Why Low Cost Spay Neuter Is Important
Alternatives to Surgical Spay/Neuter
Early Age Spay/Neuter
Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics
Model Local Spay/Neuter Programs
Model Statewide Spay/Neuter Programs

Pet Overpopulation: The Simple Solution. Education, Legislation, Sterilization!

© 2003 Laurie Goldstein www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org

According to The Humane Society of the United States, six to eight million cats and dogs enter shelters in the United States each year.  Three to four million of these animals are adopted out. That means three to four million animals are murdered each year.  Many use the word "euthanized," but we prefer to call it what it is. These animals committed no crime; most of them never harmed a human. They were born, plain and simple.

And animals are great at reproducing.  When researching the subject of pet overpopulation, you will frequently find the statements that "over the course of six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs," and that "over the course of seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats."  While these numbers are a mathematical exercise, not a biological reality, they are used to make a point. (Actual studies taking into account average birth rates, survival rates and life expectancy of feral cats indicate that "Realistically, over 12 years, one unspayed female, with all her unspayed female offspring, reasonably can be expected to be responsible for over 3200 kittens if there is no human intervention^{." [Ref 1]} )  But the bottom line is the same.  There are a lot of homeless animals out there, and without human intervention they are multiplying. 

There aren't enough homes for them all.

Our time-honored tradition and system of calling "Animal Control" to catch or trap stray or feral cats and dogs, take them to crowded shelters, then kill the "surplus" animals to make room for the new ones has proven inefficient and expensive. This method of pet overpopulation management costs the U.S. taxpayer close to $250 million in euthanization and carcass disposal alone. The bulk of this financial burden fell on the municipalities and counties of our country.

In a shelter, we must pay for the cost of the shelter, its maintenance and upkeep, the animals' food and healthcare, the cost of running adoption programs - and when these fail to place all the animals in homes, we then have to pay to murder the "surplus" cats and dogs.  There is a far simpler solution.  Stop the problem at the source.  Sterilize the animals.  Prevent unwanted, unplanned, unexpected births.  The benefits?

• It's Healthy. Sterilization has proven to improve the quality of life, health, and behavior of our pets. 


• It's Humane. Free or low-cost sterilization programs have proven to be effective - VERY effective, in fact.  According to a study conducted by Animal People, "Who Needs Low-Cost Spay/Neutering?" (link included in resources, below) these programs reduce the number of animals that had to be euthanized annually by 30-60% (even in those towns and cities where human populations have been steadily increasing). 


• It's Cost-Effective.   Free or low-cost sterilization programs have proven to be cost-effective, reducing the cost of animal control. Lower stray pet/feral animal admission PLUS a lower euthanization rate equals tax dollar savings.  Communities implementing free or low-cost spay/neuter programs have seen savings of over $3.00 for each $1.00 spent on the program ("The Need for Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Programs!" ©2003 www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org).

If your community doesn't care about killing its surplus animals, it should certainly care about the size of the taxpayer burden spent for animal control. If you can't appeal to their hearts, appeal to their purse-strings.

As The Humane Society of the United States puts it, "The solution can be simply stated.  Its implementation, however, requires sweeping efforts from a variety of organizations and people, including you."  (www.hsus.org)  Here we provide presentations, resources, and research to support and aid anyone who wishes to change the local legislation and put in place programs to manage the "pet overpopulation" problem.

 Education.  Legislation. Sterilization. Step one is right here and it starts with you.

 (1) ©1995. Karen Johnson, National Pet Alliance.  "A Report on Trap/Alter/Release Programs."  Excerpt: "After a six-year study and daily observation of a feral cat colony, it has been documented that stray female cats start cycling when they are 4-6.9 months old [Ref2], or as soon as the days are long enough. January and February are the start of the kitten season, with the litters born in March and April. These cats have an average of 2.1 litters per year of 4.25 kittens [Ref3]. 42% of the kittens will die by the age of two months of natural causes [Ref4]. Many more will end up at the shelter. Those who escape early death and the shelter go on to be prolific bearers of kittens over their short lifespan of approximately three years [Ref5].

"Taking the mortality into account, along with birth and death rates, the average stray female will have 5.25 litters in her lifetime, encompassing 22.3 kittens. At age two months there should be 12.9 survivors, roughly six females and seven males (at maturity, roughly 2/3 of the stray cat population is male [Ref6], due to the high mortality of females during first pregnancy and birth), which will decrease to four females over time. These six females will go on to have their 22 surviving kittens each. Realistically, over 12 years, one unspayed female, with all her unspayed female offspring, reasonably can be expected to be responsible for over 3200 kittens if there is no human intervention."

2.  Jochle, W., Jochle, M., ``Reproduction in a feral cat population and its control with a prolactin inhibitor''. 2nd International Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction, Belgium.

3.  Pedersen, N., Feline Husbandry. American Veterinary Publications, 1991:3-12.

4.  Berkeley, E.P., Maverick Cats. New England Press, 1982.

5.  Berkeley, E.P.

6.  Berkeley, E.P.

Articles & Links - updated Feb 2010

Why Low Cost Spay/Neuter is Important

It's Meow or NeverA very visual depiction of the problem.  There aren't enough homes for them all. Click on the "In Honor of all the Homeless Animals" banner for a moving tribute. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://www.itsmeowornever.org/homeless.html
 

The Need for Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Programs! (PDF version)
The Need for Low-Cost Spay Neuter Programs! (PowerPoint Version)
©2003 www.StrayPetAdvocacy.org.  Your community is spending unnecessary tax dollars if it does not have a low-cost spay/neuter program in place!  Research indicates that the most cost-effective animal control management programs are non-lethal programs: effective, non-euthanization based programs appeal to the pocket-book too.
 

The Race to Outpace Cat Overpopulation, a symposium presentation by Linda Kelson, Feral Cat Coalition Board Member (www.feralcat.com). If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://www.feralcat.com/kelson.html
 

"Who Needs Low-Cost Neutering?" ©1994 by Animal People News, June 1994.  "Low-cost neutering doubles the number of poor people who get their pets fixed and cuts animal shelter intakes in half," begins this article by Animal People News.

"Any doubts about the efficacy of low-cost neutering should be laid to rest by the results of a new national study carried out over the past six months by ANIMAL PEOPLE, under sponsorship of the North Shore Animal League. Perceiving lack of hard data on the efficacy of low-cost neutering and consequent veterinary resistance as the two main obstacles to the availability of low-cost programs, NSAL president John Stevenson commissioned the ANIMAL PEOPLE study in December 1993, on behalf of Spay USA, a project of NSAL."  If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/Low-costNeut.html
 

"Who Needs Low-Cost Neutering, Part 2" This study on the effectiveness of low-cost spay/neuter programs was published in two parts. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/Low-cost2.html
 

"Pet Overpopulation: The Effectiveness of Municipal Spay & Neuter Programs," Tamar Puckett, MPA ©2003 Progressive Animal Welfare Society (www.paws.org). "Spay and neuter programs form the basis of any effective animal control program. These programs not only reduce the many surplus animal births and deaths, but also lower the costs of animal control services, hence saving taxpayers money.  States and local jurisdictions that have implemented such programs have witnessed dramatic reductions in not only the number of animals coming into shelters, but also the costs associated with animal control."  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.paws.org/outreach/resources/fact_sheets/overpopulation.php
 

"Stop - Don't Litter! Spay and Neuter" ©1997 - 2003 Pawprints and Purrs, Home of the Bachman Kiddens, www.sniksnak.com.  "America's society is becoming a convenient throw-away society... " An emotional appeal (that includes statistics).  This article provides many reasons, links and resources.  If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:  http://www.sniksnak.com/stop_s-n.html
 

"Do Pet Cats Contribute to the Feral Problem?" by Sarah Hartwell ©2000. A short article with a descriptive diagram outlining how un-neutered pets contribute to the feral problem from www.messybeast.com. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:  http://www.messybeast.com/feralcycle.htm
 

"Are Owned Cats Causing an Overpopulation Crisis?" Article by Karen Johnson ©1994,  National Pet Alliance, adapted from the Cat Fanciers' Almanac, October 1994.  If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:  http://www.fanciers.com/npa/owned-cats.html
 

"Pet Overpopulation Breeds Euthanasia" Article by www.sniksnak.com ©1997-2003. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:  http://www.sniksnak.com/overpopulation.html
 

"Cat Overpopulation & Feral Colony Destiny" Article by Jack Carter ©1998.     What are the REAL numbers for feral cat reproduction?  This article addresses typical colony size and the issues impacting it, as well as addressing the human element and the critical issue of pet overpopulation. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:  http://www.amby.com/cat_site/carter_5.html
 

Cat Overpopulation Poster by SpayUSA (Posters are also available in Spanish) Scare tactics on cat overpopulation.  PDF file for downloading the Spay/Neuter SpayUSA poster. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser: http://www.spayusa.org/main_directory/02-facts_and_education/literature.asp
 

"Myths and Questions About Having Babies." Simple, straightforward answers to common questions about spay/neuter. Article by Dr. Rich Allen from the May 2000 issue of Best Friends Magazine. If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:   http://www.bestfriends.org/members/vetnotes/myths.htm
 

"By Feral, do you mean wild?" An article by Jeri Dopp of www.safehavenforcats.com with a description of how feral colonies get started (and how we can help prevent them!) If you have trouble with this link, please copy and paste this web address into your browser:    http://www.safehavenforcats.com/colonies.htm
 

Why People Do Not Spay/Neuter  by Joshua Frank, Ph.D. and Pamela Carlisle-Frank, Ph.D. of FIREPAW  Examines reasons why a significant segment of the population is still resistant to spay and neuter their pets, despite the large strides made in spay/neuter rates across the country, and what can be done to overcome these barriers?  Paws to Think Magazine, Autumn 2003, pages 13-16 (NOTE: PDF takes a while to load, have patience!). If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.petsavers.org/pages/paws_to_think/PDF_archive/07ptt_autumn_03.pdf 1/25/04
 

Back to Top

Alternatives to Surgical Spay/Neuter

The Feral Cat Contraceptive Vaccine - "... using genetic engineering technology to modify an approved vaccine, a strain of the bacterium Salmonella, which could then be delivered to feral cats in the wild via a vaccine-laden bait."  Intro and FAQs on this possible vaccine.  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.actioncat.com/research.html 7/18/04
 

Back to Top

Early Age Spay/Neuter

"Early Spay/Neuter in the Cat" A Winn Feline Foundation Report.   The Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit organization, affiliated with The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., which supports health related studies into medical problems affecting cats. Projects funded by The Winn Feline Foundation have provided much of the information that is used every day in all aspects of feline veterinary medicine.  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/reports/early-neuter.html 7/18/04
 

Pediatric or Early Spay/Neuter by Dr Tracy Land  "Pediatric, or Early Spay/Neuter, refers to spaying or neutering pets at a much earlier age than the old six to nine month standard. With today's anesthetics, advanced monitoring equipment, and surgical techniques, not only are these procedures safe in young puppies and kittens, the risk of complication is lower and the recovery period shorter than in mature pets."  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.petorphans.com/earlyneut.html 7/18/04
 

Listing of professional articles on Early Age Neutering by Spay USA, including several articles from the JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association), and a study on The Effect of Early Spay on a Community. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://spayusa.org/main_directory/04-sterilization_methods/sn_articles/index.asp 04/16/06

Early Age Spay/Neuter - Perfect for Every Practice by W. Marvin Mackie, DVM. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.ahimsatx.org/easn/easnmm.htm 04/16/06

Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, Early Age Spay/Neuter Factsheet.  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.cfhs.ca/animals/Early_Spay_Neuter 04/16/06

Best Friends Magazine article: The Truth About Juvenile Spay/Neuter If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/juvenilespayneuter.pdf 04/16/06

  The Debate on Early Spay/Neuter By Darrin Lewellen, DVM  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.petroglyphsnm.org/vettips/earlyneuter.html  04/16/06
 

Back to Top

Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics

Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic Operations: Emerging Standards in Patient Care and Business Method Version 02/06/02  Prepared for PETsMART Charities by Paul Berry, National Director, Community Programs, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  A 42 page document that discusses Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics, including standards of operations, trends in ownership and finance, and model programs of successful mobile clinics.  "The scope of this research is concerned, generally, with the efficient organization and deployment of mass sterilization resources, and specifically, with the feasibility of the mobile clinic facility as one means for successful delivery of these resources. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/mobile%20sn%20clinic%20research.pdf 1/25/04
 

A Guidebook to Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics by Spay/USA A comprehensive 94 page document that will get any organization started with making a mobile spay/neuter clinic a reality.  Includes:

• 30 models from around the country
• A sample business plan
• "Do's and Don'ts" as you plan your van
• Scrounging for free or inexpensive equipment
• Necessary, unnecessary and optional equipment
• A sample budget
• Mobile van manufacturers
• Marketing samples

If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.spayusa.org/main_directory/03-programs_and_clinics/start_a_clinic.asp 1/25/04

 

Maddie's Fund: Shelter Management Issues - Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics  Are mobile spay/neuter clinics the best option for your situation?  This article gives questions and alternatives to consider before making the commitment to a spay/neuter van.  Sections include:  The Best Tool for the Job?, Weighing in on Mobile Clinics, and Cost Analysis of Mobile Surgeries If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.maddiesfund.org/Resource_Library/Mobile_Spay_Neuter_Clinics.html <
 

 

Back to Top

Model Local Spay/Neuter Programs

Nine Model Programs for Highly Successful Spay/Neuter Profiles of 9 successful Spay/Neuter programs from across the country for use to start other local spay/neuter programs.  "These profiles include such helpful information as startup and annual costs, sources of funding, annual surgery totals, a description of services, and marketing strategies. Contact information is provided for each program so that you can follow up for more details." If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/spayneuterprograms.pdf 1/25/04

 

Other Successful Low Cost Spay/Neuter Schemes by Prevent Unwanted Pets.  Site hosted and maintained by The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation.  "An alternative and more humane method of pet population control is the modern concept of spaying and neutering animals on a large scale. The findings of a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to the USA and Canada to study the Role of Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics in the Control of Stray and Unwanted Animals' provides conclusive evidence that these clinics can and do play a vital and humane role in any animal control programme." If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.all-creatures.org/pup/otherlowcost.html 2/27/04
 

Introduction to Starting a Spay/Neuter Program Best Friends Network discusses the various issues in starting a low cost spay/neuter program, including: Non-profit status; Veterinarians; Clients; Paperwork (including examples of applications); Rescue; and Other Options. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/startingaspayneuterprogram.pdf 1/29/05
 

Public Funding for Spay/Neuter "Do you have great ideas for a spay/neuter program but lack funding?  Have you exhausted every fundraiser imaginable - from garage sales to silent auctions? Money is available. It's time to get creative and look in new places that you might not traditionally think of as possible funding sources." If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/FundingSN.pdf 1/29/05

Back to Top

Model Statewide Spay/Neuter Programs

 

New Hampshire

New Hampshire decided in 1993 that something had to be done to stop the killing in the state's animal shelters, as well as saving the taxpayers money.  New Hampshire's two main programs are a Low Income Assistance program, in which a qualified person is charged $10 for the spay/neuter and up to $35 in pre-surgery immunizations, and a "break" for spay/neuter surgeries for animals adopted from shelters.  New Hampshire has the lowest euthanasia rate in shelters in all 50 US states, and this is credited to the success of this program.
 

SB 457 - FINAL VERSION of text of the Senate Bill enacted into law. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2004/sb0457.html

New Hampshire Spay/Neuter Programs  From the state's SPCA website, details on the spay/neuter programs available to the public. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.nhspca.org/community-services/spay-neuter-programs.html 1/31/04
 

New Hampshire's Campaign for a Publicly Funded Spay/Neuter Program An Interview with Peter Marsh.  "New Hampshire attorney Peter Marsh is one of the directors of Solutions to Overpopulation of Pets (STOP), which spearheaded New Hampshire's campaign for a publicly funded spay/neuter program. The initiative he helped push through the state legislature is a model of what can be achieved in order to provide a statewide, low-cost program."  In this interview, Peter Marsh explains why New Hampshire chose to create a program like this, and how it has positively changed the overall statistics of shelters in the state. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/localnmhpprograms/nhinterview.cfm 1/31/04
 

New Hampshire's State-Funded Neutering Assistance Programs Program Summary  by Peter Marsh  How the program came about, and why to work toward a similar program in any location.  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/localnmhpprograms/nhstats.cfm 1/31/04
 

Paws to Think Magazine, by The Pet Savers Foundation, Autumn 2003 profiles the New Hampshire State Program.  Articles include:

• The New Hampshire Spay/Neuter Program: Lessons  from the First 10 Years (pages 19-23) What worked and what didn't work, so that the lessons don't have to be relearned with every new program.
• Investing in Prevention: The Way Home (page 27-29)  Why spay/neuter programs are essential in reducing the number of euthanized animals in shelters. Profiles San Francisco and New Hampshire as examples.
• From New Hampshire... to Maine (page 30-31) How a grassroots group in Maine used the example of the New Hampshire spay/neuter model to convince their legislature to enact a similar program for their state.  Also gives tips to others on how to lobby state legislators for statewide spay/neuter programs.<

(NOTE: PDF takes a while to load, have patience!). If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.petsavers.org/pages/paws_to_think/PDF_archive/07ptt_autumn_03.pdf 1/31/04
 

ANIMAL POPULATION CONTROL / Pet Overpopulation Committee Section 437-A:7  Legislature that appointed the committee to study and presently preside over the Spay/Neuter Program. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/RSA/html/XL/437-A/437-A-7.htm 1/31/04
 

New Jersey

New Jersey was the first to implement a state-wide pet population control program.  Started in 1984, it was originally funded solely by a $3 surcharge on non-neutered dogs, and the $10 or $20 co-payment fee by the animal owner for the spay/neuter. In 1994, New Jersey added a Pet Friendly License Plate that generated over $1 million toward the program from 1994-1997.

New Jersey Animal Population Control (currently undergoing redesign)  Prevent a Litter Coalition, Inc. details the New Jersey program with information on the Animal Friendly License Plate, Program Details, Bill Text that implemented the license plate to increase funding for the program, and Comments on the program and the success of program since it was implemented. If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser  http://www.palc.org/petprojects/aflpstates/aflpnj.html 1/31/04
 

Animal Friendly License Plate  "Monies generated from these special plate sales will help fund the animal population control program run by the Department of Health and Senior Services."  Information also found at the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission's website: http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/cit_plates/ani_friendly.htm If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/afriend.htm   1/31/04
 

Low Cost Spaying/Neutering Program  Spay/Neuter Program offered to the public by New Jersey Health & Senior Services. Program includes shelter/rescue adoptions and low income.  If you have trouble with the above link, please copy and paste this web address directly into your browser http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/spayneut.htm 1/31/04
 

Back to Top