World Spay/Neuter Day February 24
Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Risk of mammary gland tumors, ovarian and/or uterine cancer which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats is reduced or eliminated, especially if done before the first heat cycle.
Neutering provides major health benefits for your male.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated, and decreases incidence of prostate disease
Your spayed female won’t go into heat.
While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season.
Your male dog won’t want to roam away from home.
An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and escaping from the house. And once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
Your neutered male will be much better behaved.
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
It is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community.
Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
Your pet doesn’t need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth.
Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children—especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.
Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering. It helps to reduce companion animal overpopulation. The surplus is in the millions in the United States. Cats are 45 times as prolific, and dogs 15 times as prolific, as humans. They do not need our help to expand their numbers; they need our help to reduce their numbers until there are good homes for them all.
City of Mesquite Ordinance Spay /Neuter
10-7-1: MANDATORY SPAY/NEUTER OF DOGS AND CATS:
Subject to the exceptions provided in this chapter, no person shall harbor within the city of Mesquite any dog or cat over the age of six (6) months that has not been spayed or neutered. For purposes of this section and chapter, “harbor” means legal ownership, of the providing of regular care or shelter, protection, refuge or nourishment, or medical treatment; provided however that the term shall not include the providing of nourishment to a stray or feral cat or dog. (Ord. 433, 1-26-2010, eff. 3-1-2010)
http://sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/index.php?book_id=455§ion_id=603452
10-7-2: EXCEPTIONS TO SPAY/NEUTER REQUIREMENTS:
- The spay/neuter requirement set forth in section 10-7-1 of this chapter shall not apply if a licensed veterinarian certifies in writing and under oath that a specific dog or cat is medically unfit to undergo the required spay or neuter procedure because of a physical condition that would be substantially aggravated by such procedure or would likely cause the animal’s death. The certification shall indicate the medical basis therefor and whether the unsuitability is permanent or temporary. If temporary, the certificate shall indicate the period of time anticipated that the unsuitability will last. For an exemption to apply beyond that period, a new certificate must be obtained.
- The spay/neuter requirement set forth in section 10-7-1 of this chapter shall not apply to animals harbored by a pound, shelter, humane society or similar organization, whether public or private, the principal purpose of which is securing the adoption of dogs or cats provided that such organization has a policy and rules requiring the spaying or neutering of all dogs and cats placed for adoption by such organization.
- The spay/neuter requirement set forth in section 10-7-1 of this chapter shall not apply to any dog or cat harbored by a person holding a valid dog or cat fancier’s permit, as provided in sections 10-3-4 and 10-3-5 of this title.
- The spay/neuter requirement set forth in section 10-7-1 of this chapter shall not apply to any dog or cat that has received appropriate training, is certified by a recognized agency if such certification is required by the recognizing agency and is being used:
- By a law enforcement agency for law enforcement activities;
- By a search and rescue agency for search and rescue activities;
- As a service animal, such as a guide animal, hearing animal, assistance animal, seizure alert animal, or social/therapy animal. (Ord. 433, 1-26-2010, eff. 3-1-2010)
Featured Dog: Rudy
Rudy is a yellow Labrador blend. His owner could no longer keep him. Rudy is about 1 year old. He is very smart and knows sit and shake. He is very energetic and would need an owner is used to handling dogs and be able to get lots of exercise. He is very attentive and willing to learn. He loves his toys. He is doing well with his manners and leash walking. Rudy would make a great exercise partner.
Featured Cat: At the time of article submission there were no cats available for adoption
All animals will be spayed or neutered prior to leaving shelter and receive 1 year rabies vaccination and city license. Ages are approximated.
The City of Mesquite Animal Shelter located at 795 Hardy Way is open for adoptions from 11am until 1 pm, Monday through Saturday, Sunday 1pm -3pm. Please call 702-346-7415 during these hours to speak to the front desk. Animal Control may be reached by phone or voicemail at 702-346-5268
The animals submitted to the media may have changes so please visit our Petfinder website for a current listing and more detailed information on the animals. www.mesquiteanimalshelter.petfinder.com
Please also check our Facebook pages for lost and found animals along with pet information. https://www.facebook.com/MesquiteNVAnimalControl and https://www.facebook.com/FRIENDSOFMESQUITENVANIMALSHELTER
