Pediatric Spay/ Neuter

Many veterinary medical associations support and endorse pediatric spay and neuter (what some refer to as early age sterilization). Concerns about the effects, both long and short term, of early age sterilization surgery cited by some veterinarians as problematic, have been unproven.

The following is a list of controlled studies, personal experiences and personal opinions. Most of them are from experts in the field:

Winn Feline Foundation
Benefits of Early Spay/Neuter Data Collection
Dr. Tracy Land - Pediatric Sterilization
For Veterinarians: Early-Age Neutering Video

Mandatory early spay/neuter before adoption is one of our greatest hopes for success in reducing the number of animals killed every day.

Many animal shelters use routine euthanasia (killing an animal by injecting a lethal dose of sodium pentobarbital) or gassing, as the method of choice to dipose of animals surrendered by citizens or captured by Animal Control. See A Step Backwards on Euthanasia Methods article in Animal Sheltering November/December 2000 issue.

Some shelters, depending on local law, will hold certain animals for a short time to try and find the animal's owner. If there is no collar with an ID tag with current information on the animal, or if no one responds to calls made to the phone number on the ID tag or letters mailed and there is no microchip, the animal might be put up for adoption usually at the discretion of the animal control officers. If the owner doesn't claim the animal, and if the animal is not adopted, it will be killed. About 6 million animals are killed in shelters each year nationwide.

Pediatric spay/neuter is a critical step in ending the killing of "surplus" companion animals, but there is much else that needs to be done. There are many organizations now joining the "No More Homeless Pets" movement. Please join our coalition for change and get involved. Innocent companion pets are dying every day, and they need your help.

An Animal's Prayer

I ask for the privilege of not being born... not to be born until you can assure me of a home and a person to protect me, and the right to live as long as I am physically able to enjoy life... not to be born until my body is precious and people have ceased to exploit it because it is cheap and plentiful.