furryfaces
Que, you are correct: ‘sometimes as a part of responsible pet ownership we have to make that difficult choice.’ Dr. Scarlett’s quote was from an article about why it is so important to spay and neuter all pets, etc. We did not post the whole article as it was long, so our apologies for any misleading statements.
In the United States, depending on how shelters and rescue groups ‘scrub’ their euthanasia numbers, we still kill 4 – 6 million adoptable animals every year. Dr. Scarlett’s quote is in regards to these companion animals.
In Washington State alone, approx. 133,000 pets enter our shelters each year and 49% – 50% are killed. Nationwide, the largest percentage of these pets are cats as folks are less likely to alter them, so there are more cats entering our shelters/rescues. (And cats are more likely to be dumped/abandoned. These unaltered cats give birth to…feral kittens–which is another entire conversation!).
This is why F3’s program ‘It’s Hip, To Be Snipped’ exists. The top reason people don’t spay / neuter their companion animal is cost and access to quality, affordable surgery. We help people with affordable, quality surgery by partnering with South Seattle Vet, Seattle Animal Shelter, and other animal advocacy groups.