This Tuesday, February 23, is World Spay Day, an international holiday dedicated to advocating for the spaying and neutering of pets as a means to save the lives of many more. Spaying and neutering stray and household animals not only improves their health but it reduces unwanted behaviors and decreases pet overpopulation.

How Spaying/Neutering Improves Your Pet’s Health

Spaying your dog or cat has many health benefits:

1. If done before the first heat cycle, spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer by 25%.
2. Spaying removes the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
3. It also removes the risk of pyometra, a life-threatening infection of the uterus, that requires expensive emergency surgery.
4. Spaying your cat reduces the risk of becoming infected with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).

Neutering your dog or cat, also, has many health benefits:

1. Neutering removes the risk of testicular cancer and greatly reduces the chances of prostate disease.
2. Cats that are neutered are less likely to fight. This means they are less likely to develop abscesses (infections that require medical attention) or become infected with FeLV/FIV.
3. Dogs that are not neutered are twice as likely to be hit by a car or attacked by another animal.
4. Cats that are not neutered are four times more likely to be hit by a car or attacked by another animal.

Spaying/Neutering Reduces Unwanted Behaviors

Spaying or neutering your dog or cat helps reduce unwanted behaviors including:

· Inappropriate urination and spraying at home

· Roaming and breaking out of the yard

· Aggression towards other animals and people

· Mounting

Spaying/Neutering Reduces Pet Overpopulation

Every year, 1.5 million homeless pets are euthanized in shelters. By spaying or neutering your pet, you help give shelter pets an increased chance at finding a home and help decrease the number of pets entering the shelters each year.