| It's a good question, and one that has a really | | | | have to deal with the consequences. You have to |
| good answer. | | | | decide to either sell them, give them away, or |
| If you are a responsible dog owner, you should | | | | keep them. If you sell them, and they don't all get |
| consider spaying or neutering your animal because | | | | sold, do you give them away to people, or take |
| it is better for their health, and better for the | | | | them to the pound? If they go to the pound, will |
| future of animals in general. | | | | they get put to sleep? The sad truth is, probably. |
| Every day thousands of dogs, cats, and other | | | | And to be honest, they may be better off |
| animals are euthanized by shelters across the | | | | getting euthanized than having a life spent in a |
| world because they don't have the funds to feed | | | | cage or with a bad owner. |
| and take care of the animals they have in their | | | | Dog who are not spayed or neutered have |
| facilities. They get hundreds of calls from around | | | | double the risk of getting cancer, especially |
| their area to go pick up an animal that has gotten | | | | ovarian or testicular cancer, which are very |
| loose or was born in the wild, and there's no | | | | common among mammals. They're often more |
| possible way to take them all in. The shelters are | | | | violent (in the case of male dogs), and have more |
| always short on money, volunteers, and official | | | | territory marking and defending behaviors than |
| people, and the animals in shelters suffer for it. | | | | dogs that were spayed/neutered as a puppy. |
| Animals in shelters commonly get Kennel Cough, | | | | Mature male dogs will develop mounting behaviors |
| and they usually develop behavioral problems, | | | | with female or male dogs near them, and some |
| especially if they've been there a while. Being | | | | of them go as far to attempt to mount humans. |
| locked in a cage all of the time with few people | | | | This behavior can be dangerous because if they're |
| to walk them or interact with them can turn | | | | very determined to mate, they may get violent |
| them violent or neurotic, and sometimes they | | | | with other people or dogs near their target, or |
| never recover. | | | | even violent with their target. |
| Many of the animals in shelters are puppies that | | | | Intact females and males develop more |
| were strays born in the wild. Some were dropped | | | | territory-marking tendencies, and are more likely |
| off in boxes along with the rest of their litter | | | | to mark up the house they live in. This marking is |
| because a dog got pregnant and the owners don't | | | | very smelly, and lasts a very long time. Once |
| want the puppies. I can't count how many times | | | | they learn to mark their living area, they won't |
| I've been in a shelter where there are puppies still | | | | unlearn it. This habit is nearly impossible to break. |
| being nursed by the volunteers and staff of the | | | | They may also generalize to marking their owners |
| shelter because they were left in a box or bag on | | | | and guests the owners have in their houses. |
| the shelter's doorstep as harmless, vulnerable | | | | Not neutering or spaying your animal, be they |
| puppies. | | | | dog, cat, ferret, or other, can damage their health |
| Whenever you have a dog in heat, or a mature, | | | | and well-being, as well as other animals or people |
| intact male dog, you run the risk of them getting | | | | that encounter them. It is something that every |
| pregnant or getting someone pregnant, and you | | | | responsible pet owner should consider doing. |