To The Dogs: Help Control The Pet Population

Join Camp Bow Wow McHenry April 22 as it raises money and awareness on the importance of spay and neuter programs with its 1st Annual Spay-Ghetti and No Balls spaghetti dinner.

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The numbers are staggering.

Six to eight million dogs and cats enter shelters every year. Only half of those ever find homes. The other half is ultimately euthanized. Half! That’s three- to four-million cats and dogs euthanized every year!

Pet overpopulation is such a large problem in the U.S. It’s estimated 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every 24 hours. That’s seven dogs and cats for every one human that’s born. At that rate, it’s just not possible to find homes for them all.

Having our pets spayed or neutered is an effective defense against overpopulation. It saves lives! It means fewer and fewer dogs and cats enter shelters. It means fewer and fewer dogs and cats will be euthanized for lack of a home.

To help you make this important decision about your pet, I’ve listed a few myths and facts about spaying and neutering from The Humane Society of the United States (www.humanesociety.org):

MYTH: It’s better to have one litter before spaying a female pet.
FACT: Every litter counts.
Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence show that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as 8 weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian about the appropriate time for these procedures.

MYTH: But my pet is a purebred.
FACT: So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats – mixed breed and purebred. About half of all animals entering shelters are euthanized.

MYTH: I don’t want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.
FACT: 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. (I find the emotional reaction usually comes from the male guardian. I think they identify a little too closely with
this procedure! Sorry guys!)

MYTH: My pet will get fat and lazy.
FACT: The truth is most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don’t give them enough exercise. (Camp Bow Wow can help you out with the exercise part!)

MYTH: It’s expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered.
FACT: Many low-cost options exist for spay/neuter services. Most regions of the U.S. have at least one spay/neuter clinic within driving distance that charges $100 or less for the procedure, and many veterinary clinics provide discounts through subsidized voucher programs. Low-cost spay/neuter is more and more widely available all the time.

Think you alone can’t make a difference? Think of this: In six years, one unsprayed female dog and her offspring can reproduce 67,000 dogs. Yes, you alone can make a difference.

An even bigger help in controlling the pet population is choosing to adopt a pet from your local shelter. Those dogs and cats are already in need of a good, loving home. If you’re thinking about making a furry addition to your family, why not check out your local shelter so you can not only find a companion, but also save a life. Save one more from euthanasia.

Join Camp Bow Wow McHenry April 22 as we raise money and awareness on the importance of spay and neuter programs with our 1st Annual Spay-Ghetti and No Balls spaghetti dinner. We are going to have a dog-gone great night of food and fun at the McHenry VFW with dinner catered by Jimano’s Pizzeria in McHenry.

Enjoy the feast and help us vote for Camp Bow Wow’s most “Pooped Pup!” Camp Bow Wow McHenry clients will be invited to submit a picture of their “Pooped Pup” after a day of play at Camp. We want everyone to help us pick our most “Pooped Pup!”

You also can try your luck and spin the Camp Bow Wow Wheel of Fabulous Prizes and see what you can win! There will be several prizes available from local vendors. Come and join us for all the fun!

All proceeds from the dinner will go to benefit the dogs and cats in need at Helping Paws Animal Shelter in Woodstock. Stop in at Camp Bow Wow McHenry or Helping Paws Animal Shelter to buy your tickets, which cost $15 for adults and $7 for kids 12 years old and younger. Save your ticket for a free nail trim at Camp Bow Wow!

Remember what former TV game-show host Bob Barker says: “Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.”