say that they can't help. I want them all to know that it just isn't true. There are so many ways to help:
1) Donate- have a few dollars to spare? That's all it takes. A few dollars from a few people... well, that can add up to quite a lot of money in a short amount of time. Also never forget that donations are tax deductible! I find it more helpful (and more personally rewarding) to donate to smaller rescues who are struggling with the more honest side of animal rescue, as opposed to larger corporations who may be using the money in many other ways besides giving it all to the animals.
2) Foster- Aren't sure if you're ready for the commitment of a pet? Fosters are temporary homes for shelter/homeless pets until their forever homes can be found. Check with rescues and shelters in your area because the best ones will match you with an appropriate foster, provide you with food, pay for all vetting, and handle finding the animal a home. You just have to make room for it in your home, your heart, and sometimes (ok, it's all the time for me)in your bed at night. Yes, even the 50 lb newcomer. I'm going to need a king sized bed if I keep this up!
3) Volunteer- Volunteer with a rescue at adoption events or in the office. Volunteer with a shelter to walk shelter pets or take photos for social media/adoption events.
4) Spay and Neuter- Sure, you think your dog is cute. Wouldn't its puppies be cute, too? Yes, of course they would. Puppies are always cute. But not spaying and neutering your pets is not only irresponsible and taking away from the life of your pet, but you are personally contributing the amazing shelter problem we are facing in our country right now. Say you breed your dog. It has 6 puppies. They all get homes. You have just, all by yourself, led to the untimely euthanasia (or god forbid gas chamber death) of 6 other puppies that were in your local animal shelter. Think about it. It makes sense. The world does NOT need more puppies, let alone puppies from someone who is breeding for not only the WRONG reasons, but really for no reason at all.
If you cannot afford to get your pet fixed, please research low cost options in your area. San Diego has SNAP, the Spay Neuter Action Project. Many communities have similar organizations. Find a veterinarian that will agree to bill you and allow you to make payments over time for the spay or neuter of your pet. Many are understanding and would rather wait for the money than have the pet leave unfixed.
Please read the following for information on spaying and neutering your pet (source: SNAP-SanDiego.Org)- please visit their site for more in depth information on the following:
Common Myths:
a) "I love my pet so much, I want another one just like her"- Your pet's offspring won't be exactly like it's mother or father.
b) "A female cat of dog should have one litter before she is fixed"- There is NO REASON why a female cat or dog should have a little before she is fixed.
c) "A neutered dog won't make a good watchdog"- Aggressiveness is not the same as protectiveness.
d) "My pet will become fat and lazy"- Pets become fat and lazy if they get too much food and not enough exercise.
e) "kittens and puppies are so cute, it will be easy to find homes for them"- In six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies, and in seven years one cat can be the source of 420,000 kittens. But even if your pet does have "just one litter", it won't be easy finding good homes for all of them. Every year hundreds of kittens and puppies die in shelters just in San Diego. Most of them are perfectly healthy and cute.
f) "I don't want my male animal to feel like less of a male"- Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego.
g) "My animal is purebred, so breeding won't contribute to the problem"- A large number of animals killed at shelters and pounds are purebreds.
Improved Behavior:
a) Neutering reduces the desire to breed, and that has a calming effect on many animals.
b) Sterilization eliminates sexual frustration and related behaviors.
c) A female dog in heat will attract every male dog in the vicinity.
d) Neutered dogs and cats are less likely to roam (in search of a mate). This means they are less likely to get lost or hit by cars.
e) A sterilized pet is friendlier with other pets and is less likely to bite unprovoked.
f) FACT: Unneutered dogs cause nearly 100% of serious bites and nearly 60% of those bites involved children.
Health Benefits:
a) spaying your female pet will prevent heartache, stress, and expensive vet bills that can come with complications in pregnancy and birth.
b) sterilized pets tend to live at least two to three years longer.
c) Neutering a male cat or dog by six months prevents testicular cancer and prostate disease. It can also help prevent hernias.
d) Spaying a female cat or dog prevents pyometra.
e) Fixed pets are less likely to get in fights or get hit by cars looking for a mate = less likely to be injured or killed.
f) The longer a female goes unspayed, the greater her chances of developing deadly mammary tumors.
Cost Savings:
a) Sterilization eliminates or reduces the urge to run away and the cost of injuries and impounds.
b) A male, sensing a female in heat, can break down doors and jump fences which can be very costly to fix.
c) Sterilization eliminates the worry, hassle and cost of litters.
d) Spaying and neutering reduces the costs resulting from pet overpopulation such as those incurred by animal control and law enforcement.
Again, all information just provided can be found in it's original format and form the original source at the Snap-San Diego website. I urge EVERYONE to visit their website, especially the page outlining some of the truths of the pet overpopulation problem. This information may be found by following this link: About Pet Overpopulation.
PLEASE SPAY AND NEUTER!
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