Spay Day...

There is another reason to celebrate today and that is the 14th annual Spay Day USA. This is the day that many shelters across the U.S. get the word out about the importance of spaying and neutering your animals. Why is this important? Consider these statistics:

Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year:
6-8 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year:
3-4 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year:
3-4 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year:
Between 600,000 and 750,000 -- 30% of dogs and 2-5% of cats entering shelters (HSUS estimate)

Number of animal shelters in the United States:
Between 4,000 and 6,000 (HSUS estimate)

Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred:
25% (HSUS estimate)

Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3

Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6

Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2

Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6-10

According to the Humane Society of the United States, a single un-spayed female cat, her mate, and their offspring can produce a total of 420,000 kittens in just seven years! In six years, one un-spayed female dog and her offspring can product 67,000 puppies! This results in the euthanization of millions of homeless pets.

If we want to cut down on the useless euthanasia rate in America, we need to have our animals spayed and neutered. This is the only way. Below is a video from the Humane Society of the United States on Spay Day.