We have a dog overpopulation crisis! Too many dogs for too few homes. There are many reasons for this sad fact, including accidental mating, purposeful breeding by those hoping to sell the puppies, and personal reasons such as “I want my children to experience the miracle of birth” and “I just don’t think it is natural to fix my dog.”
Simple arithmetic illustrates how “just one litter” contributes to our surplus of dogs. Two dogs mate: six puppies are born. The six offspring reproduce in a year, and are responsible for six more puppies each – a litter of six becomes 36. In ten years, just one unaltered dog can be responsible for more than 4,000 births.
Pet shops and puppy mills are major causes of dog overpopulation. Thousands of puppy mills are still operating, with Iowa rated as the second worst in the entire nation. Most of the puppies in these assembly line mills are housed in cramped, make-shift cages, often outdoors in freezing winter and blistering summer heat. They receive inadequate care in these horrendous places, and are shipped all over the country to pet stores that claim the pups come from home environments of responsible breeders. Not true! Statistics repeatedly confirm that almost all pet store dogs are products of puppy mills, and purchasing a purebred dog registered with the American Kennel Club does not guarantee a high quality animal. In fact, many AKC registered dogs are from puppy mills. (If you are unfamiliar with the horrors of puppy mills, please google “puppy mills.” You will be appalled at what you find!)
There is only one way to solve the overpopulation: we must not allow so many animals to be born. To do this, we must educate the public as to the value of altering our pets, and enforce leash laws, mandatory licensing, and other ordinances relating to animal caregivers. Until our legislators take action to clean up our puppy mill mess, our companion animals will suffer.
Just a few of the myths that we need to dispel:
- It is a myth that it is cruel to alter an animal…the discomfort suffered from the surgery is small compared to the suffering and deaths caused by uncurbed breeding. Altering a pet also lessens the risk of diseases such as mammary and testicular cancer.
- It is a myth that a female dog should have at least one litter before being spayed, or that spaying (or neutering a male dog) will “ruin a good dog.”
- It is a myth that dogs show negative behavioral problems and “get fat” after sterilization. Dogs, just like humans, get fat because they eat too much or get too little exercise.
- It is a myth that since males don’t give birth, they don’t need to be neutered. “It takes two to tango” and while a female has only one litter at a time, males can impregnate many females each day.
- It is a myth that spaying or neutering is expensive. While the initial cost of the surgery may seem high, it’s a real bargain compared with the cost of raising a litter of puppies.
Thousands of homeless dogs offer this prayer:
“Dear God,
Please send us someone who will care. We’re tired of running; and sick with despair. Our bodies ache, so racked with pain, and nobody cares. We are outcasts, and with bodies aching, and rack with pain, we run from place to place. There are so many of us, and most of us are sick: wormy and ridden with fleas, tired and cold, afraid that we will never grow old. We often go days without food or even water. People chase us with sticks and hit us with stones. We are not bad dogs; we have become “victims of man.” Why were we born if no one wanted us? All we want is a human to love, so please ,God, if you find homes for us, we would try our best to please. We would be faithful and true to the last beat of our hearts. Don’t we deserve a chance at a good life?”
Bless the animals: they have no voice; they have no choice. It is humans’ responsibility to do what is best for our innocent four-legged friends.
Don’t do what is easy, do what is right!