Globally, overpopulation of dogs and cats is a problem, which is why the Doris Day Animal Foundation and The Humane Society have partnered to promote World Spay Day.

The global initiative shines as light on the importance and “power of affordable, accessible spay/neuter to save the lives of companion animals, community (feral and stray) cats, and street dogs who might otherwise be put down in shelters or killed on the street.”

In the U.S., there are an estimated 6 to 8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters every year. Only less than half of these animals will be adopted, the rest will likely be euthanized.

In 1995, 17 million unadopted dogs and cats were euthanized in the U.S. That year, the Spay Day campaign was started by the Doris Day Animal Foundation, with the goal of reducing the number of pets euthanized in animal shelters.

According to The Human Society of the United States, spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100 percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats.

Thanks in part to Spay Day, the number of euthanized animals is down to around 2.7 million in the U.S.

Statistics show that two unaltered cats and all their descendents can theoretically number 420,000 in just seven years, while two unaltered dogs and all their descendents can theoretically number 67,000 in six years, according to information provided by the Humane Society of the United States.

Shelters take on the great burden of trying to re-home and care for abandoned, stray or feral animals. While Clark County has many great volunteer organizations that help with this cause, there is still a great need for animals to be spayed neutered to reduce the animal population and save the lives of our furry friends.

Spay and neutering can also improve the health and behavior of domesticated pets and can save on the cost of care over your pet’s lifetime

We encourage you to use World Spay Day to spread the word about this importance of this practice. If your pets are not spayed, research the many low-cost spay and neuter options in our area.

Please remember, it’s our responsibility to help reduce the number of homeless animals.