As a responsible dog owner, the most important step you can take is to have your dog neutered, as soon as medically possible.

Many Reasons Not to Breed
Spaying (females) or neutering your pet is best for its health as well as best for the community at large. If you got your pet from an animal shelter, then you already know how many abandoned and unwanted dogs there are in your county. And unfortunately there are many unscrupulous breeders and turning out hundreds of puppies a year.

New "designer" breeds of dog are being created. Marketing, movies, television all create fads resulting in certain breeds of dog being "in" for a while. These dogs often end up at a shelter when the owners discover they got more than they bargained for. Please don't add to the problem!

Cost or Neutering Shouldn't Deter You
Many communities offer help with the cost of neutering. Shelters often offer vouchers or perform the operations before releasing the animals. The cost is included in their adoption fees.

Ask your vet what discounts they offer, or if they can refer you to a low-cost clinic if price is a problem.

For a list of low or no-cost spay/neuter clinics in your area, click here.

Breeding Dogs Not Profitable
Some people buy a purebred dog because they like that particular breed, planning to have "just one litter" of puppies to make up their investment.

This is a bad idea!

Responsible breeders take many factors into consideration before breeding any two dogs. Health and temperment are very important. And most breeders will tell you they never make any money on breeding.

If you must have a purebred dog, please consider the money you pay for it nothing more than the cost of indulging your passion. Your dog is not an investment, he is a companion, a friend, a family member.

Dog Breeding by the Numbers
Your female dog and her "mate", if allowed to reproduce can produce 16 puppies in one year. If those dogs are not neutered, after 3 years your dog will have been responsible for an additional 376 more! After 6 years, if none of the dogs were neutered the number would reach 67,000! Get the picture?

More Benefits of Spay/Neuter
Neutering male dogs reduces the risk of testicular cancer, just as spaying reduces the mammary cancer risk in females. Neutering also reduces aggression and roaming. It is much easier than trying to keep a female dog in heat away from any intact males, and vice-versa.

There are really no known adverse effects of neutering. It is not necessary for a female dog to go through a heat cycle before being spayed. In fact, many veterinarians are neutering puppies at much younger ages now with no apparent adverse effects.

Not Enough Pet Homes to Go Around
Did you know that, according to the Humane Society of the United States every DAY there are 70,000 puppies and kittens born, and only 10,000 babies? No wonder there are not enough homes for all of them!

Over 60% of those animals end up being euthanised at a shelter - thats over 15 MILLION dogs and cats! And that doesn't count the strays that simply die of exposure, starvation, traffic and other tragic deaths.

Please don't add to these numbers! Spay or neuter your dog today.