8 Reasons to Spay/Neuter Your Pet

On a daily basis, The Paws Squad team sees first-hand the over population of dogs and cats in Logan County. We’re constantly receiving pleas for help in rehoming unwanted animals and picking up strays. In the first seven months of 2020 alone, we’ve saved 920 dogs and cats by making 107 transports! That number is mind-boggling, and this pace isn’t something that can be sustained over a long period of time. We need help.  

We need volunteers who want to help us by fostering animals until we can arrange transport. We need volunteers who want to take pictures of animals in the pound so we can show them to potential rescue partners. We need volunteers who can support our transport missions by driving animals to the rescue partners. We need volunteers to pick up stray animals and bring them to safety. We need partners who donate food. We need money to provide medical care. We need a lot. And we also need time for ourselves. We need time to rest and heal. Rescue work is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting. 

So what could help make our work a little easier? The best way to help is to reduce the number of unwanted animals by spaying/neutering your pet. Don’t get us wrong, we still need help with the things listed above. But controlling the animal population in Logan County can lessen all those other needs. So that’s our #1 reason to spay/neuter your pet.

1. Spaying/neutering reduces unwanted animals. 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.

2. It saves money. The cost of caring for a litter is a lot more than the cost of having your pet spayed/neutered. It’s also cheaper than the vet bills you’ll incur when your unneutered pet escapes and gets into fights with stray animals.

3. Your pet may enjoy a longer, healthier life. Studies show that altered dogs will live 1 to 3 years longer while cats will live an additional 3 to 5 years. Animals who are spayed or neutered have a very low risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumors, pyometria, and uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.

4. Your spayed female won't go into heat. A heat cycle can last somewhere around a few days to 4 weeks. During this time, your pet will behave differently, often howling loudly as they try to attract a male to mate with. They often urinate more frequently, sometimes all over the house!

5. Your male dog won't want to roam. An unneutered male will do just about anything to find a mate, and that often results in escaping from the house. Once he’s free, there’s a high chance he could be injured or lost.

6. Your neutered male will be much better behaved. Neutered cats and dogs are happy being part of their human families. 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.

7. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. A lack of exercise and overfeeding is what makes your pet overweight. There is no evidence that spaying or neutering causes this. Even when they’re fixed, your pet will stay strong and slim as long as you provide exercise and monitor how much they’re eating.

8. Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. Stray animals are a real problem in many parts of the country, especially here in Logan County. They often suffer from very poor health, including injury, disease and starvation. They can also cause nuisance in the community, and cats can prey on native wildlife. Spaying and neutering reduces the number of animals on the streets.

Please be a responsible pet parent and have your furry friends spayed or neutered.  If you need assistance, The Paws Squad may be able to help.  For more information, contact us at thepawssquad@yahoo.com or send us a message on Facebook at @thepawssquadwv. 

Before You Bring Home a New Furry Friend, Be Prepared for the Costs

Getting a new pet is a fun and exciting time. Here in West Virginia, we rank fifth in the U.S. with 45.8% of households with at least one dog. We’re sixth in the country with 38.1% of households having at least one cat.

There’s no doubt about it. We love our animals. Bringing home a new furry friend is easy to do, especially if you have a soft spot for animals. They’re so cute and sweet, and when they look at you with those eyes … well, it’s hard to say no sometimes. But before you welcome your new friend into your home, make sure you can keep them for a lifetime. We know first hand that way too many dogs and cats are surrendered to the pound every year. One reason people surrender their animals is because they can’t afford to care for them. 

There are two main areas to consider when adding up the cost of pet ownership: initial costs and lifetime costs. Initial costs are expenses you incur when first bringing home your pet.  Lifetime costs are expenses you’ll incur each year thereafter. While you may have enough money to pay for the initial costs, pet owners often fail to consider how lifetime costs will fit into their budget.

You can use the chart below to estimate your monthly expenses. Also, it’s a good idea to have an emergency fund for costs you can’t foresee, such as unexpected medical expenses. This may take some guesswork, but a good place to start would be to open a savings account and deposit $5 to $10 each week.

Understand that owning a pet is a lifetime commitment. Dogs average 13 years of age while cats average 16 years. Your pet could live a lot longer. With this information and a little planning, you can ensure your pet is well cared for throughout his lifetime.