Don't Litter: Get Your Dog Desexed

[Ravyk]

TOO many unwanted puppies pay the ultimate price for their owners' failure to have their pets desexed.

July is national desexing month, coming as it does just before the prime mating season for cats and dogs.

National Desexing Network director Sylvana Wenderhold said a reduction in adoptions was leading to an increase in shelter euthanasia.

"An estimated 100,000 cats and 80,000 dogs are being killed in pounds and shelters in Australia every year," she said.

"The best way out of this crisis is for people to get their pets desexed now, in July, before we get to the spring breeding season and an influx of unwanted and euthanased pets."

The pups pictured were born six weeks ago, when their mother, Dolce, was just one year old.

The staffordshire-cross was too young to look after the litter of 15 pups and tragically suffocated 11, leaving four survivors.

She was cared for by the Animal Welfare League SA before being fostered by a shelter worker .

Dolce and her puppies had their six week vaccinations yesterday and were healthy and happy, and are almost ready for adoption.

Animal Welfare League spokeswoman Brenda Champion said Arizona, Phantom, Buddha and Chief would soon be desexed.

"Desexing is really important because of all the unwanted puppies coming into our shelter every day," she said.

Research shows that 65 per cent of people who surrender undesexed cats and dogs have not desexed them because of financial circumstances or they did not get around to it.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/dont-litter-get-your-dog-desexed/story-fn6bqphm-1226087557683

[felix]

If only it's that simple.

[WreckitWhippet]

Yes, if only it was that simple...

[Bartok]

for me, if they are desexed before they go to new homes then it isnt an issue

we need to have tighter laws that are more closely monitored

[sandgrubber]

No one said it's 'that simple'. Desexing of pets and prevention of unwanted litters is a step in the right direction. It won't stop the puppy mills. But it will reduce the oops litters. We have subsidized desexing here. A spay or neuter costs about $40 for low income people. It thelps.