February is Spay and Neuter Your Pet Month!

February is Spay and Neuter your Pet month!  Make sure your pet is spayed or neutered! Do you know of all the benefits that come with sterilizing your pet?  There are many that improve your pet's health and behavior.As part of the program "Spay San Diego", the City of Escondido is offering to spay and neuter your pets for only $10 on Thursday's and Fridays during February only!  Click here for the flyer with more information or call (760) 888-2249.There are many resources out there, but we thought we would include a few that provide information on where to find low cost spay and neuter clinics in the Southern California area.  http://www.foundanimals.org/pet-spay-neuterSpay Neuter Project Los AngelesPasadena HumaneThe Humane Society of San Bernardino CountyDepartment of Animal Services - Riverside CountyKern Humane Society - Bakersfield 661-325-2589If you are not in the Los Angeles area but are interested in spay/neuter services, click here to find low-cost options in your area.Many states and counties have established low-cost spay/neuter programs that make surgery easily affordable and accessible. To find a low-cost program near you, search our Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Provider Database. If you're in New York City, the ASPCA mobile spay/neuter clinic offers free or low-cost spay/neuter surgery for financially needy dog and cat owners with proof of public assistance.The ASPCA  also provide a comprehensive and search-able database designed to help you find low-cost spay/neuter programs in your community.

Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Whether you’ve recently adopted a pet or you’re considering it, one of the most important health decisions you’ll make is to spay or neuter your cat or dog. Spaying, removing the ovaries and uterus of a female pet is a veterinary procedure that requires minimal hospitalization and offers lifelong health benefits. Neutering, removing the testicles of your male dog or cat will vastly improve your pet’s behavior and keep him close to home.

1. Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life.Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
2. Neutering provides major health benefits for your male.Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
3. Your spayed female won't go into heat.While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house!
4. Your male dog won't want to roam away from home.An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
5. Your neutered male will be much better behaved.Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
7. It is highly cost-effective.The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
8. Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community.Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth.Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children—especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
10. Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.