Are mandatory spaying and neutering laws an enforceable or practical idea?

Yes

9 of 9

by Kim Sharpe

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I spent a decade working at a Humane Society. So I have seen firsthand the effects of pet overpopulation. I've had to deal with it personally by making the heartbreaking choices every day on who would be euthanized and who would not be. So many kittens and cats, puppies and dogs. Too many to even begin to count were euthanized throughout my years there because there are just not enough homes for the vast majority of pets that are abandoned or allowed to breed indiscriminately.

I believe very strongly in mandatory spaying and neutering laws. I believe that the only animals that should be allowed to breed are breed quality animals. This means dogs and cats that have attained the title of championship in the breed ring. And then only the breeders of these breed quality dogs should be allowed to breed their champion animals. Breeders breed for the betterment of the breed. They breed for the perfect specimen. They breed to improve. The same with cats and the cat show people. Most responsible breeders today sell their puppies on a spay/neuter contract. But this does not ax out the backyard breeders and the puppy mills. These are the people who flood the pet market with poor quality animals. Then the general public goes out and makes the dreaded pet store purchase of that cute puppy or kitten and the next thing you know, they are breeding it so the 'kids' can experience the miracle of life. But then they are faced with getting rid of a mixed breed dog or cat and there is no market for it. So what do you think happens to them? They are boxed up and dumped at the local shelter where they are normally euthanized.

The Humane Society's make all adoptions come with a mandatory spay/neuter agreement. Most of the animals are fixed before they can even go home to their new adoptive homes.

But I feel that if we enforced mandatory spaying and neutering and we only allowed the professional show people to breed animals that the pet overpopulation problem would be drastically reduced. Perhaps even annihilated completely. Put a stop to the puppy mills. Put a stop to the backyard breeders. And most importantly, put a stop to the families who only want their beloved dog to have that 'one litter' with no thought to how they will find homes for the puppies or kittens when they arrive.

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