Reducing Our Pet Over Population

We have one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, with two thirds of Australian families owning at least one pet. Yet, did you know that over 200 000 unwanted, healthy cats and dogs are destroyed in Australian pounds and shelters every year because there are not enough homes available? I have written before about the important of desexing your pets and some of the common misconceptions that stop people from desexing their pets, there really is no excuse for not having your pets desexed.

Sometimes, financial difficulties can see people put off desexing their animals. The National Desexing Network is a nationwide referral service for low cost desexing. If you have a pension or concession card you can ring 1300 368 992 or visit their website and apply for a certificate that you can take to a participating vet for discount desexing of your animals. Other organisations such as the Animal Welfare leauge in your state can also help with discount desexing.

Another recent initiative to help reduce the amount of unwanted animals destroyed in NSW each year is a new bill that has been introduced by Member for Sydney, Clover Moore. The main focus of this bill is a proposal to ban the keeping and sale of mammals in pet shops, markets etc. Get behind the bill by contacting your local State Member of Parliament, let them know about the bill and ask them to support it.

The importance of Desexing your Pets

Every year, tens of thousands of unwanted healthy cats and dogs are destroyed in Australian pounds and shelters. Much of this could be prevented if more pets were desexed. Just one female cat and her offspring can produce over 1 million cats in ten years, most of these would be destroyed, unable to find a loving home. These numbers are heart breaking, but we can all do something to help reduce the problem.

In 2005-2006 the RSPCA alone received 66,344 Dogs of that 21,554 were destroyed. 61,183 Cat were collected 37,010 were euthanased. That is over 58,000 innocent animals destroyed in one year!

Pet ownership comes with many responsibilities, yet many pet owners neglect one of the most important for the well being of not only their animals, but many others.

There are many myths associated with peoples reluctance to desex their pets much of these are certainly not true. Some of the common ones include..

Females should have one litter first
This is most defiantly not true. There is no medical reason for a female animal to have a litter before they are desexed. This can in fact be dangerous for your pet.

If I desex my pet, it will become fat.
This is untrue, desexing does not cause your pet to become over weight. The main reason for excess weight is over feeding, or a reduction of activity levels.

My pets will lose it’s personality
Your pet will be the same animal after the operation, with the same individual personality. Some desirable changes you may notice in your pet are the reduction of aggression, tendencies to roam and other anti social behaviours.

Desexing is expensive, I cannot afford it.
Many animal welfare organizations offer discount desexing programs (see links below) If you are un able to afford the desexing of your pet, a basic medical expense, perhaps you should re think pet ownership. Pets have many other requirements besides the basics of food and shelter, that can sometimes be expensive. These should all be considered when first getting a pet.

Reasons why I should desex my pet.
There are many reasons as to why you should desex your pet for it’s own health and well being, not only to reduce unwanted offspring.
* Desexed animals are less prone to escape and to wander.
* Reduce the risk of aggressive tendencies.
* Stop territorial marking or spraying.
* Reduce the risk of things such as tumours, cancer and diseases spread by sexual contact.
* Reduced registration fees with your local council.

Desexing is a relative simple procedure. Dogs and cats can be desexed as earlier as 8 weeks, with most vets recommending around 10-12weeks of age depending on the animal, before the onset of puberty. Dogs and cats can become sexually active and produce offspring at as young as 5-6 months old so it is important to be done as early as possible.