Animal homelessness is a community problem that requires a community solution.  Millions of city budget funds are spent annually to house and care for animals, only to put most of them down.  It is now well-known that “we cannot adopt ourselves out of animal homelessness”, and because of this, spay/neuter programs are a key component of a community’s success.

ADOPTION SAVES A LIFE; SPAY/NEUTER CAN SAVE HUNDREDS!
Shelters across the country are forced to euthanize many adoptable dogs, cats, and other companion animals each year.  Many of these animals were the result of unwanted and unplanned litters, or dogs or cats that seemed “cute” as puppies and kittens but were no longer wanted as they grew into adults.  Many of these are even purebred animals.

By spaying or neutering your pet, you are doing your part to bring an end to the pet overpopulation problem.  Your pet will not have unplanned puppies or kittens that end up in a shelter – and that means that the animals already waiting for homes will have that much more of a chance to find one.
Did you know that over 35,000 cats and dogs entered the doors of Hampton Roads shelters last year?  And of those 35,000 reported animals, over 15,000 were put down.

"Hampton Roads Shelter Statistics (click here)"

2004-2008, and some 2009, Hampton Roads animal shelters’ reports can be found online at Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  Go to http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi

Did you know that every day 10,000 humans are born in the United States, while daily, 70,000 puppies and kittens enter this world?  As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals.  

THE ADOPTION OPTION - LOCAL SHELTERS

Adoptable pets in our area can be found at the following Hampton Roads shelters:

Norfolk Animal Care Center
Norfolk SPCA
Virginia Beach SPCA
Virginia Beach Animal Control
Portsmouth Humane Society
Suffolk Animal Control
Suffolk Humane Society
Peninsula SPCA
Chesapeake Animal Control

If you're looking for a certain type of animal, visit PETFINDER and use their searchable database to find animals that are potential matches for you.

THE SHELTER PET PROJECT:

SPAY/NEUTER CAN REDUCE/ELIMINATE UNDESIRABLE PET BEHAVIORS
Your spayed female dog or cat will no longer go through heat cycles.  Female dogs in heat may be more likely to show aggression to other females.  Female cats in heat will typically “yowl” and urinate frequently.
Neutering your male pet will reduce the breeding instinct and the behavior that goes along with it – spraying or marking territory with urine, aggressive behavior, and the drive to escape from your home and roam. 

Animals altered at an early age tend to be more submissive and have a friendlier demeanor.  Male dogs/cats that are neutered are much less likely to roam, mark their territory (and your belongings) with urine, and show aggression. Intact (unneutered) animals may go to great lengths to breed:  escaping yards/fences/enclosures and wandering into unsafe areas. 

SPAY/NEUTER IS HEALTHIER FOR YOUR PET
Spaying your female pet eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of mammary gland tumors.  It is not true that your female cat or dog will benefit from having one litter before she is spayed!  In fact, spaying her before her first heat will reduce the risk of certain diseases.
Spaying your male pet eliminates the possibility of testicular and prostate cancers.
Most cats and dogs are able to reproduce by 6 months of age.  Many veterinarians will spay or neuter an animal as young as two months of age, but as with any surgery, you should consult with your veterinarian to see if your puppy or kitten is old enough and healthy enough to be spayed or neutered.
Spay/neuter can increase a dog’s life by 1-3 years, and 3-5 years for cats.  Animals who have been spayed or neutered have a very low to no risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumors, pyometria, and uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.
DON’T BELIEVE THE RUMORS!!!!!   Some of the myths surrounding spay/neuter include:

• My pet will become overweight.  The spay/neuter procedure has absolutely no effect on body mass fluctuations, or energy levels.
• It’s better to allow them to have one litter first, or to reach maturity.  Medical evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. A feline can have her first litter at 4-5 months of age, while a canine can do so at 5-6 months of age.
• Altering changes my pet’s personality. An animal’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.  Your pet will be no less like himself than humans after a sterilization surgery (i.e. vasectomy).
• I don’t want my male cat/dog to feel less like a male.  Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego.
• It’s a good thing for our children to see the miracle of birth. In the internet & technology age, you can easily find a video of an animal or human birth to show your children.  Most pets prefer to give birth in seclusion at night, which would lessen the chances of your children being able to view the birthing process.  Alternatively, you could explain that birth is a miracle of life, and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others. 
• Surgery is complicated, painful, and my pet will have a hard time recovering!  Surgery can always involve a slight risk.  However, spaying/neutering surgeries are routine surgeries that many veterinarians perform everyday!  The anesthetics currently used are very safe, and many doctors use equipment that monitors heart and respiratory rates during surgery to ensure that their patients are doing well throughout the procedure. Pain medicine may be given immediately after the procedure to insure that your pet is kept comfortable.  Recovery for males is minimal, with females needing a little more care.  Many pets aren’t aware that they’ve had anything done!  The earlier in your pet’s life they are altered, the easier the surgery is on them! 
• My pet is a purebred, with papers!  One out of every four pets brought into an animal shelter is a “purebred”.  Breeding of animals should be done for the betterment of the breed, and is best left to the experts. 
• I’ll find fantastic homes for all of the puppies/kittens.  Shelters are full of great animals needing homes.  Each home you find may mean one less for each of those pets.  The average litter size for dogs is  x  ; that for cats is  x  .  If you rehome the litter without having them spay/neutered, in less than one year’s time, each of your pet’s offspring may have offspring of their own.

MORE INFO ON SPAY/NEUTER:
American Animal Hospital Association: 
American Humane: 
Humane Society of the United States:

*Statistics provided by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Online Animal Reporting.  For complete records, please visit:  http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi .
†Statistics provided by SpayUSA.  For more information regarding their estimations, please visit:  http://www.spayusa.org

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