Spay Surgery Is Not Required to Stop Canine Reproduction

The high cost and/or low availability of spay surgery doesn’t have to result in unwanted litters—but owners have to take some effective action.

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I don’t think I could have survived being a shelter worker in the 1970s, when the population of dogs (and cats) getting euthanized annually in American shelters was highest. The Humane Society of the U.S. estimated that about 13.5 million animals were euthanized in the U.S. in 1973; in recent years, that number has hovered under 3 million—still too many, but far fewer than when I was a child.

However, while estimated numbers for 2023 and 2024 won’t be available for another year or two, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the number of euthanized pets will be far higher than the lowest historic counts. There have been a number of theories floated for this increase, from the COVID-era shortage of veterinary appointments available for spay/neuter surgery (both caused by mandatory animal hospital closures as well as the COVID-prompted retirement of many veterinarians and veterinary staff), to steep increases in the price of spay/neuter surgery (caused by both a shortage of vets and veterinary staff and high demand).

Though the causes are not entirely clear, the fact that there has been a sharp rise in the number of unwanted dogs (in particular) is evident to anyone involved in sheltering or rescue. Shelters and rescues are packed beyond capacity with adult and adolescent dogs and endless waves of puppies keep coming in year-round.

I can’t count the times that someone who had an unplanned litter of puppies told me, “It’s OK, I have homes lined up for all of the puppies!” This makes me crazy, because I know that when people are given a free puppy, very few of them follow through and obtain spay/neuter surgery; that unplanned puppy is about to go out and make a bunch more.

In online forums for community members, I often see posts from people who are seeking information about lower-cost spay/neuter surgery for their dogs—and just as often, looking to give away free puppies. I live in an economically disadvantaged town in a lower-income county, so I think I see more of this than my friends in more affluent parts of California, but I always wonder: Why can’t they just keep their dogs apart?

I know that the allure of a female dog in heat is strong, and that male dogs will do anything in their power to reach them. But surely anyone can procure a secure crate for their female dog, and back it up with a closed door or two for as many weeks as needed? How long is this? If you have an intact female dog, you had better find out! See “How Long Are Dogs in Heat.”

In a household with intact male and female dogs, what about making the neutering of the male dogs a priority? Surgery for males costs much less than females. If your own male dogs are neutered, you just have to secure your female dog indoors at home (so she’s not accosted by other intact males in the neighborhood).

Look into every voucher program or low-income assistance program in your community. Call your local animal shelter and ask for their recommendations on lower-cost spay/neuter. Call every veterinarian in your area and compare costs, asking if they offer any lower-cost appointments.

If you know someone with an intact female dog, please help them learn about how to prevent their dog’s pregnancy, point them toward a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, or do a little fundraising in your immediate social circle to help surgery happen sooner than later. Slowing the number of healthy dogs being euthanized in U.S. shelters depends on everyone doing what they can to prevent more unwanted litters from being conceived.

18 COMMENTS

          • For the males it is simply a vasectomy, in the females it is a partial spay- the uterus is removed, but not the ovaries. It allows for normal hormone levels without being able to reproduce. With the hormones their bones, muscles, and organs develop at the rate nature intends and can help limit long term health issues such as joint problems where the bones and muscles were not fully developed before spay/neuter and they end up longer or shorter than their genetics are programmed for but depend on those hormones to control the growth. It is often something you won’t notice, but as they age they get arthritis due to the imperfect motion in the joints.

  1. thanks for the article. I live in the Netherlands and, like many parts of Europe, many dogs here are kept in tact their whole life. Many believe its better for their health–particularly larger breeds. And I don’t see 100’s of dogs running in the streets. There are rescues who bring in dogs from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey so yes, many of the shelters are busy..but most people here seem to know how to be responsible dog owners…I have never understood what the drama is around a dog in heat. For health reasons (and support from my vet) I was advised to wait til my dogs had 2 heats before spaying. It was really not a big deal. I probably would have decided not to spay at all except both of them suffered from false pregnancies. Like many I was looking for dogs in shelters during COVID–(I was living in the US then), and in an unprecedented move, I decided to actually buy from a breeder because all the shelters required neutering before releasing any dog–we’re talking little puppies getting sterilized long before their bone plates were complete–I was horrified, and went searching for a breeder who cared more about the health of her dogs, then profit. She sent home instructions with every new owner to wait until a dog was at least 18 months…I am not a believer in buying dogs from breeders and am 100% for adopting rescues (all my other dogs have been rescues) but this policy of spaying puppies so early because owners don’t want to be extra cautious and responsible during heats is just very sad and the dogs end up suffering…