Pet sterilization is a collective responsibility

Who is responsible for pet overpopulation in our province? This is an important question at this time of year. Spring is mating season for our pets and hundreds of kittens and puppies are born in our region in March and April. While some will win over people's hearts, many others will be abandoned, roam for a while and die prematurely or be left at shelters and end up euthanized in organizations where this is standard practice.

A heartbreaking reality

The SPCA Laurentides-Labelle, one of the two no-kill shelters in the province, will likely have to turn away many dog or cat owners who come in with a litter or people who find abandoned families of pets. This is heartbreaking but the reality is that housing too many pets would put their health and our resources in jeopardy.

In our view, we all have a responsibility in slowing down pet overpopulation. Part of the SPCA LL's role is to make sure every animal that is adopted out of our shelter is spayed or neutered. Individual pet owner responsibility includes having their own pet sterilized. With the knowledge available to us and the safety of the current sterilization methods, there is no reason to avoid it. Consider this: a couple of cats and their offspring can potentially produce 420,000 kittens in only seven years!

Cost and benefits

Some people argue that sterilization is too costly or that it changes a pet's temperament. First off, the cost of sterilization is very small compared to the cost of taking care of a mother and her litter.

Moreover, spaying and neutering offer important health and behaviour benefits. For instance, sterilization significantly reduces the risk for disease in the reproductive system. It also reduces the urge to roam; this way, your pet is less likely to disappear, to contract a disease or to get into a fight and get injured. Neutering males reduces or stops aggressive behaviours as well as marking behaviour. In females, spaying eliminates the heat cycles - i.e. you won't have to listen to the sounds of your female in heat. In all cases, sterilization eliminates sexual tensions, making your pet calmer and happier. And if you're concerned about your pet getting fat after this surgery, please remember that proper diet and exercise will keep them healthy.

Finding homes for little ones

Even if your pet has a litter and you're lucky enough to find loving homes for all kittens or puppies, each of these homes is potentially taken away from abandoned pets waiting in shelters. And these kittens or puppies might eventually have litters of their own, adding to the problem of pet overpopulation. The kittens or puppies you've given away might also end up at shelters within a short time. In fact, most cats that are abandoned at the SPCA LL (excluding litters) are between 10 and 18 months old and not sterilized. Reasons for abandonment often include having too many litters for females, unpleasant odours for males, fighting, etc.

The miracle of birth

If you're a parent and you'd like your children to witness the miracle of birth, please remember there is another option. The SPCA LL is in urgent need of temporary adoption homes for expectant female cats and dogs at this time of year. This way, you can provide education to your children and help out an animal in need of a calm and loving home until she gives birth to her litter. The shelter will provide you with the food and accessories you'll need, and we'll even take back the pets after their birth if you can't keep them permanently. You can also consider educating your children not only about the miracle of life, but also about the responsibility that come with it. 

Sterilization or overpopulation? The choice is yours. Please take an active part in slowing down pet overpopulation! 

For more information about pet spaying or neutering, or to become a temporary adoption family for a pet, please call the SPCA LL at 819 326-4059. Our shelter is also open to the public seven days a week from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. We're located at 355 Demontigny in Ste-Agathe.