Action for Animals Supports Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Effectiveness of Municipal Spay & Neuter Programs

Tamar Puckett, MPA
PAWS Companion Animal Advocate
Every year, millions of healthy cats and dogs are killed in shelters around the country. This pet overpopulation crisis is the direct result of animals left unaltered in our communities.

Nearly 8-10 million cats and dogs enter shelters in the U. S. each year. This statistic is not surprising considering the possibility that, if left unaltered, one pair of cats could exponentially produce 420,000 kittens in seven years, and in six years, one female dog and her offspring could give birth to 67,000 puppies. Unfortunately, the number of cats and dogs far exceeds the number of loving homes available, and consequently, 4-5 million homeless animals are put to death in U.S. shelters every year.

In 2000, in Washington State alone, approximately 147,000 cats and dogs ended up in shelters, almost 65,000 of whom were euthanized. Locally, in the Puget Sound region, close to 34,000 cats and dogs were killed in shelters in 2000; nearly half of those animals were healthy puppies and kittens.
This is a sad and unnecessary problem of overwhelming proportion that is largely preventable if animal shelters and pet owners spayed or neutered their animals. In fact, the ONLY humane and effective way of addressing the overpopulation crisis is through spay and neuter surgery.

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) reports that due to increasing recognition that the routine killing of healthy cats and dogs is unacceptable and growing awareness that spay and neuter surgeries prevent unwanted litters, mandatory sterilization of adopted animals has become a universally accepted government policy.

Spaying and neutering cats and dogs is not just an animal welfare issue; it's a public safety issue

Dogs who are altered are three times less likely to bite than dogs who are unaltered. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) reports that dogs who are not spayed or neutered are more aggressive, and are involved in the majority of reported dog bite incidents.
In fact, according to the ICMA, unaltered dogs account for 95% of all fatal maulings. The National Centers for Disease Control state that children make up more than 60% of all dog bite victims, and that dogs should be neutered to reduce aggressive tendencies. Additionally, unspayed females attract free-roaming males, which increases bite risk to people through increased exposure to unfamiliar dogs. Safer communities are created when government policies require animals to be spayed and neutered.

Spaying and neutering also reduces nuisance behavior. Dogs and cats who are not spayed or neutered have an increased desire to roam, to mark their territory with urine, and to fight with other animals. Animals who are altered live longer and healthier lives.

People support spay and neuter programs!

People expect their government to be fiscally responsible, and to proactively address the issue of unwanted dogs and cats in their community. Eighty-nine percent of citizens surveyed in Snohomish County support the mandatory alteration of shelter animals prior to adoption.

© 2005 Action for Animals