Andrew Kelly, the Chief Executive of the ISPCA, joined us to talk about the SpayAware campaign, which is strongly supported by the ISPCA. You can watch the video of the segment by clicking here.
SpayAware’s annual awareness campaign is now an all-year-round activity, but the last week of May is SpayAware Week, when we have a particular focus on the subject.
SpayAware supporters feel so passionately about the issue that they have even made professional tv adverts to promote their cause. One of these, featuring Brenda Fricker, is shown at the start of this week’s vet spot. We are currently looking for a commercial sponsor to pay for the adverts to be shown on national television. We also have an excellent animation/cartoon that viewers can watch on our website.
The aim is to reduce the annual toll of healthy cats and dogs destroyed in Ireland by persuading more owners to spay or neuter their pets. SpayAware highlights the issue through an active Facebook page and its website: www.spayaware.ie.
Unplanned pet pregnancies have now been identified as a key cause of the overpopulation crisis. Recent survey found that of those owners who allow their dogs to have pups, around 50% of those litters are unplanned, and with cats, 85% of kittens are unplanned. In other words, one out of every two young Irish dogs and nearly 9 out of 10 young cats, is an accident. If these animals were not allowed to be born in the first place, there would be no need at all to euthanase so many unwanted pets.
Recently released figures from the Department of the Environment show that 3,516 unwanted dogs were destroyed in Irish dog pounds in 2013. This represents a continuation of a downward trend that has seen the country’s annual toll of unwanted dogs drop from a high of 16,546 in 2005. But the latest figure still represents a daily average of almost ten dogs per day and compares unfavourably with other European countries. In Scotland for example, which has a similar population and ownership profile to Ireland, the daily destruction rate is less than two dogs per day.
While no official figures are available for cats, based on anecdotal evidence it is estimated that the number of unwanted, abandoned and feral cats far exceeds the totals for dogs.
The best way individual pet owners can help end the killing is to ensure their cats or dogs are neutered or spayed. Persuading owners to heed the message is not always easy however.Most people who allow their dogs to breed do not believe that they are adding to the pet overpopulation problem if they manage to find homes for all the pups. This is self-deception. Although the pups they produce may go to good homes, they are taking up spaces that would otherwise have been available for a dog that ends up being euthanased.
Other myths and misconceptions around spaying and neutering also persist. While many owners still feel it is somehow better to let nature run its course, the best veterinary advice is that in the vast majority of cases, spay/neuter is much the healthier option. Not only does this avoid breeding unwanted animals that will end up being put down, it is also better for their pet’s long term health. The best advice to owners is to discuss the spay/neuter option with their vet.
Animal welfare charities have done tremendous work reducing unwanted animal destruction rates by organising subsidised spay or neuter schemes or rehoming abandoned pets. Thousands of individual owners have also played their part by making a conscious effort to adopt a pet from their local animal rescue group rather than buying a pedigree kitten or puppy. Ultimately, however, the most responsible solution to the problem of unwanted litters is to spay and neuter all pet cats and dogs.
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Ten dogs are euthanased every day in Irish dog pounds
In Scotland, the equivalent figure is less than two dogs every day
Spaying/neutering pets is the best answer to this problem
There are also health benefits for individual pets
Spayed/neutered pets live for longer than unneutered animals
SpayAware is supported by Veterinary Ireland, the DoneDeal PetAware, Allianz Pet Insurance, Maxizoo and the ISPCA, as well as a range of well-known Irish animal welfare and rescue groups. For further information, visit: www.SpayAware.ie
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Please note that I am unable to answer veterinary questions in comments. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health it is always better to contact your vet.