Spay and Neuter Clinics
Spaying and neutering are surgeries that keep a dog or cat from producing litters of puppies or kittens. Beyond preventing reproduction, the procedures offer health advantages, including protection against some cancers, and they curb unwanted behaviors such as roaming, fighting over mates and marking territory.
A spay is performed on a female. The veterinarian removes both ovaries and usually the uterus, typically through a small cut in the belly or side. Because the ovaries make most of the hormones that bring a pet into heat and draw in males, a spayed female stops having heat cycles and no longer attracts male animals to your home. A neuter is performed on a male and removes both testicles through a small incision.
Fix-It Pet Clinic Network
Fix-It Pet Clinic Network is a nonprofit clinic working to make sure every pet owner can get spay and neuter surgery and preventive care. Its clinics employ licensed veterinarians and trained veterinary technicians, though the network does not offer full-service veterinary care.
Contact the network for current prices and clinic locations.
Cottonwood Coalition for Animal Care
The Cottonwood Coalition for Animal Care (CCAC) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering humane answers to pet overpopulation and broader animal welfare needs. CCAC does this by giving Texas pet owners access to affordable, high-quality preventive services.
Lantern Animal Welfare Society
The Lantern Animal Welfare Society runs spay, neuter and wellness clinics that provide basic veterinary care at reduced prices, made possible by its donors and sponsors.
Ask the society about pricing and where its clinics are located.
Why Spay and Neuter?
Even when something benefits the whole community, it is natural to wonder what's in it for you. Here is what you and your pet can expect from having your dog or cat spayed or neutered:
Better health. A spayed or neutered pet cannot get uterine or testicular cancer, and spayed females have a far lower risk of breast cancer and urinary infections. Older dogs that have been bred often develop reproductive cancers.
Better behavior. Males neutered at a young age are much less likely to wander, spray urine on territory (including your things) or act aggressively toward other males. An unneutered male will go to extreme lengths to reach a female in heat nearby, digging under fences, breaking leashes and crossing busy streets. Female cats in heat become unusually affectionate and loud, rolling on the floor and rubbing against you nonstop, and you may notice male cats loitering around your home.
No surprise litters. An unplanned pregnancy means extra veterinary care for the mother and her young, plus the job of finding good homes for six or more babies.
Fredville Animal Services does not perform sterilization surgery. Low-cost spay and neuter services are available from the Cottonwood Coalition for Animal Care (CCAC) and Fix-It Pet Clinic Network, both of which use the Fredville Paws Adoption Center for pet drop-off and pickup.
Myths About Spaying and Neutering
Some owners hesitate because they have heard about supposed bad side effects or have picked up misconceptions over the years. Below are several common myths and the facts behind them.
Myth: It makes pets fat. When the surgery is done early, before sexual maturity, it usually has no effect on weight. Pets altered after maturity may have a bigger appetite because their hormone levels change, but overweight pets are almost always overfed or under-exercised.
Myth: It makes pets lazy. Neutering lowers a male's urge to travel, sometimes long distances, in search of females in heat, and it may slightly reduce energy. Altered dogs and cats stay just as playful and lively as unaltered ones.
Myth: It changes a pet's personality. The only personality shifts are the good ones already mentioned: no roaming, less marking and less aggression. Otherwise your pet remains just as much itself as a person does after a vasectomy or having their ovaries removed.
Myth: My pet deserves to experience sex. For animals, mating is simply a strong instinct to reproduce. Owners who worry about this are often projecting human feelings onto their pets, and the concern often comes from men who flinch at the thought of castration, even though the procedure is painless and happens to the pet, not to them.
Myth: Children should witness the miracle of birth. Bringing more litters into a world already crowded with homeless pets is a poor way to teach children where babies come from. Videos and other educational resources can show the process instead. And if a litter is allowed for this reason, parents should also consider taking their kids to a shelter to see the other side: the many animals euthanized each day because no one adopts them.
How Fast Do Dogs and Cats Multiply?
People usually have one baby at a time. Dogs and cats, on the other hand, typically have several in each litter.
Within five years, one female dog and her female puppies can produce 192 puppies, assuming two litters a year with two females in each. That count doesn't even include puppies fathered by her male offspring.
People don't reproduce anywhere near that quickly, and not every person wants a dog, which leaves our community with a great many unwanted puppies and dogs.
How two cats can become 80 million
Let two cats and their surviving kittens keep breeding for ten years, and the total reaches 80,399,780 cats, assuming two litters per year and 2.8 kittens surviving from each litter.
| Year | Total cats |
|---|---|
| 1 | 12 |
| 2 | 66 |
| 3 | 382 |
| 4 | 2,201 |
| 5 | 12,680 |
| 6 | 73,041 |
| 7 | 420,715 |
| 8 | 2,423,316 |
| 9 | 13,968,290 |
| 10 | 80,399,780 |
When Should I Spay or Neuter My Pet?
Talk with your veterinarian about the best timing for your pet's breed, age and health. Despite a common belief, waiting until a female dog or cat has had her first heat is NOT necessarily the best choice.
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