Eight Dogs Spayed = Half a Million Others Saved

Meet Maizy, Wonky and Candy . These adorable mutts, along with five others, were rescued by a local organisation in Greece, Animal Rescue Kos – and thanks to help from PETA, they’ve just paid a visit to the vet to be neutered. We’ve also helped Animal Rescue Kos to neuter 20 cats.

It may seem counterintuitive that stopping dogs from having puppies saves lives – but given the scale of the homeless animal crisis, it’s true. Every time that a dog is bred by a breeder or left to reproduce by a careless guardian, another dog somewhere else loses his or her chance of finding a home. Shelters are inundated with more animals than they can look after: thousands of dogs had to be put down in the UK last year because of a lack of good homes, with local authorities picking up more than 300 stray dogs from the streets every day.

This situation is heartbreaking. Animal overpopulation is the cause, and spaying and neutering are the answers. Getting these eight dogs in Greece “fixed” was a small step, but it could save an astounding number of lives. Spaying just one pooch can prevent the birth of an unbelievable 67,000 thousand others over the course of six years. Do the maths, and it turns out that eight neutered dogs adds up to as many as 536,000 births prevented!

The same applies to cats – here’s an illustration of how quickly one homeless feline can become five, then seventeen, then … well, you get the idea. How many lives could you save by getting your companion animals fixed? If you care about cats and dogs, please take responsibility for them by getting them spayed or neutered. And if you’re looking for a new furry friend to share your life with, please adopt from a shelter and never buy from a breeder.