FEBRUARY - NATIONAL SPAY/NEUTER AWARENESS MONTH

FEBRUARY - NATIONAL SPAY/NEUTER AWARENESS MONTH

A staggering 6 – 8 million dogs and cats go into the U.S. shelter system each year, yet fewer than half of those find forever homes. Even with this overpopulation crisis, as many as 13% of dog owners and 20% of cat owners say their pet has had one or more litters! To help raise awareness and ignite pet owners to take action, February has been designated National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month.

Many Positive Effects

Adopting a shelter animal is the first way to help this problem of pet overpopulation. But making sure they get spayed or neutered is the next step to take as soon as possible. Too many shelter animals are euthanized simply because of overcrowding, and this simple procedure can have many positive effects:

  • Less breeding will drive more pet adoptions from animal shelters. You can help save the life of many wonderful animals that deserve a loving home.
  • It can help curb potentially harmful behavior, such as roaming, which can lead to traffic deaths or exposure to diseases.
  • It adds years to your pet’s life. Dogs live an average of 1 – 3 years longer and cats 3 – 5 years more by reducing the risk of certain cancers, as reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

When and Where To Go

Pets can get pregnant as young as 4 months old. But research shows that dogs and cats can be safely spayed or neutered at 2 months of age or 2 pounds in weight.

Finding an affordable spay and neuter clinic is even easier, thanks to PetSmart Charities® and the ASPCA. They have teamed up to set up a network of affordable sterilization clinics. Their charitable support has funded more than 2 million surgeries, preventing about 7.5 homeless pets from entering shelters!

To find a clinic near you, go to this website and enter your zip code: https://www.petsmartcharities.org/adopt-a-pet/find-a-spayneuter-clinic

This blog is brought to you by Under the Weather®, an avid participant in the pet overpopulation cause. A portion of every sale is channeled to the Ruffy Rescue Transport Fund which finances the transportation of dogs from overpopulated kill shelters to Vermont for adoption, as well as covers the spaying and neutering fees of these animals.

Get to know more about Ruffy and the inspiration for our award-winning freeze-dried bland diets! If your dog has a temporary bout of vomiting or diarrhea, your vet may recommend giving them a “bland diet” until their digestive systems return to normal. Until now, this required you to cook chicken and rice. With Under the Weather’s bland diets there is no more cooking – just add water!

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