The Importance of Spaying/Neutering Your Pets

Did you know a single unaltered cat and her offspring can produce more than 400,000 cats in their lifetime? Over time, this creates a massive burden and impact on local shelters, which stretches resources and available space. Spaying and neutering pets is one way to lessen this avoidable strain.

During an average year, the Bradshaw Animal Shelter cares for more than 13,000 animals. Of those, more than 7,000 are spayed or neutered at the shelter or through available programs, grants and donated funds from organizations like Teaching Everyone Animals Matter (TEAM). Last year, the shelter also provided approximately $66,840 in low-cost spay and neuter vouchers to low-income Sacramento County residents through the Sacramento Area Animals Coalition’s (SAAC) Voucher Program. For feral cats in the community, the shelter offers a Return-to-Field (RTF) Program, which is a humane and effective method of managing feral and community cat populations.

(Did you know Rio Linda has its own feral cat sterilization organization? Ask Sara Williams for more info!)

In addition to providing a solution to overpopulation, there are numerous health and other benefits to spay/neutering, including:

Prevention of pet-related diseases, including cancers
In some cases, behaviors like roaming, aggression and barking may improve
Increased life expectancy and overall quality of life
Reduced licensing fees (licensing an altered pet is cheaper than licensing an unaltered pet)

February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month. Here are some ways to help:

Spay or neuter your pet!
Donate a spay/neuter operation through Bradshaw Animal Shelter.
Help educate others by sharing this story on social media or via email.
License your pet – Licensing fees are used to operate the shelter and help fund the programs/services offered, including spay and neuter surgeries.

For more information about TEAM, visit their website. Information on licensing your pet can be found on the Bradshaw Shelter’s licensing page. To schedule a surgery, call Community Spay and Neuter at 916-367-7314 or visit their website. To view the various ways you can donate to shelter pets in need, visit the shelter’s donation website.