World Spay Day. Spay & Neuter Awareness Month

World Spay Day, (February 23, 2021) celebrated on the last Tuesday in February, takes place during Spay/Neuter Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to celebrate, recognize and spread awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering. The Doris Day Animal League, an animal advocacy group from Washington DC, started World Spay Day in 1994 as part of their efforts to reduce the population of dogs and cats that were being euthanized each year. Spaying and neutering wasn’t widely available until the 1930s when many cats and dogs started to become household pets. By 1969, discussion began about the benefits of having pets spayed or neutered, and shelters worked hard to change the public perception of the procedure.

By 1972, the ASPCA strongly recommended that every adopted dog or cat be spayed or neutered which helped tremendously. Today, more dogs and cats are being adopted into loving homes. However, the vital need for spaying and neutering remains. Spay/Neuter Awareness Month is recognized in the month of February to encourage pet owners to spay/neuter their animals before the spring and summer months when litters are at their highest. Over 70,000 puppies and kittens are born each day in the U.S. with millions winding up in shelters, on the streets or worse. The single most important thing that we can do to save cats and dogs from the suffering caused by overpopulation is to get our animal companions spayed and neutered. To get your dog or cat sterilized, please contact our low-cost clinic at 904-276-SPAY!