Spay and Neuter Awareness Month

Spay and Neuter Awareness Month takes place the entire month of February. The  National Animal Humane Society created this national pet holiday.   Most doggie daycares, like Bark ATL, that provide socialization opportunities for your dog require the procedure completed once your puppy reaches an eligible age.  Aside from our policies, however, many people are unaware of the health benefits for their dog that come along with the spay and neuter procedure.

Spay and Neuter Awareness Month Health Benefits

• Increased Lifespan

Studies have shown that dogs that have been spayed or neutered live 20% longer lives.

• Reduce The Risk Of Canine Cancer

A great benefit of the spay and neuter procedure is reducing your dog's risk of contracting specific types of canine cancer. Male dogs that receive the neuter procedure reduce the risk of contracting testicular cancer. Female dogs that get the spay procedure also reduce their risk of contracting tumors, uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer.

• Behavioral Benefits

When a dog receives the spay and neuter procedure behavioral problems will reduce. Female dogs are less likely to be combative and aggressive. Male dogs will exhibit fewer behaviors such as urine marking, aggressiveness, and roaming.

• Help Eliminate The Homeless Pet Population

Local pet shelters are always at capacity with unwanted and stray animals. Approximately 6-8 million animals annually are taken in by animal shelters in the United States.  Worse than that, 3 million adoptable dogs and cats are put to sleep by shelters. If all pet owners spayed or neutered their dogs, this number would drastically decrease.

All in all, the main goal of Spay and Neuter Awareness Month is to inform pet owners about the potential benefits of the procedure. This will help save millions of pet lives in the long run.  If your dog has not yet had the procedure, the best time is before the Spring when overpopulation rates of shelters increase due to way too many abandoned puppies.