Should I Spay or Neuter My Pet? About 10 million unwanted dogs and cats will be killed in shelters this year. Others live lonely, short and abusive lives on the streets, often to die a miserable lonely death from injury or disease. How can we help prevent this? SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET. Why Spaying and Neutering Makes Sense! Spaying or neutering increases your pet's chances for a longer healthier life: In females the procedure to sterilize is called spaying and in males, neutering. For females, the ovaries and uterus are removed through an abdominal incision. For males, the testicles are surgically removed. Your pet will usually spend the day in the hospital and go home that day, occasionally the next. Your animal should be feeling fine in a few days, if not call your vet. Spaying a female animal before she reaches sexual maturity greatly reduces her chances of developing breast, uterine and ovarian cancer and uterine infection common in unaltered females. Neutering your male animals prevents testicular tumors and could prevent prostate problems in the future. It also decreases the change of perianal tumors and hernias, common to older, unaltered male dogs. Reproductive disorders, unwanted litters and a lot of undesirable behaviours like fighting, roaming and caterwauling can be prevented if you spay or neuter. You reduce the risk of bite wounds, abscesses or being hit by a car and virtually eliminate the chance of mastitis, uterine prolapse and as mentioned, certain breast and uterine cancers. Besides, it is the responsible thing to do. So many animals euthanized are as a result of accidental breeding by free-roaming, unaltered pets. Pet Overpopulation Facts Tens of thousands of unwanted puppies and cats are born daily because of uncontrolled breeding practices. As a result, an estimated 10 million animals are euthanized each year. A shocking statistic. In the US, there are approximately 68,000 owned dogs and 73,000 dogs (according to 2001 statistics). If every one where left unspayed or were not neutered, imagine the population explosion that would occur. The fewer unwanted animals, the less animals will be destroyed. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION! Visit these links to learn more.   Spay or Neuter information at About.com   Dog Infomat   Don't Blame the Pet   National Animal Interest Alliance