As someone who once was a breeder of Golden Retriever dogs, Australian Shepherd dogs, and Himalayan Persian cats, I did not always understand the value of the spay/neuter movement. I loved my dogs and cats, and enjoyed their puppies and kittens. I believed my animals were living a more full life by being able to mate and reproduce. I also believed, as I still do, that if no one bred dogs or cats, there would be no more pedigree dogs or cats.

What happened?

Breeding was initially a hobby for me. I worked full time as a Substance Abuse Clinical Director, managed a program, and supervised a staff of thirty. Everything changed when I lost my position, and experienced financial problems. Suddenly taking care of the needs of my animals was a challenge. I was no longer able to use the best flea preventative, or provide the best food or treats. When a minor health problem appeared, I prayed that my pet was not in serious trouble, because I could no longer afford the cost of a vet check.

Difficult Decisions

My animals were always like family, and for me, they were the only family living with me in my home, but the time came when I realized that one of my Golden Retrievers had a serious flea allergy that I could not afford to treat. My choice was obvious. I could keep Baby Jane with me, or give her up to someone who could care for her properly. It was the toughest decision of my life, but I contacted Adopt A Golden, Atlanta, and talked to them about Baby Jane. Painfully, I relinquished all rights to Baby Jane, and set her free to receive the care she deserved. I don't think I cried any harder when I lost my parents to death. It was like giving up my child for adoption.

No more pleasure in breeding

From that point onward, I lost interest in breeding. I wondered if any of the puppies or kittens I had sold were in trouble as Baby Jane had been. I wondered if they were deserted and left on the streets to fend for themselves as some animals are. My dogs reproduced once or twice more, but my heart was no longer in it.

RESCUE AND ADOPTION

Today I transport for Adopt A Golden when my old car is working properly, and the heat is not too great for me to do so, since the air conditioning unit in my ten year old Chevy no longer operates properly. I have four dogs of my own, two cats, and a kitten, and presently foster a black lab in my back yard kennel who needs a good home. Other problems occurred as a complication of my female dogs having heat cycles, though I had not bred them in quite a while, so I decided to take the plunge.

I had three females, two dogs and a cat, and one male, the kitten, spayed and neutered last week at Paradox Spay/Neuter, an organization in Oxford, Georgia, ran by saints who perform low cost spay and neuter services. I am glad I no longer have to worry about their precious offspring receiving less than the best of care, or feel the need to make sure males and females don't mix when someone is in season.

10 GOOD REASONS TO SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET

1. His or her offspring will never be euthanized in an animal shelter
2. More than 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized annually in animal shelters, and many are healthy animals, the offspring of beloved pets, sometimes pedigrees.
3. More homeless animals are turned into shelters regularly, than there are people to adopt them. Spaying and neutering your pet means he or she will not have offspring to compete with pets who are already homeless and need loving homes. Your pet will not have offspring to add to the problem of pet overpopulation or unwanted pets.
4. Behavior problems related to mating competition, and aggressive behavior of one male dog or cat towards another, will stop. Female animals will no longer snap or be highly sensitive or aggressive during heat cycles, and cats will not escape from your home, mating loudly all hours of the night.
5. Strange male dogs will not hang out at your place trying to court your female, (that is, unless your own (now neutered) male dog is a strange dog), we can't help it if your dog is weird.
6. Homeless dogs may turn over trash containers, defecate in the neighborhood, or bite and attack. They also suffer when they are hit by passing cars, go hungry, or are poisoned by angry humans. Homeless cats become feral and multiply, living without care, and often die of disease or are euthanized in shelters. When pets are spayed and neutered, unwanted pets are never born to be homeless dogs or cats.
7. Your pet will live longer and be healthier after being spayed or neutered (consult your vet about this one).
8. Your female dog will not bleed every six months, stain furniture or produce an unpleasant odor due to a heat cycle.
9. Males who are neutered before six months old, will not mark your furniture and carpet as their territory by doing the famous leg hike thing, leaving ugly stains and unpleasant odors in your home. (Unfortunately, it is too late for Sambo, my male dog, but I love him anyway, and he wears a diaper in my house).
10. You will not have to keep track of when your female's heat cycle is going to be, in order to make sure she does not participate in unsafe sex, or do the wild thing with the wrong dog, one of another breed. For instance, you will never have to worry that your Golden Retriever female might fall in love with a Pitt Bull (they're a lot like our kids in some ways) and produce offspring you can't even give away, and are even less likely to sell. LOL.

TRUTH: Unless you are a licensed breeder who has plenty of money and time, breeding is not for you. Breeding is hard work, and you will work long hours for which you will never be fully compensated. Unless you have adequate facilities to safely and effectively keep a number of animals disease free, and prevent them from offending neighbors, you should not be breeding dogs, cats, or any other animal.

While I was a licensed breeder, I consistently spent more money on my animals than was ever earned through breeding, as my tax records verify. The profession is also politically incorrect, and has a negative image. You will be judged harshly in every way, and for reasons you will not be prepared to accept. You will live with mistrust, and expectations that are unfair, and impossible to satisfy.

While breeding, I paid a maid to help keep my lakefront cabin clean and odor free. I also worked tirelessly myself to that effect, doctoring the animals and cleaning up after them, as puppies do not come into this world house broken. In spite of my efforts, I received complaints that it was not clean enough. My home is family property, left to us by my wonderful parents after years of hard work and sacrifice. It is not upscale, and was insulted more than once by would be puppy buyers.

I was reported more than once to animal protection, though investigations did not support the claims that were made against me. In short, if you enjoy discrimination and abuse, breed dogs and cats, because you will certainly experience both. Puppy buyers can be among the most discriminating of customers, and some did not consider what was good enough for me, good enough for their dogs. That said, animals deserve clean and germ free conditons. Human beings who are trying to make an honest living, also deserve respect, even if they live less than affluent lifestyles.

Unless your home is too nice to want breed animals inside it, it will be judged as not nice enough. Spay and neuter your animals, and save yourself a lot of grief. As a serious animal lover, I assure you there are better ways to enjoy animals that are much less painful.