Very long and unfortunately nothing that is probably not known by the people who look and post on this forum.

Possibly make all spay/neuter operations free? Or actually pay people to have their animal spayed, keeping tract through a valid social security number. There would need to be a way to keep tract, so certain individuals wouldn't be breeding in order to be paid. Just a thought.

Who is going to fund these free operations? And who is going to pay these people to get it done on their own?

Not very practical suggestions.

The listing from Craigslist was removed. What's it say?

Funding, Considering that our tax dollars already fund the euthanization of all these animals, it would probably be more cost effective to provide free spay and neuter.

Do you really think our gov't is going to spring for that?? Surgery is not more cost effective than shots. Not only for the supply costs, but also for paying the veterinary surgeons for the spaying and neutering and for the pain medications afterwards.

It doesn't take a veterinary surgeon to put down an animal. It just takes a trained professional and they don't even need to be a veterinarian.

And a lot of places do offer free spaying and neutering and yet, still, people aren't knocking down their doors to take the organizations up on their offer.

What they need to do is to start charging an exorbitant amount of money for licensing dogs and cats that aren't fixed by 30 days after their sexual maturity. I know some people will say then people just won't license their animals. But eventually they will need to go to the vet and the vets should automatically report unlicensed animals. I agree though the only people that will read this thread are those already smart enough to be responsible pet owners.

"Do you really think our gov't is going to spring for that?? Surgery is not more cost effective than shots. Not only for the supply costs, but also for paying the veterinary surgeons for the spaying and neutering and for the pain medications afterwards.
It doesn't take a veterinary surgeon to put down an animal. It just takes a trained professional and they don't even need to be a veterinarian."

A "veterinary surgeon"? Any veterinarian can spay/neuter an animal.

Also, I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think pain meds are given after such a simple operation.

We all know that spaying/neutering is important - this isn't news.

Okay, I didn't want everyone to get up in arms. I threw this out as an idea.

Elly it was a very long depressing story of basically animals be euthanized. At the end it showed dogs and cats in containers. Unfortunately, this is something that is not miraculously going to end.

With cities banning certain breeds, apartments having breed regulations, your homeowners cancelling you for owning a certain breed, certain dogs are doomed to die. It doesn't help that most dogs you see in the shelters are mixed with the undesirable breed. And cats can breed at an alarming rate.

I predict that laws will be enacted requiring pet owners to microchip their pets. Vets will be required to check for valid chips. The governing agency will then know who is responsible for the pet and control (thru hefty fees) those pets who are not fixed. Just like cars you will also be required to show some kind of liability insurance. And just like car insurance some people will fall thru the cracks. I believe England is already doing the micro-chipping of dogs.

Not every veterinarian performs surgery. Surgeons have to be trained to perform surgery. Thus, you have veterinarian surgeons.

And yes, they do prescribe pain meds. Where I work, my boss takes in rescue dogs and she gets them spayed or neutered before rehoming them. By now I pretty much know a lot about the process from having cared for many dogs before and after the process.

Cutting into the body and removing something is painful. It would be cruel not to give pain meds post surgery to alleviate it.

Also, I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think pain meds are given after such a simple operation.

They are. Spay surgery, while safe and a routine operation, is a major surgery. Where I volunteer, pets are sent home with pain meds, and ferals are given a three - day pain injection.

My dog was spayed but was never sent home with pain meds (but this was also 10 years ago...so maybe things have changed, but I doubt it). If I had to guess, I would think some pets are given pain meds for spay...not neuter. And Ms.Minna, While your vet's office may send pets home with pain meds, that is not true of all places. Every vet is different, and this applies to every surgery/work-up/situation.

"Not every veterinarian performs surgery. Surgeons have to be trained to perform surgery. Thus, you have veterinarian surgeons."
This is just simply not true. All vets are trained to perform surgeries. And if a veterinarian does not choose to perform surgery (especially for such a simple and routine operation), then that vet is just not comfortable with performing surgery.

"By now I pretty much know a lot about the process from having cared for many dogs before and after the process."
I worked at an animal hospital for 5 years and observed tons of neuter/spay...never were pain meds given or sent home with the animal. So like I said, every vet is different.

Let's look at the real problem- irresponsible pet ownership. If I choose not to neuter a dog and I control that dog and see to it that no puppies are produced, whose business is that?
I will agree that for the majority of pets and pet owners spaying and neutering is the best course. But there are valid reasons not to spay and neuter.
Please read:
this link listing all long term health effects of spaying and neutering dogs.

In short neutering (especially early) can increase risk of osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, hyperthyroidism, and a few other issues.
The issues in females are more complex.

I am not saying don't do it. But for many people the issues aren't as black and white as many seem to think, and for giant breed owners especially whose dogs are already in danger of bone cancers, it really needs to be thoroughly considered.

Check out the link- it discusses issues that we all need to be familiar with no matter what your stand on the topic.
And I will repeat my opinion that the problem is more to do with responsible ownership than anything else.
If responsibility is too much trouble, then of course spay and neuter works. But I do not believe that I should be condemmed or taxed because I choose not to neuter for health reasons.

Here is a link that might be useful: Long Term Health Effects

For one I've had about enough of having to pay for govt programs, in the form of higher taxes (because where else is the govt going to get funds from), for irresponsible people. Not only that but any mandatory laws would also affect the breeders who do health testing and will take back any puppies they produce over that dogs lifetime and for any reason.

I'm one who prefers to alter over one year of age but I do undertand and respect shelters altering before the animal leaves for it's new home. No I don't breed and all of my guys are fixed, even my show prospect who just had to have surgery and since he was under for this I decided to neuter him at the same time so he would only have to go thru surgery one time instead of altering him later because he would have never been bred anyway. And as far as vets who don't offer pain meds after spay/neuter surgeries today, then I would look for another vet.

Lisa

I have to say here that my last bulldog I did not get fixed. I never bred and I was responsible so that she was never alone outside when in heat (or any other time for that matter). Because I did not fix her she ended up with cancer. She ended up spending a week at the vet because after they removed the cancer her lungs had gotten infected and needed to be drained. She lived two years after she had the cancer, but the disease that killed her I really believe it won because she was weakened by the cancer previously. Of course I could be completely wrong about her being weakened and she could have gotten the cancer somewhere else if she was fixed...who knows....but I learned my lesson and my new bully was fixed at 12 months old. Shortly after we got her. I read the article and passed it on to friends that are about to spay their dog. I think if the animals is fixed after 1 year its a goods thing.

Ahh, licensing....do you know that less than half of all dogs are ever licensed??? The idea to charge more for dogs who are not fixed only makes it harder for honest breeders to keep bloodlines going...I believe in bloodlines being maintained as long as it is done properly, but I also believe that the millions of homeless dogs and cats out there should not be in the state they are and something needs to be done...the problem is there is no good enforcement, just like guns. Make it harder for those enthusists who are honest hardworking and most important law abiding, to care for and breed dogs they love and the only people who are going to end up with dogs are the very people all this legislation is being focused on...there is never an easy solution. Look at it this way. All those laws out there regarding how you drive your car, where and how you ride a bike to where you can cross the street were all put into law because of the careless acts of people who came before you... Im all for laws and a civilized society but I am also against creeping incrementalism and the loss of freedoms. These are very real problems and they need some creative solutions, I just dont think slapping fines on people is going to work.

Irresponsible pet ownership and an over abundance of pets will lead to various organizations pushing for ways to help curb the problem. Whether you agree or not, organizations with their own lobbyists are pushing their agendas. This is just how things are processed through our governing bodies.

Right now there is Washington State Senate Bill 5329/House Bill 1406.

Per their website:
The purpose of the bill is to provide funding to assist low-income owners of cats and dogs to obtain affordable spay/neuter surgeries, and to provide for spay/neuter surgeries on feral and free-roaming cats. The bill does not make spay/neuter surgery mandatory.

This bill is endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Washington State Federation of Animal Care and Control Agencies, and over 50 other animal welfare organizations in Washington State.

There are also similar programs in other states including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

Now what organization is actually behind this site is another matter. Also, feral/free roaming cats would not have an owner. So yes the taxpayer, who is living in states with similar programs, is footing the bill.

Here is a link that might be useful: WA pets

In the US, ALL veterinarians are trained to do surgery. Veterinary schools are regulated by an agency that requires certain skills, and surgery is one of them. There is no surgery or medical procedure that (if legal) cannot be performed by any veterinary school graduate the day following obtaining a state license if one is required by the state in which one is working (if one is required). I was legally able to perform open heart surgery on any animal 1 week following graduating veterinary school if I so desired, since I had my license at that time.

There are boarded veterinary surgeons, who have gone through an additional 1 year internship and 3 year residency and passed a very difficult exam in order to be granted that status. But any veterinarian can do any surgery that a boarded surgery can do; a boarded surgeon is just more formally trained and ALL they do is surgery, all day, every day, so they have more experience in surgery.

Good owners realize that major abdominal surgery is painful and request pain meds for their pets after a spay, even if the policy of the hospital does not include pain meds in the cost of the surgery. EVERY hospital will provide pain meds, some require it, others recommend it, but NONE will ever deny pain meds following spay or neuter or any other operation. And if a hospital does not offer pain meds following any surgery, find a better vet.