Spay and Neuter Your Pets

Did you know that every year between six and eight million animals are placed into animal shelters and deemed “homeless?" And, out of those millions, only about half are adopted, while the other half are euthanized.

The Humane Society of the United States makes this data public to raise awareness on spaying and neutering. At this time of year, when the weather gets nicer, animals look to mate and raise their young in a warm climate. Now more than ever, every pet in the country needs to be spayed or neutered.

There are endless positive results that come from spaying and neutering. First, your pets will live longer and healthier. By spending the money one time for a spay or neuter surgery, you help prevent cancers and infections that are more prone in animals that are not fixed.

Your male pets will be much less likely to leave home looking for a mate, and your female pets will not go into heat. Sometimes when animals go into heat, they yowl and urinate more often which can be a nuisance. And, having her spayed is a quick fix.

Neutered males typically have less behavior problems because their hormones are calmed as well, which makes training much simpler for you. Lastly, having your pets spayed and neutered drastically aids the pet overpopulation problem, especially helping with all of the homeless pets at risk of euthanasia in animal shelters.

The Humane Society of the United States published a great article that informs readers of how to find a clinic for their pet to be spayed or neutered. First, try calling your local animal shelter to see if they have a clinic or can point you in the right direction.

Here at , we pride ourselves on being a resource center, guiding community members to where they need to go. Second, you can call SPAY/USA which is a spay and neuter referral network. Their aim is to direct callers to lower cost spay and neuter clinics in their area. They are accessible at 1-800-248-7729 or at www.spayusa.org.

Third, your veterinarian can be a great resource as well. Sometimes vets even offer low-cost services to their clients if asked. Care Credit provides credit plans for vet services, and a list of spay and neuter resrouces can be accessed at Love That Cat.

And, if you are looking for discounted vouchers, Friends of Animals is a great place to check. If none of this work for you, approach your friends and family to use as a resource, or if needed, to use as a loan provider.

We wish you the best of luck, and remember that spay and neutering does save lives. Protect your pets and spread the word.

Valley Humane Society

 Valley Humane Society is a no-kill, non-profit animal shelter in Pleasanton. We have over two hundred volunteers and six staff members. We pride ourselves in being a resource center for the community, providing knowledge of responsible pet ownership and humane education.

Adopting and owning a pet is a life time commitment. Here at Valley Humane Society, we assure that before we adopt out any animal, they are vaccinated, micro chipped, spayed or neutered, and tested for a feline aids, feline leukemia, and heartworm.

All of our adoptable animals can be found on the Valley Humane Society website at www.valleyhumane.org, or you can come meet them at 3670 Nevada Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566. Our phone number is 925-426-8656.