Some People Make Me So Angry!

[pennykit&amanda]

There was a person on Craigslist that posted two posts, the first on said: they had two intact male dogs, he/she said the dogs were fighting and needed to mate. After they already got flagged they posted a second one saying the people who flagged them were hippies, that neutering the dogs hurts just thinking about it, and the dogs had no interest in being fathers so the female(s) had to be spayed (it seems to me, that a spayed female would have no desire to mate)... I have a question too. Why do people have a problem with spaying and neutering there animals? If they had neutered them, they could avoid the fighting and having to deal with asking for them to mate! I don't get it!

[erikahand83]

It's a man thing. My husband says stuff to this affect all the time. We have a dog that we got neutered a couple months ago. He's always saying that he feels guilty about taking away his "manhood" as he calls it and could never imagine having to have that done on himself let alone an animal. All this said though he agrees that there is no need to put females at risk of getting pregnant and having more homeless puppies out there just because he feels sorry for his dog.

[Janelle]

And if the female is spayed, not only will she have no interest in mating, neither will the males. Plus, one rendezvous will not satisfy a male dog. What a ridiculous man.

[Bennalaya]

Originally Posted by erikahand83

It's a man thing. My husband says stuff to this affect all the time. We have a dog that we got neutered a couple months ago. He's always saying that he feels guilty about taking away his "manhood" as he calls it and could never imagine having to have that done on himself let alone an animal.

My sister is a vet tech and she deals with men like that all the time. She was telling me about how this man came in and said his wife was making them "take away their dog's manhood" and how he was afraid the dog would become depressed and insecure because he lacked his testicles. He said he wanted the dog to have testicular implants. I can't make this stuff up. They actually make what are called "Neuticles" and they are testicular implants. I just can't imagine dogs and cats having the sort of hang-ups over the aesthetics of their genitals.

I engaged in quite a heated debate on a general forum of a knitting community I'm a member of over spaying and neutering pets. I didn't realize that spaying and neutering was such a sticking point with people abroad. I know here in the States the message is pretty clear - spaying and neutering your pets is the responsible, humane thing to do. I did not realize that in the UK, spaying and neutering is oftentimes considered invasive and unnecessary if you are a responsible pet owner who does not intend to have mixed genders under the same roof.

[Janelle]

Wow--I never realized it was like that elsewhere, either. The thing is, dogs can get pregnant through a chain link fence and all sorts of other crazy things. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[pennykit&amanda]

Originally Posted by Bennalaya

He said he wanted the dog to have testicular implants.

I've heard of those, my grandpa felt bad when he neutered one of his dogs (but he knew it was the right thing to do), and said he wanted to do the implanted testicals, but he found out they were too expensive.

[pennykit&amanda]

Another thing about not neutering that makes me angry. I look at CL through out the day, and almost everyday our kill shelter posts about three-four lost dogs they get in everyday, I'm gonna' say that 90% are unaltered males. Those dogs probably smelled a female in heat, got out of their owners yard , were found by animal control, and put in there! I bet some of those dogs have been euthanized by now. That could also have been avoided by a simple neuter.

[Bennalaya]

It is so unfortunate that many people assume that if they keep their dog indoors or in a fenced in yard that it can pregnancy can never occur. As it's been stated already, intercourse can take place even if you think your fence is adequate. I've seen male dogs scale six foot fences to get to a female in heat. Spaying or neutering an animal makes them healthier in the long-run and can even add years to their life without all of the hormonal stress.

I've never paid more than $100 to have an animal fixed. I signed up with Spay Georgia and I receive vouchers from them that most veterinary clinics around here will honor. Some won't, but I go to my local dog and cat vet to have it done. Last time I had a dog neutered I think it cost me $45. In Georgia we also have an organization called SANTA (Spay and Neuter Team of Atlanta). They run a non profit veterinary clinic that provides full-service veterinary care for a reasonable fee.

In my opinion, spaying or neutering is one of those aspects of owning a dog or cat that should be a given. If a person cannot afford to have an animal fixed, they shouldn't have an animal. It's just one of those fundamental, basic needs along with food, adequate shelter, yearly rabies vaccinations and any sort of flea or heartworm preventative.

[Angelgal]

Our little dog had to be neutered (he was going to be anyway) because one testicle had not dropped by the time he was 1 year. We waited to see if it would, for it to be a less stressful (and less expensive) procedure.
He is happy and just as active. No change in personality.

I think many people are just quite uneducated about spay and neutering. There are a lot of myths so I think many people get confused and question 'whats best' for their pet. It really doesn't affect their personality. It makes them healthier (may have problems with decreased levels of estrogen leading to problems in older age but can be managed). As long as they are given plenty of exercise and their food slightly adjusted (interavtive feeding) because there is a 24-33% less calorie need.

People need to really get educated, and I think Vet's need to step up more with that.

[breezy2]

I would never have a dog that is not spayed or neutered. Our female dog, which we got about 6 years ago from a good home wanted ad in a newspaper, was in heat when we got her. I knew because we took her the next day to make arrangements to have her spayed. The vet said it couldn't be done, because she was in heat, so we made an appointment for a month later. I never took my eyes off of her in our enclosed yard until the day the procedure was done. I didn't want puppies. Even with her fixed dogs tend to leap our 5 foot fence to come play with her from time to time, so you can never be sure your yard is safe.

[crazywiggy]

I think the opinion in the UK is having peaks and troughs....

We got really big on neutering, and for a while no one really questioned it. (Except the totally ignorant, the BYBs etc but that's obvious).

Most people still are completely pro-neutering. Certainly all the animal welfare / rescue groups promote it as one of those fundamental basics (as Bennalaya said).

Recently however, some people have started to question it. The argument is that in the hands of a responsible owner, spaying and neutering may just be unnecessary - in which case perhaps it is unethical to subject an animal to surgery (with the risks and pain that go with it) for no good reason.

Health and behaviour are also being questioned.
For example, spaying can increase the risk of certain medical problems. Aggression and other behaviour problems are also more complex than people assume. While it is true that neutering male dogs reduces competitive aggression, neutering a nervous dog can make them more fearful (due to lower testosterone) which has the potential to create fear biters.

Don't get me wrong - I am personally in full favour of neutering. From my own research I have come to the conclusion that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Just thought you guys might be interested in some of the other views.

I also have to agree about men and their obsession with their nuts! I think in every couple or family I know, the woman has had to take the animal to the vet to be neutered because the men won't do it. They have no problem taking a girl to be spayed though.

[Res Judicata]

It's the same thing with human sterilization. My husband would rather be hit by a bus than get a vascetomy because of the temporary after effects of surgery that I won't go into here. I had my tubes tied instead, which is much more invasive and has more complications. Getting an already neutered dog is preferrable to him than having to get one neutered because he knows it needs to be done, but he doesn't have to deal with it.