Spay and Neuter Information Program
THERE IS NO QUESTION……..
To spay or neuter your dog or cat is good for your pet’s health, for you as a caring pet owner, and for your community.
What are spaying and neutering?
Female cats are spayed; male cats are neutered. Both involve removing an animal’s ability to reproduce. Both operations, done under general anesthesia, are safe, routine, and involve minimal pain for the animal. Typically, a spayed or neutered animal is up and around within a day of the operation.
What are the health benefits for my animal?
Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer. Spaying can also prevent various reproductive disorders, such as serious bacterial uterine infections. Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer, and decreases the incidence of benign prostate disease.
What are the benefits for me?
Spaying and neutering can make pets a better, more affectionate companion. Pets are calmer and less territorial, making them less apt to challenge other animals and people, and can make them less likely to roam, run away, or get into fights. Dogs are far less likely to bite. Neutering male cats make them less likely to spray and mark their territory with pungent urine, and spaying females eliminates the nervous whining, yowling, and pacing behavior normally associated with a heat cycle. And, the one time cost of the surgery is a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and babies…….as well as the additional food costs and time and effort involved in finding homes for the babies.
What are the benefits for the community?
Spay and neuter prevents unexpected or unwanted reproduction—often the cause of homeless animals and the reason for higher costs of animal control and the need for sheltering programs. Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals, and an estimated 4 to 5 million animals are euthanized each year. By ensuring your pet is spayed or neutered, your pet cannot add to the overpopulation, allowing shelters to have more room for the animals already there, and allows them to find homes for the ones already there.
If the cost of spay/neuter is an issue, Animal Outreach Humane Society offers low cost spay neuter referrals for pet owners looking to alter their animals for the health benefit of the animal and to help end the pet over population crisis in our community. The following organizations provide local, low cost spay/neuter programs that make the surgery affordable:
AHA! (Alliance for Humane Action) offers low cost spay/neuter and vaccines. Services are provided out of a new, state of the art clinic in Wonder Lake, IL. You can reach them at 847-960-8689 ext. 1 or www.ahaworks.org
In order to help members of the community practice responsible pet ownership, Anderson Animal Shelter’s clinic in Elgin, IL provides spay-neuter surgeries to owned pets for a nominal fee. For more information, call 847-697-2880 ext. 3. or www.andersonanimalshelter.org
Friends of Animals offers a nationwide voucher program; they can be reached at 800-321-7387 or www.friendsofanimals.org
Spay USA has a national referral program. Visit www.spayusa.org where you can fill out an online request for a low cost referral.
If you live in Lake County, Illinois, you may qualify for a subsidized program for county residents. To obtain information on their program, please contact Lake County Animal Care and Control at 847.377.8029.
Do a wonderful thing for your pet and yourself by having him or her neutered or spayed. These surgeries are one time investments in the long term health and happiness of your pet.