Pet overpopulation is the top reason pets are left homeless, abandoned and too often euthanized. And while the reasons people don’t spay/neuter pets vary, the reasons tend to be based more on myths than facts. Mythinformation includes:

• It’s too expensive. Fact is, fixing your pet saves money over time and The Humane Society offers financial assistance for low income families.
• It will change the pet’s behavior. Fact is, fixing your pet makes him or her a more affectionate companion. Dogs are still protective, male cats will stop spraying and female cats will be less likely to roam.
• It will make the pet fat or lazy. Fact is, fixing your pet doesn’t affect his or her weight or activity level.
• It’s better for a female pet to have one litter first. Fact is, spaying a female pet before she has her first heat reduces health problem and reduces the cost for the spay procedure.
• It will make their male dog or cat feel less like a male. Fact is, research has shown that pets have no concept of sexual identity or ego.
• They will be able to find good homes for all the puppies and kittens from a litter. Fact is, The Humane Society frequently shelters puppies and kittens whose owners have been unable to find them homes. Sadly, more than 1,000 puppies
  and kittens were euthanized in 2007.
• It’s unnatural to prevent a pet from breeding. Fact is, domesticating dogs and cats is already an “unnatural” process.
• It will make the dog less protective. Fact is, spaying or neutering a dog doesn’t affect its natural instincts to protect, nor does it change its personality.

Download the MYTHinformation Fact Sheet. You must have Adobe Reader® to view & print this file.