Today, February 26, 2013, is the 19th Annual World Spay Day, sponsored by the Humane Society of the UnitedStates (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI). HSUS heralds this special date as “a day to shine the spotlight on spay/neuter as a proven means of saving lives of companion animals, feral cats, and street dogs who might otherwise be put down in a shelter or killed on the street.” World Spay Day is also co-sponsored by national groups such as ASPCA, PetSmartCharities, and PetFinder, as well as many local animal welfare organizations.

One of the primary reasons spay/neuter surgery is not performed timely (or at all) is cost. During the month of February, many national and local organizations are striving to make sterilization affordable for all pet owners. To find an event near you, click here. For those in the Akron area, check out this event at One of a Kind Pets.
How much do YOU know about spay or neuter? Quick facts:
- Kittens can (and should!) be spayed or neutered once they reach 2 pounds; dogs can have the procedure completed as soon as 8 weeks of age.
- One unaltered cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years!!
- Spaying females corrects many undesirable behaviors associated with heat cycles; neutering males helps correct things like urine marking, roaming, and humping.
- Spay/neuter lowers the chance of many health problems later in life, including certain types of cancer.
- Purebred dogs make up approximately 25% of shelter populations—don’t let your purebred’s puppies become a statistic! A litter of purebred puppies is still a litter that has the potential to end up in shelters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Content By: Jocelyn Alexander
Jocelyn Alexander is a rescue foster for dogs and cats, as well as a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS). She has a 4-year-old black Labrador retriever named Dixie, who is a registered Pet Partners therapy dog and Canine Good Citizen; and Chloe, a 10-year-old tuxedo cat who rules the house with a velvet glove.
Images: 1, 2, 3