Spay and Neuter Information

The Animal Control Division’s mission is to control the feral cat overpopulation in the City of Edgewater through the humane, non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR for short. TNR is providing an effective way of managing feral cat colonies and reducing their numbers over time. Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare group is taking a lead in this mission.

For additional questions regarding this program, please contact Concerned Citizen for Animal Welfare organizers Pat Mihalic at (386)405-1559 or Cheryl Robel at (386)760-2324.

The Animal Control Division’s mission is to control the feral cat overpopulation in the City of Edgewater through the humane, non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR for short. TNR is providing an effective way of managing feral cat colonies and reducing their numbers over time. Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare group is taking a lead in this mission.

For additional questions regarding this program, please contact Concerned Citizen for Animal Welfare organizers Pat Mihalic at (386)405-1559 or Cheryl Robel at (386)760-2324.

Altering: It’s Good for the Community

Animal control agencies in nearly every community cost the taxpayers (us) millions of dollars every year. They do a good job but if s just not enough. With many millions of homeless animals, we are seeing an annual rise in dog bites and attacks, open garbage containers, feces in public and private areas, and angry, frightened citizens who do not understand the misery of these unwanted pets. Additionally, homeless animals disturb the ecological balance by scaring away or killing birds and wildlife.

*Statistics courtesy the Humane Society of the United States brochure "Just One Litter ... Facts about Spaying and Neutering Your Pet." 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037.

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
Altering: It’s Good for You

•Neutered pets are more loving and better tempered pets.

•Neutered cats are less likely to mark their territory (or spray).

•A spayed female doesn't have estrus (or heat cycles). The estrus cycle happens about twice a year for dogs and three or more times a year for cats. It can last for six or more days and often results in a distracted, nervous female??who may cry or howl??and numerous unwanted male visitors.

•Neutered pets are less likely to bite. While neutering isn't a cure for all behavior problems, in combination with training it can mean drastic changes in a pet' s behavior, almost always for the better.

•Male dogs or cats who are neutered are much less likely to run away or get into fights.

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
Altering: It’s Good for Your Pet

•Neutered pets tend to live longer than unneutered pets.

•Neutered pets have no chance or drastically reduced chances of suffering from a great many health problems. These health problems can be costly and difficult to treat.

•Spayed females do not suffer from uterine or ovarian cancer and are highly unlikely to suffer from breast cancer, especially if spayed before her first estrus (or heat) cycle.

•In male animals, neutering drastically reduces the chances of prostate difficulties (including cancer).

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
Consider these facts:

•One dog and her puppies, in just six years, can produce 67,000 puppies.

•In seven years, one cat and her offspring can be the source of 420,000 cats.

•In the United States, every day, 70,000 (or more) puppies and kittens are born. Just 10,000 humans are born each day.

Who will take care of all these dogs and cats? It's not just a problem of too many -- each pet is an individual life.

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
The Story : Too Many Pets, Not Enough Homes

Each year approximately 15 million pets are sent to animal shelters across the country. Only 25 to 30 percent of these animals are reclaimed by their owners or adopted into new homes. The rest, some 11 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, must be put to sleep because there are simply not enough good homes for them.

The good news is that this fact of today can change. The tragedy of too many pets and not enough homes can be prevented by spaying and neutering our animal companions.

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
What is Spaying and Neutering?

Sometimes referred to as "altering", spaying and neutering are ways of providing birth control for dogs and cats by removing their reproductive organs, therefore preventing them from having litters of puppies or kittens. Spaying is the procedure used for female pets, and neutering generally refers to the procedures used for male pets.

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
Why Should I Know About This?

In one way or another, all of us ? including those who do not even have pets are affected by animal overpopulation.

Millions of tax dollars are spent annually to care for lost, abandoned, and unwanted pets. . . and millions more to put to sleep those that were not fortunate enough to find a home.

The health and safety of our communities is another concern. The greater the population of unwanted animals, the greater the incidence of such animal related issues as rabies, dog bites, cat scratches, traffic accidents, and animal abuse.

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
Why shouldn't my pet have just one litter?

While it may seem harmless, letting your pet have one -- or even two -- litters can cause big problems. Even if you find homes for all (or most) of the puppies or kittens, what about their puppies and kittens? In less than a year, all those puppies and kittens will be grown dogs or cats and able to have litters of their own. On a daily basis, thousands of puppies and kittens, healthy but homeless are killed. Many of them came from "just one litter."

Category: Spay and Neutering FAQ
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