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I've preached that for so long to so many deaf ears, when will they ever learn!

Never had a pet that was not fixed. Have enough barn cats showing up to have kittens. Fix those that I can catch and pray for the rest.

Keep posting this message, some people just don't get it...

It's a great message! It should be posted anywhere in public where the store owners would let you. Can we get actual posters of this?

Well put! I just had a frustrating situation with a neighbor who has both a yellow lab and several cats - which they never allow in their house. When our windchills were 30-40 below someone apparently called the local ACO, because one of the cats was huddled up against their garage with no apparent shelter. The neighbor was upset someone called, because she said they have a box on their porch with a blanket in it for the cat - and she said the ACO said he couldn't imagine why someone would call??? In any event - this cat has mothered many a litter. I told her our rescue group would get her fixed at a nominal charge, and if she couldn't pay for it, Fluffee and I would. Her comment was that she liked when she had kittens - and she is always able to find homes for them, so she would not take the offer. Additionally, she said the cat is getting older, so she probably won't be able to have many more litters. Frustrating at best!

GitchesMom, fortunately most people are not like your neighbor. If you were to ask your vet, she would tell you that more than 90% of the pets she sees are spayed or neutered. In most cases, although clearly not the case with your neighbor, people who don't spay or neuter their pets base their decision on finances. If there were more low-cost/free clinics, more pets would be spayed and neutered. Unfortunately, some politicians have been persuaded that mandatory spay/neuter laws are the answer to the problem of crowded shelters. In fact, just the opposite is true. People who don't have the money to have their pets spayed or neutered wind up having them seized and sent to the local shelter, which is usually a kill shelter and their much loved pets are killed because the owner did not have the money for the mandated surgery. In every case where mandatory spay/neuter laws have been passed, kill rates at shelters have gone up. More dogs and cats die, not fewer. I wish that these idiot politicians would spend the money on subsidizing spay/neuter clinics instead of spending the money on seizing and incarcerating helpless animals, and then killing them.

Ditto to collieflower! I have had all my animals spayed except for my toy poodle. I read that the cancer rate declines after a bitch has had one litter. So, I am seriously thinking of letting her have on litter and then be spayed.

Actually, the rate for mammary cancer (which is fairly high in dogs, higher than in people) declines to zero if a female is spayed before her first season. It will still be very low if she is spayed before her second season. If you breed your toy poodle you should be aware that there are a number of genetic disorders that afflict poodles that should be tested for before you undertake a breeding. There is a very high incidence of late onset Progressive Retinal Atrophy in poodles and toy poodles have problems with thyroid and with subluxated patellas, a condition that can be very painful for the dog. Toy poodles generally only have very small litters, the puppies are very small at birth, and such small puppies can be more difficult to raise than larger puppies. You might check out the Poodle Club of America website, which would give you more information. view link There is much information here, particularly about health issues facing the breed.

Cancer information: view link

I have bred a number of litters in my lifetime, and I have done a lot of pedigree research and health screening in the process. In fact, I usually spend between $1000 and $1500 before puppies are ever born, then that much again by the time the puppies are seven weeks old and that doesn't count lost time from work. I love what I do, but it is hard and sometimes heartbreaking.

We're all spayed and altered in this house at 6mo of age-I want them to live a longer
and healthier life. There are so many pets that are abused and neglected this is a throw
a way society .Maybe someday there will be laws passed that all companion pets must be spayed and neutered to stop the over population-I guess some people just don't get it-
I'm sure people don't think how the end will come to those that are not adopted out more than not-heart stick and gassing is what most pounds and some shelters use to this day!Very inhumane way to die! I'm done venting now

For me 'altering' my pet is something that just goes along with the territory. It's like 'circumcising your son when he's born. You just do it.. it just is.
To be a responsible adult is to put this into action immediately.. as soon as the pet is old enough.
The number one, mandatory pre-requisite should always be.. responsibility.
Just as no one should adopt pets without complete dedication to the responsibility for the total and proper care of it's well being.
We are taking a life into our hands. A life that depends on us for it's total care.. with trust and adoration.
This is the least we can do.. for all the love we receive in return.
What human would be so devoted?
It is a proven fact that our pets live longer, healthier and happier lives when 'altered'.