Nip and tuck
By Christine Foster

I remember seeing a cartoon somewhere of a dog leaning happily out of the car window calling out to a fellow canine: “Guess where I’m going? To be fixed!” Obviously we are meant to smile about how upset he would be if he only knew what was really in store.

 In a way, that cartoon still reflects our ambivalence about neutering our animals. Are you still hesitant about whether or not to “fix” your pet? If so, please consider whether you have ever said, or thought, any one of these seven statements.

1. It’s wrong to deprive an animal of the right to reproduce.

2. I’ll find homes for my animal’s litter, so I’m not contributing to overpopulation.

3. Every female should have one litter to be truly healthy.

4. Children should witness the miracle of birth.

5. Neutering will alter my pet’s personality.

6. Only females add to overpopulation, so I don’t need to neuter a male.

7. Animal shelters can take care of surplus animals.

Seven pragmatic responses might be illuminating.

1. It is far worse to deny any animal the right to a decent life. Millions of unwanted animals are born into neglect and want.

2. Every one of your pet’s offspring may mean one less animal adopted from a shelter. 

3. Females are actually healthier if they never go into heat. Many mother animals become less social with humans when they have their babies, not more.

4. A more important lesson to teach your child is that of compassion and concern for all animals, including why it’s important for their pets not to give birth.

5. Without the distractions of hormones and mating competition—which lead to the desire to roam and fight—animals are more relaxed and their personalities more stable.

6. A male can father far more offspring in his lifetime than a female can produce.

7. We do our best, but we are always full. Only neutering will solve the sad problem of overpopulation.

An example of one such utterly unwanted animal is Callita. We named her “little street girl” because that’s how we met her. We would see her, week after week, wandering the alley outside the shelter until one day, eager for food, she wandered right in.

After she’d helped herself to our groceries for a few days, we decided to spay her and let her go again. But she didn’t want to leave, and now she’s in residence. If there was ever testimony that even close confinement is a kinder life than that of the street, this is it. Callita is not a young lady, but she is a survivor—smart, loving and deserving of more than she’s ever had. She is a medium-sized fuzzy terrier mix with a serious, settled expression that says she’s seen it all but is still hopeful. There is no doubt she will reward you with a patient gratitude far beyond your expectations.

Another sweet girl is Julieta. Calico cats are always pretty, but Julieta is downright beautiful in coat and nature. Remember that an unspayed cat can produce hundreds of kittens in her lifetime and that Julieta is homeless because so few people take the trouble to consider the consequences of inaction. Please be a true friend to your pet—spay and neuter and help us achieve a better future for the companion animals of San Miguel.

Visit the SPA in person 11am–2pm weekdays at Los Pinos 7, a right turn off Calzada de la Estación, just before the bus station. Call 152-6124 or visit www.spasanmiguel.org  for further information.