health and education
Why Spay and Neuter?

There is a crisis in Maricopa County.

There is a crisis in the state of Arizona.

This crisis extends from state to state, coast to coast of the entire United States.

We are talking about animal overpopulation.

Yes, we are in crisis.

As a result of too many animals being bred, we are faced with the overwhelming problems of trying to find homes for them. The sad truth that must be exposed is that there are simply not enough homes for all those being born. The answer to this dilemma due to lack of resources, is euthanasia.

The problem must be understood before it can be addressed. You hear the rescue community ask you to spay and neuter all your pets. This is not because we don’t love puppies, kittens and bunnies, but rather, because we do. We see the sad results of careless and needless breeding everyday as we try to place just a few of those on the euthanasia lists in any given county. We try, day to day to save these precious and innocent lives, but sadly with our best efforts we still are putting 6 million animals to death nationwide every year. In our own Maricopa County, the death toll rings at about 60,000 annually. The problem must be
addressed so that these numbers can be reduced and finally eliminated. But we, the rescue community, cannot do this alone. We ask that you do your part.

Please give thought to helping us by taking the following measures:
• Please spay and neuter all your pets. Every litter hurts. Every litter adds to the numbers 
  dying each year, and each day.
• Please make a commitment to your pets. Make them indisposable. Consider them part of
  your family.
• Please microchip and license your pets. They cannot speak and many are euthanized
   simply because they could not find their way home.
• Please adopt your next pet from a rescue group or shelter. Save a life. You will also learn
  that the rescue community has all breeds, all ages, and knows the disposition of the animal
  to be adopted, thus helping the transition to a new home. Many even have kittens and
  puppies!
• Help us spread the word! Now that you are aware of the crisis we face for the animals of our
  community, tell a friend. With more people being aware of these statistics, and more people
  becoming responsible pet owners, we can and will end the needless killing of man’s best
  friends.

*According to the Humane Society of the United States...
•  In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs.
•  In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats.
• The number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year is 8-10 million.
• The number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year is 5-6 million.
• The number of animal shelters in the United States is between 4 and 6 thousand.
• The percentage of purebred dogs in shelters is 30%.
 

 PACC911 Hope For The Animals brochure, January 12, 2008