Why spay or Neuter Our Pets?

By Linda B. Haas

As a breeder/exhibitor of champion Maltese dogs, I am often asked why puppy buyers should spay or neuter their pets. To me the answer is simple: so that the pet can have the longest, happiest, healthiest life possible with the family he/she loves so much. “Well, I would love to have ‘just one’ litter to show my kids the miracle of birth,” is the most common response. Visit your local shelter. See how MANY purebred dogs are there, often as a result of well-meaning, but faulty-thinking people who decide to breed their pets. Ask how many of these will be euthanized each day/week. There is a “down-side” to the miracle of birth angle when it comes to pets.

Responsible breeders take their responsibilities as breeders VERY seriously; they are professionals who know the risks and are best equipped to handle them. Not all pets are WORTHY of being bred. It takes much education and experience to decide which ones are worthy, no matter how beautiful they may be. Any puppies that are born didn’t choose to be born, but the breeder chose to do the mating that resulted in these puppies; therefore, good breeders feel responsible for them for their entire lives. Responsible breeders go to extreme lengths to reassure themselves that no puppy OR OFFSPRING of their puppies will EVER end up in the hands of a puppy mill or back-yard breeder. Can the person who wants “just one litter” guarantee where the offspring of this litter will end up? Unaltered pets often have pregnancies that are “unplanned,” resulting in puppies whose backgrounds are unknown. “It’s in the genes” means that there are so many background issues that only a breeder extremely familiar with his/her pedigrees will know. Breeders who do not know these pedigrees run the risk of doubling up on genes that result in auto-immune disease, liver-shunt, legs Perth’s, luxating patellas, juvenile cataracts, hip-displasia (in larger dogs), and a host of other issues endemic to various breeds. Unless a dog is an ideal specimen, from a litter of all ideal specimens, out of parents that are ideal specimens, it's a risk to breed.

Pets that are spayed/neutered are at much less risk of pyometria, testicular cancer, and other diseases that affect unaltered pets. Spaying or neutering an animal does not make the animal lethargic, heavy, less fun, or less lovable. Age will slow down a pet, but with the right people, a loving home, exercise, and good veterinary care, a well-bred pet can give years of joy to a family. For many, the pet is more than a pet, it IS part of the family, a furry, loving child who depends on its human for the care it deserves.

Do you love your pet? THAT is all the reason you need to spay or neuter it.

Linda B. Haas, BS of Ed., MA (English), educator for 36 years, is a graduate of Kent State University, breeder/exhibitor of Maltese dogs, and currently teaches at Hillsborough Community College.