Please observe SPAY USA Day

An estimated three to four million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters each year. That's one every eight seconds. It costs U.S. taxpayers and estimated 2 billion each year to round up, house, euthanize, and dispose of homeless animals.

Spaying and neutering cats and dogs is the proven solution to this tragic and costly crisis. This common surgical procedure stops animals from being able to reproduce which ultimately saves community tax dollars, but even more importantly, reduces suffering and saves the lives of those innocent beings that so many of us call our best friends. Sterilization also helps to reduce neighborhood nuisance complaints often associated with unneutered animals, i.e. cat spraying, howling, fighting, straying, etc. Moreover, spaying and neutering improves pet health as well.

In Steuben County (like so many other counties across the United States), we are extremely overpopulated with felines. Cats can breed at a very early age and may have three litters in a year. It is estimated that across the U.S., tens of millions of stray and feral cats struggle to survive on their own outdoors. Although some are altered and live in managed colonies, most are not altered and receive no health care. They reproduce at will and many suffer from illness or injury before dying. Our area shelters are filled and lack critical resources (money, space and adoptive homes) to meet the demand of feline orphans in need of care. Moreover, our canine friends (particularly medium-to-large breed dogs & including many purebred canines) also fill area shelters/rescues & their waiting lists.

Over 71,000,000 individuals in the United States receive companionship from and share their homes with cats and dogs which we domesticated. Although many area shelters no longer euthanize healthy animals to make room for more due to humane reasons & the ineffectiveness of this form of population control, there are many animal control facilities and other shelters that do. The animals that are lucky enough to make it into a shelter that holds healthy animals until they find a home sometimes face long-term kenneling/ caging which is a very difficult way of life for these social creatures even under the best of circumstances & shelter programs.

For all these reasons, we call upon the people of Steuben County to observe SPAY DAY USA (February 26th, 2008) by having their own cats or dogs spayed or neutered or by sponsoring the spaying or neutering of another person's cat or dog. We are hoping that people will join us in paying special attention to spaying/ neutering our four-legged friends not only on this day but throughout the month of February (and report their efforts to us for special recognition). Please call your veterinarian today. If you need help covering the expense associated with this vital surgery, please call the Finger Lakes SPCA, Inc. today (776-3039) or your local shelter for information on subsidized spay/neuter programs or to donate toward a needy cat surgery.
Sincerely,
Vicki S. Mosgrove
Finger Lakes SPCA