TO THE EDITOR:
On behalf of the members of Helping Paws of the Campus Y, we would like to thank Sarah Glen for her coverage on the advancement of spay/neuter advocacy due to Orange County Animal Services and their efforts (“Orange Country struggles with pet overpopulation,” Jan. 28). However, we would like to clarify some misconceptions about pet overpopulation that Charles Adams’s quote in the article pinpointed.
According to the ASPCA and other top animal welfare organizations, animal shelters in the United States euthanize between 3 and 4 million pets each year.
Many of these animals would make great pets, but due to lack of people adopting from shelters and an excess of irresponsible breeders, they are killed. In the 1970s, shelters in the United States euthanized between 12 and 20 million pets each year. This dramatic decrease in unnecessary deaths is due almost entirely to the promotion of spaying and neutering by veterinarians and animal welfare workers.
While spaying and neutering save lives by decreasing pet overpopulation, they also have many substantial health benefits that can lengthen the lives of pets. Spaying female pets dramatically decreases their chances of developing pyometra and mammary tumors, the most common malignant tumor in intact female dogs. Also, the risk of uterine, cervical and ovarian tumors is eliminated through spaying. The possibility of testicular cancer disappears through neutering male pets, and neutering also reduces the risk of various prostate disorders.
For more information about spaying and neutering, including resources for low cost options, visit www.co.orange.nc.us/animalservices/.
Alex Lane
Senior
Biology & Political Science
Alena Hall
Sophomore
Business
