On a daily basis, The Paws Squad team sees first-hand the over population of dogs and cats in Logan County. We’re constantly receiving pleas for help in rehoming unwanted animals and picking up strays. In the first seven months of 2020 alone, we’ve saved 920 dogs and cats by making 107 transports! That number is mind-boggling, and this pace isn’t something that can be sustained over a long period of time. We need help.
We need volunteers who want to help us by fostering animals until we can arrange transport. We need volunteers who want to take pictures of animals in the pound so we can show them to potential rescue partners. We need volunteers who can support our transport missions by driving animals to the rescue partners. We need volunteers to pick up stray animals and bring them to safety. We need partners who donate food. We need money to provide medical care. We need a lot. And we also need time for ourselves. We need time to rest and heal. Rescue work is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting.
So what could help make our work a little easier? The best way to help is to reduce the number of unwanted animals by spaying/neutering your pet. Don’t get us wrong, we still need help with the things listed above. But controlling the animal population in Logan County can lessen all those other needs. So that’s our #1 reason to spay/neuter your pet.
Spaying/neutering reduces unwanted animals. Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
It saves money. The cost of caring for a litter is a lot more than the cost of having your pet spayed/neutered. It’s also cheaper than the vet bills you’ll incur when your unneutered pet escapes and gets into fights with stray animals.
Your pet may enjoy a longer, healthier life. Studies show that altered dogs will live 1 to 3 years longer while cats will live an additional 3 to 5 years. Animals who are spayed or neutered have a very low risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumors, pyometria, and uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.
Your spayed female won't go into heat. A heat cycle can last somewhere around a few days to 4 weeks. During this time, your pet will behave differently, often howling loudly as they try to attract a male to mate with. They often urinate more frequently, sometimes all over the house!
Your male dog won't want to roam. An unneutered male will do just about anything to find a mate, and that often results in escaping from the house. Once he’s free, there’s a high chance he could be injured or lost.
Your neutered male will be much better behaved. Neutered cats and dogs are happy being part of their human families. Unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. A lack of exercise and overfeeding is what makes your pet overweight. There is no evidence that spaying or neutering causes this. Even when they’re fixed, your pet will stay strong and slim as long as you provide exercise and monitor how much they’re eating.
Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. Stray animals are a real problem in many parts of the country, especially here in Logan County. They often suffer from very poor health, including injury, disease and starvation. They can also cause nuisance in the community, and cats can prey on native wildlife. Spaying and neutering reduces the number of animals on the streets.
Please be a responsible pet parent and have your furry friends spayed or neutered. If you need assistance, The Paws Squad may be able to help. For more information, contact us at thepawssquad@yahoo.com or send us a message on Facebook at @thepawssquadwv.