Discussions
Mandatory Pet Neuter/Spay
Posted by Stillthinking • 3/11/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: neuter, no-kill shelters, pets, spay
Chicago is passing a law requiring that all pets within city limits are required to be neutered or spayed. Chicago already has a law that no animal adopted from a shelter or rescue organization without being first screened for health, behavior, and neutered/spayed.
As a volunteer with a no-kill animal shelter, I absolutely, 100% support this law. Simple, precautionary pet neuter/spay will drastically reduce the number of stray animals put to sleep every year and lessen the burden on city animal control, and non-profit shelters.
No pet "needs" to reproduce to live a long and healthy life. In fact, with both dogs and cats, many undesirable behaviors go away when they are neutered or spayed. Most animal shelters offer low to no fee neuter/spay and often the animal is fully recovered in a day or two.
Male cats become less territorial (no spraying and no jailbreaks). Female cats will stop going into heat (no more midnight singing sessions, bloody rugs, jailbreaks and unexpected litters of mewling kittens).
Dogs become calmer, easier to train, and obedient.
Please consider adopting a pet from a shelter rather than going to a breeder.
Never, never, never purchase a pet from a pet store. Most pet stores purchase their animals from auctions. Despite what these pet stores claim, no reputable breeder would ever agree to turn over a carefully bred and cared for puppy or kitten to an auction or pet store.
What are your thoughts on mandatory animal neuter/spay?
Do you have stories about your pets you would like to share?
User Comments
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I will start. My cat Mena (yes, the one in the avatar) was adopted from the Anti-Cruelty Society. She is 8 years old. I chose to adopt an older animal because older animals are often the most overlooked animals in a shelter. The kittens are always the first to go and then the 1-2 year olds. Mena is considered a senior cat which doesn't make sense to me. Cats can live up to 20 years, so in my opinion, she's middle aged at most.
I tell people she chose me because I was originally on the look out for a big, orange boy. There was one to the left of her cage and one to the right. I was standing in front of her cage and trying to decide which orange boy to hold and pet. I looked left, skipped her, and looked right. She stuck her paw out and landed it smack on my nose and meowed.
A sucker is born every minute. -
I agree with paying/neutering to help reduce strays who will wind up in shelters.
However I don't know that I agree with making it mandatory. If the only cats that are breeding are being bred by breeders - then anyone who wants a cat will have to go to a breeder to get one.
I much prefer educating people on the benefits of spaying/neutering rather than forcing them to do it.-
San Fransisco has a mandatory spaying and neutering law.
Now, the SF shelters are importing homeless animals for adoption from other cities and its animal rescue program has become a model for how to reduce animal euthanasia.
I also hesitated at first about forcing people to neuter their pets, but then I volunteered at a shelter. It's unbelievable how much misinformation there is out there. A lot of people still believe that their pets need to have a litter before neuter/spay. -
Some people simply oppose forcing such a procedure onto an animal. Others may want their cat to have a litter before removing their ability to have any.
It should be up to the owner's discretion. -
I think your stance goes along with being an anarchist. You don't want to be regulated by a government body.
Unless you are a breeder, there is really no reason for your cat or dog to have a litter. In fact, it's irresponsible.
I worked with someone who refused to have his dog neutered and also didn't take any precautions as to keeping his dog secured. His dog ended up having two litters. One litter was surrendered to a shelter. The other litter disappeared from their yard. It turned out, that the puppies were stolen by gangbangers who used them to train fighting dogs. As bait.
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I think it should be mandatory for people to have to spay/neuter their pets. It is so heartbreaking to see the stray cats and dogs that are wandering about now that there's been such a housing crisis. It was bad enough before with all the millions of pets that are available because of the lack of spaying/neutering but now there are even more poor animals that need homes, so the problem has gotten much, much worse lately.
I absolutely adore animals and have always had pets. I used to drag home every stray I came across when I was a kid. I am bicoastal now and so we can't have pets (I just can't be gone so much and have the pets stay at a kennel or have others take care of them--that's not responsible, I think).
My last dog was the animal love of my life. I got him from a shelter and they were going to put him down because he was about 7 (this age was an approximate--they didn't know for sure) years old and only had 1 leg. Someone had dropped him off in front of the shelter with no note, no name, nothing. He was such a cool dog.
I named him Careless because he had only three legs and could care less!
He died in 1999. All of a sudden, he couldn't move his hind legs one morning. I took him to the vet and they told me he had a herniated disc in his back and the only thing to do was to put him down. I stayed with him while he went to sleep and he put his paw over my hand as he was going out. . .
It broke my heart.
I just cried a little right now thinking about it.-
I get all weepy just thinking about Mena passing on or having to give her up. I totally understand the heartbreak over losing a pet.
Good for you for adopting a special needs animal! I highly encourage people to adopt handicapped animals as well. Three legged, deaf, blind, missing an ear, missing a tail. They all still need love and care and will return your love in spades. -
I completely agree. But I always was one for the underdog--both human and four legged.
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I have a mutt cat.. Hes Black and White(Koda). I rescued him from a farm along with one more(Melee). Sadly Melee got out of his shelter as a small kitten and my pug mauled him to death :(.
I felt bad for my dog.. I don't think she knew any better.. But anyway i got the other one fixed. He's an indoor cat.. I noticed an improvement in his attitude once he got denutted-
Both horrified and laughing. Denutted. Did you get the dog fixed too? And maybe some doggie prozac?
At the shelter I volunteer at, one of the requirements of adoption is that the prospective pet parent must agree that the cat would be an indoor cat and that dogs will be kept on a leash at all times when outdoors or kept within a confined area.
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Better let`s see what pets do in their spare time topboard.blogspot.com/2009/03/todays-funny-video-incredible-but-cats.html It`s incredible!!!-
That was gross and what a fat cat!
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I think it should be mandatory. Unfortunately the irresponsible pet owners outnumber the responsible ones. My pets are neutered, we lost a cat to feline leukemia and the vet told us that neutering him wouldn't have hurt, might even have helped. That's good enough for me.-
I completely agree. This is actually a taxpayer issue. Spaying and neutering drastically lessens the burden of stray animals on city animal control. Trapping, feeding, shelter, veterinary care, and euthanasia of strays costs money. I think it's completely within reason of the city to demand pet owners take simple precautions to prevent pet overpopulation.
The city requires the pet owner to vaccinate their animals and keep their dogs on a leash, how is this any different? -
The city requires the pet owner to vaccinate their animals and keep their dogs on a leash, how is this any different?
Our city doesn't require pet vaccinations. The adoptive agencies often require it, if they haven't provided them already.
However leash laws are in place for a very different purpose. Unleashed dogs can cause immediate harm to others - even the best trained dogs can get scared and run off into the road causing a car accident. They can get excited or scared and "attack" (or overzealously "greet") a person, pet, or child - and cause fear, trauma, or injury. WHihc leads to liability and blah blah blah. -
My point about the vaccination and leash requirement (Chicago requires both) is that both ordinances were put into place over the objections of pet owners who did not wish to comply. It was for the public safety that these laws were enacted.
Mandatory neuter/spay is also for public safety. Strays spread disease and are just as much of a hazard as unleashed dogs. -
Mandatory neuter/spay is also for public safety. Strays spread disease and are just as much of a hazard as unleashed dogs.
An unneutered cat can cause a traffic accident? A cat with leukemia can maul a child? -
An fertile, runaway cat can have kittens which can lead to feral cat colonies. Cats can reproduce all year round. One female cat who runs away from home can produce dozens and dozens of feral kittens, who in turn produce dozens and dozens of kittens. It's a pyramid. This is what leads to out of control stray pet populations.
Feral cat colonies are vulnerable to catching rabies from squirrels, raccoons, rats, and opossums.
And yes, stray animals can attack children and cause traffic accidents. -
You've missed my point - unleashed dogs on the street have a much higher chance of causing an accident or seriously injuring a person or other animal, vs an unneutered cat who may or may not ever get loose, and may or may not ever reproduce, whose kittens may or may not be feral, who may or may not wander out into the road, causing an accident or attack a person.
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There is no maybe about it. Fertile cats can and do escape their homes everyday. Every major city in the US has a problem with feral cat colonies and every major city has an aggressive animal control program that puts down thousands of animals a year. The numbers are staggering how stray animals are put to sleep every year.
In Chicago alone, almost 18,000 stray animals were put to sleep. That number is half what it was in 1997, before aggressive neuter/spay campaigns began.
When SF began it's mandatory neuter/spay program, it was over a chorus of objections by pet owners. The main objective of mandatory neuter/spay laws is to reduce the number of homeless animals who are put down. SF is the model that many cities (including Chicago) are pursuing with their animal control policies. -
I just looked up what our region has for stray pets - and honestly? The number (although highest in winter) is so low that our area reaches out to other areas, and helps campaigns in other cities, and other states.
We don't seem to have this problem here, and it's not mandatory at all. However the adoption agencies do require (or spay/neuter after the rescue) the adoptive owner to spay or neuter and vaccinate before the adoption is final. (I double checked the policies).
I've had many cats before - only one ever got out on me (female) and she came right back.
I just don't see a need to make this mandatory - if the adoption agencies spay or neuter upon rescue, or require that the adoptive human spay or neuter prior to the adoption finalization - then no law is necessary. -
That's great for your area, but Chicago is a different story. I think that a mandatory neuter/spay law is a good idea for all the reasons I have stated in this thread.
I know that you personally support neuter/spay but take issue with government intervention. You're still one of the good guys! -
Why aren't the adoption agencies there requiring this?
I guess that's what I don't understand. I mean - aren't they going through the adoptions fully? -
All adoption agencies do require neuter/spay. See OP.
The adoption requirements plus an aggressive neuter/spay campaign is why animal euthanasia is down to about 18,000 this year from a high of 47,000 in 1997 in Chicago.
City of Chicago just wants to get the 18,000 number down even lower. -
But...if the adoption of a pet already requires neutering/spaying...who is then required to spay or neuter? I mean, where are they getting the pets from?
If everyone has a neutered pet...then litters aren't likely...so private adoption doesn't seem likely...
I just don't get it
It's highly unlikely here to see ads for kittens or puppies from private homes (breeders, yes, pet adoptions places, yes). And it's even less likely to adopt an adult pet that hasn't already been spayed/neutered.
Where are they all coming from? -
Even though Chicago has many excellent animal shelters offering pets for adoption, the vast majority of pet owners still purchase their pets from private breeders, pet stores, newspaper ads, neighbors who's cats have had kittens or dog has had puppies. This is what the City of Chicago is trying to combat with neuter/spay laws. Defacto breeding operations, people who dump their fertile animals into the street (it happens a lot, especially with the foreclosure crises).
I know its hard for people who do adopt animals from shelters to understand the mentality of people who insist on purchasing animals privately, but the truth is: they outnumber us.
I think its great that your city has it's animal population under control. The neuter/spay law here is just trying to get Chicago to the same position your city is in. Right now, homeless animals far outnumber potential pet parents. -
All of our private shops and such require spaying/neutering too. That's what I don't get?
You can adopt from the humane society and rescue groups, and you can adopt from pet shops (most of which only offer rescued pets for adoption, anyway - no puppy mills).
Maybe that's where the law should be taken - the sale aspect rather than the ownership aspect. No more puppy mills, and private shops have to have better adoption policies. -
Pet shops here are of the puppy mill variety and do not offer rescued animals. Pet shops in this city are all about making money. Kittens for 100 and up. Puppies for 500, 600, 700. They don't care what kind of parent you will be, they just want your money.
Most pet shops nationwide still get their animals from animal auctions (which are supplied by puppy mills).
I agree that private pet shops should be deeply regulated not allowed period. -
Honestly, you could probably start a movement to remove the the pet shops that do that from your area. I can't remember what your opinion on PETA was/is - but they do have some good resources about puppy mills, and pet shops - you should check it out. I think the last remaining pet shop here that sold mill pets finally made the switch to adoptive animals a few years back. (There was a big PETA movement here a while ago).
It's worth a shot.
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I've had a mixed record. I bought one dog from a pet store, two from a sleazy puppy mill merchant and adopted one from a boxer rescue program. All three I had fixed, and in each case, I feel like I "saved" a dog from a bad fate. (i.e. the puppy mill guy was selling them from a vacant lot and I had a bad feeling about what would happen to these cute boxer pups. Sure enough, they got parvo two days later and nearly died. And the pug was the same way, way too old at the pet store and nobody would buy him). Sorry, not a particularly philisophical contribution to the thread, more anecdotal and emotional, than anything.-
The fate of animals from puppy mills and pet stores is so sad. I have spoken to a couple of people who have said they felt they were rescuing animals from bad situations by purchasing pet store dogs and puppy mill animals. You are very fortunate that your pups survived the Parvo. So many end up being put down by disappointed and heartbroken owners and by city animal control.
The really sad truth is that many pet store dogs and puppy mill dogs end up dumped at city animal shelters and breed rescues when they get too old to sell, stop producing puppies, or show signs of failing genetic deformities and poor health. The ones that end up in shelters are actually the lucky ones. There is a black market for fighting dogs, bait to train fighting dogs, and sadists who just want animals to torture.
The only truly effective way to stop the flood of unwanted, unhealthy puppies and kittens is by educating people about pet stores, pet auctions and puppy mills, encouraging people to adopt from shelters, adopting an aggressive neuter/spay program, and pushing their local and state governments to crack down on puppy mills/disreputable breeders, and irresponsible owners.
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How are these laws enforced, by the way? I mean, is there an animal task force about going door to door checking to see if the animal's papers are in order?
Where I live, if you want to adopt, they require that you spay/neuter and get vaccines if they haven't already received them. No compliance = no adoption. But there are no laws forcing people to spay or neuter pets (or vaccinate them).
So if someone like, say, me who adopted a pet from another person, who promised that they were spayed and neutered - how am I in compliance with the law? How much hassle will I receive?
And why should my old, indoor cats who have no interest in going outside whatsoever be forced to have medical procedures done to them?
My cats are nearing 14 years old - there's no need to do anything to these cats but make sure their happy and comfortable.-
I assume they would only be enforced if your pet escaped and was picked up by animal control or ended up at a shelter. In that case, would you be fined (likely less than the procedure) or would they perform the procedure and you'd have to pay for it before you could get your pet back (assuming that you were responsible enough to bother). It seems an inefficient way to force irresponsible pet owners to do something. -
I think that's my hesitation with such a law.
I mean - if the adoption places won't let you leave with a pet that hasn't been neutered/spayed and vaccinated - that's about as effective as you can get. There's no real need for a law. -
City of Chicago has been known for randomly stopping dog owners and checking their dog licenses to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. In order to have a valid dog license in Chicago, your dog must be vaccinated. I am sure that the city is going to just add neuter/spay to license requirements for dogs.
Cats its much harder to enforce. My best guess is that the city is going to pass enforcement of this ordinance to vets operating within city limits. All cats and dogs receiving veterinary care within city limits will be required by law to undergo neuter/spay, just like vets who operate in the city require that animals be up to date on their vaccinations. -
In all honesty - that puts a lot of responsibility on the vets to perform procedures on pets where the owners may not be able or willing to pay for them.
So what you'll have is a bunch of pet owners simply not bringing their pets to the vet's office for medical treatment.
Really - I think enforcing it at the level of adoption, by private groups and humane societies alike - and having vets talk to pet owners about responsible pet ownership is the best way to go.
That's what we do here, and we honestly do not have a problem with feral animals. We have adoption agencies all over the place (both private and humane society based) and they are not over filled, nor do they use euthanasia on pets.
We were going to adopt a dog - and if you're not all over it, you'll miss out - they go quick here. -
Most shelters and veterinarians offer low to no cost neuter/spay services or will be happy to refer you to a vet or humane organization who does offer it. PAWS Chicago offers neuter/spay for 15 dollars a pet and if you live in a zip code that is being targeted for high stray populations, you can get your pet neutered for free.
Most vets in Chicago adamantly support mandatory neuter/spay just like they adamantly supported taking responsibility for vaccinating animals.
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Law or not -
Please spay/neuter your pets.
Thank you.-
I agree whole heartily !!!
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A lot of shelters also operate a trap and release program for feral cats. The objective of this program is to safely trap cats, vaccinate them, sterilize them and release them back to their colonies.
This program allows cats that are too wild to be adopted to return to their colonies without the threat of FIV and rabies and also stop the colony from exponentially increasing their numbers. -
I spayed myself with two bricks and a prayer, as it turns out it was unnecessary anyway as Aardvarks and cushions have very little chance of conceiving. Specially not the way we was doing it.-
LOL!!! My friend has a dog who like aardvarks. Maybe I can set up a blind date in case the cushion changes its mind.
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I have to say that I agree. Living where I do, and seeing all the homeless, abused animals is hard. And think: the numbers of these cases could be reduced if owners would alter animals. Only responsible breeders should add to a breed. Even with that law, there would still be animals in shelters to adopt, or starving along the roadside, because people will surrender or abuse purebreds just as they do mixed breeds, so in no way would any one *have* to go to a breeder.
I also find the excuse of 'but my pet would make such a wonderful mom,' or 'but it would be depriving my animal of being a mother,' a poor excuse. Animals just don' think like that. It's just one hormone-induced instinct that is removed. And for a pet, there's no reason to have them go through a heat/breeding season. I've seen males almost run themselves to death trying to find a mate; I've seen the fight wounds on them. It isn't pleasant, nor is it necessary.
I've gotten most of my dogs by finding them when we were out driving. In fact, our beagle/chow mix, Bronx, had been found inside a tied plastic bag with his dead (shot multiple times) mother, who was a full-blooded chow. Thankfully, he and his siblings survived, even though that wasn't the original owner's intent.
So, yeah, anything to reduce the number of horrific cases. I'm proud to say that every animal, from our dogs down to our rabbit, is altered.-
You are a very responsible and compassionate pet owner! I am so pleased to know that all your animals are altered! Even though this conversation so far has focused on dogs and cats, it is so important that all pets, regardless of species, is altered.
The Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago also adopts out rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets, horses.
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My city requires spaying, neutering, vaccination, AND microchipping of cats & dogs.
You can call it "government regulation" all you want, but the fact is the majority of pet owners won't do this unless they're forced. And you should try working in an animal shelter where you would have to put to sleep otherwise healthy animals simply because of the overpopulation problem.
PS: I adopted my cat LuvLee from the Albuquerque Cat Action Team, a wonderful group of volunteers who works to adopt, not kill, the animals placed with them. And they work to trap, neuter & release feral cats, too, thus reducing that population. But there still isn't enough to go around, and so the public shelter is still forced to euthanize unwanted animals. This is a tragedy that can and should be prevented!-
Micro-chipping is a voluntary action that I agree, should become mandatory as well.
I agree 100% with you and most people on this thread feel the same way.
The hearing over the mandatory neuter/spay law is coming up and I believe it will be passed with an large majority. Most vets, non-profit animal shelters, city animal control, and humane societies are overwhelmingly in support of this bill.
I have volunteered with a no-kill shelter as well and I believe that with this passing of this bill, Chicago's stray animal population will finally come down to manageable numbers.
I can't wait until the day Chicago is considered a model, no-kill city!
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Another issue is that feral cats are, essentially, an invasive species and have devastated songbird populations in a lot of areas.-
Thank you for bringing this up. Yes, feral cats are an invasive species that decimate songbird populations.
Of course, I think most Chicagoans would say good riddance to many of the pigeons, squirrels and rats that have been kept in check by feral cat colonies. -
Spay and Neuter. Inoculate and set up feral homes for these cats. Provide food and water for them and most of the time they will leave the birds to themselves.
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Agreed. Mandatory. I happen to have (with my husband) spent a small fortune rescuing, feeding, paying for spaying, neutering and insuring inoculations for a very long time. We have eight cats now; 5 are 11 years old and 3 are 9 years old. We will not be getting anymore pets after this.
Too many unwanted animals are extinguished each year and their innocence of being born or pet parents who abandon them is their unfortunate burden. It is a shameful waste of beautiful lives and just too sad. -
To be forced to neuter your dog is absolute bullshit, they may not need to reproduce but neither do humans.
I can see if they are loose on the street or end up in a shelter, especially cats since they breed like rabbits.
I have always had Dobermans they are smart and obedient and easy to train, and excellent guard dogs.
If you neuter them you might as well of bought a lab.
I made the mistake of having a vet convince me of neutering one of my dogs, never again.
When you neuter a dog you lower their testosterone levels making them passive!-
I have to politely disagree. I have a pit mix and a chow mix, and they are anything but passive (in fact, my pit mix was neutered as early as was allowable because of his personality). All our dogs, male and female and all mixed breeds are great protectors and guard dogs.
We've had dobies and beaucerons, as well, and there was no difference between altered and unaltered (regarding personality and ability). -
@Kiefers
Have you read any of the other comments on this thread? The problem of animals that are not neutered/spayed goes beyond any single pet owner.
And by the way, how aggressive do you need your dogs to be? Many neutered dogs are still fiercely protective of their masters and their homes. Your dog will still be able to protect you and yours even after they have been neutered.
The only reason to need a dog super aggressive is to make them fighting dogs which is despicable. -
Kiefers - your are a responsible owner.
The problem is that the irresponsible people are spoiling it for everyone. So many people let their dogs or cats run free or put them out when they are no longer wanted and that's when the unplanned pregnancies happen - at exponential rates!
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Untill the last couple of comments I didn,t perceive any doubters visiting this discussion, but all my 10 cats have had the snip courtesy of a Corfu charity (an English couple). The cat flap is permanently open, and a few strangers have heard tell of my 20kg biscuit silo which allows two friendly cats or one normal to eat at a time. Smart ones will learn to operate a valve which lets a few biscuits fall out. Although behaviour has improved greatly, the more senior females are still nasty to visitors. In time they are accepted and its lovely to see how young cats learn to take a bashing. They just curl up and wait.
Greeks have horrible attitudes to animals, the snip can cost 100$, and my village, largely deserted after a flood about 15 years ago, has quite a semi-feral (abandoned) population.
I love my cats far too much for my own good, but if I disagree with the average view it is about 'euthanasia'. Animals do not miss their friends and family who die or disappear, but their suffering from disease and starvation is real. To return feral or unwanted animals after an operation(even if fitter than before)to 'their colony' is cruel. The cruelty of wishy-washy sentimentalists who believe the life of a wild or unloved animal has some intrinsic value, that they should be allowed to suffer and die naturally or un-naturally, but above all out of sight. I hate this attitude because I love animals, and can imagine the pain in their lives. A couple of injections and a painless death is a gift to a feral animal. I am with Chicago, and the civilized approach to animal welfare generally. For me Greece is not quite as civilized at it thinks.-
This law is not meant to punish responsible pet owners, but aimed at reigning in irresponsible owners who indulge their fantasy that their animals need to be parents. It's also meant as a precautionary measure. With the current economic downturn, the numbers of abandoned, neglected and abused animals is skyrocketing all over the country. Requiring mandatory neutering will at least keep a percentage of these animals from reproducing.
As for the feral cat population, I see your point. Starving animals are suffering animals. In Chicago, these feral cat populations are also monitored closely by the same groups that trap, neuter, vaccinate, and release them. Any diseased or injured animals are targeted for trapping and veterinary care. There is also a no-kill shelter in Chicago that specializes in adopting out feral cats after a period of socialization.
Are the cats in your village similar to the cats of Rome? I have heard the cats that wonder freely around Rome are considered semi-feral, but also receive veterinary care with a good percentage being neutered.
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ST? Don't bother to get into conversation with the likes of the two previous. We know how they make animals nasty to people.
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I am with you 100%! I volunteered with a rescue that specialized in pregant and new mom cats and their litters. The SPCA would call us because they didn't have the heart to put down a pregnant or new mom and kittens. We'd go the very next day to rescue the mom and get her and her babies families to love them. I recently posted about California's recent neuter/spay law.
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