Neuter/Spay - it's the only way.

Why Spay/Neuter?

It’s the Law. In Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, your pet must be spayed or neutered unless you have purchased an unaltered pet permit. If you are found to be not in compliance, you will be fined $100.

It’s Good for Your Pet. Your pet will be less likely to roam, get hit by a car, get into fights, mark its territory, and bite. Your pet will be calmer, easier to train, and more affectionate. And spaying and neutering will help your pet live a longer, healthier life, especially for those females who are spayed before their first heat cycle.

It’s Good for Homeless Animals. Two unaltered cats and their unaltered descendants can give birth to as many as 420,000 cats in just seven years. Two unaltered dogs and their descendants can number 67,000 in six years. Each year in North Carolina, 230,000 companion animals die in shelters. In the U.S., it’s 3 to 4 million!

Not Convinced?

It costs too much.

Ask about our low-cost and no-cost spay/neuter vouchers.

She needs to have at least one litter.

Having a litter does not improve a pet’s life. In fact, evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are healthier.

But my dog or cat is so special, I want a puppy or kitten just like her.

Her offspring won’t be a carbon copy. Even professional animal breeders can't guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, an entire litter of puppies or kittens might receive all of a pet's (and her mate's) worst characteristics.

If I neuter him, he won’t be as protective.

Actually, he’ll be more protective, because he’ll stay around. Remember, unneutered males will WANDER AWAY!

I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.

Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet's basic personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

They’ll get fat and lazy. 

Not true! Spaying and neutering does not affect weight. You need to exercise your animals to keep them fit and healthy. 

Only females need to be fixed. I have a male and it’s not my responsibility. 

It takes two to tango. Parental responsibility applies to animals, too.  

It is too cruel to do that to my pet. 

The procedure is done under general anesthesia, the pet feels nothing during the procedure, and it is very safe. Your pet will not be mad at you for spaying or neutering.  

I keep my animals indoors or tied up. 

Males who smell females in heat will find a way to escape. Females or males can get to a tied-up animal very easily. It happens all the time! 

I want to breed my pet…it’s a purebred! 

Purebred breeding is VERY complicated. Your animal should be champion material in order to breed. Is it a five-generation purebred? Are there a minimum of eight titles in the last three generations? Is it certified free of genetic diseases? Do you have the time and money it takes to do this? Will you take a puppy back if the adopter returns it? 

At least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country is a purebred. 

I can make some extra money selling the puppies/kittens. 

Most likely, NOT! Think about vet bills, the cost of shots, medications, food, and advertising. What if the mother is in medical danger during the pregnancy or delivery? Think about the time commitment, caring for them, and then trying to find them the right homes!

I'll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens.

You may find homes for all of your pet's litter. But each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters who need good homes. Also, in less than one year's time, each of your pet's offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time.

Content derived from the web sites of the Asheville Humane Society, the Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Partnership for Pets, PetRescue.com, PETsMART Charities, Purina.com, NeuterNeuterLand, and Spay USA.