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The 16th Annual Spay Day is February 23rd, 2010

 

Win a Save a Sato T-shirt or Sticker!

 

Save a Sato is sponsoring a Spay Day 2010 Children's Coloring Contest! Download the coloring sheets below, be creative in coloring them and mail them to us! We will choose two winners at random - one winner will receive a Save a Sato Euro Bumper sticker and one winner will receive a Save a Sato logo T-shirt (see them here). All children will receive a "Certificate of Participation" via E-mail. Entries will be displayed at our event table during an Adoption Event in Guaynabo, PR on February 28th and will then be posted at our shelter for visitors to see.

 

Click here for Coloring Contest Entry in English (PDF)

 

Click here for Coloring Contest Entry in Spanish (PDF)

 

Please mail entries to -

Save a Sato Spay Day Coloring Contest

130 Winston Churchill Avenue

Suite 1, PMB 208

San Juan, PR 00926-6018

 

Include on your coloring sheet your Name, Age, City, Parent's Name, E-mail address and Phone Number. In your own words, write a sentence or two about why spay/neutering your pet is important - we will post these on our website! Contest ends February 23rd, 2010 and is open to US and Puerto Rico residents up to the age of 18 years old.

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Spay/Neuter education is important for our children and can be fun! The HSUS has provided the activity sheets below. Take a moment to print them and discuss with your kids the importance of spaying your pets. We have provided some spay facts below.

 

Make a Flip Book(PDF)

 

Find your way through this maze(PDF)

 

Fill in the words to complete the story(PDF)

 

A Visit from the Vet Word Puzzle(PDF)

 

 

 

 

 

You may also mail these to us at the address above to be posted at our shelter if you would like.

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For residents of Puerto Rico, we provide a low cost spay/neuter page here on our website, please visit here for information on resources in your area. You may also click here to view the interactive map of Puerto Rico.

 

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If you would like to sponsor a spay or neuter of a shelter animal in our care, please click donate below. Our cost to neuter one male dog is $75.00 and to spay one female dog is $90.00. Your donation in any amount is appreciated and will go directly to our Sterilization Fund.

 

 

 

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Courtesy of http://www.humanesociety.org/

 

FAQs: Spay & Neuter

 

Q: What is spaying and neutering?

Spaying and neutering, the most common surgical procedures performed on animals, stop animals from being able to reproduce. Females are spayed, and males are neutered (although sometimes the word “neuter” is used to refer to an animal of unknown sex, or to a group of animals of mixed or unknown sex). The clinical name for “spay” is ovariohysterectomy. When a female is spayed, her ovaries and uterus are removed. The clinical name for “neuter” is orchidectomy. When a male is neutered, his testicles are removed.

Q: Isn’t spaying and neutering unnatural?

Euthanizing healthy, adoptable companion animals is unnatural. Currently, we euthanize one kitten, cat, puppy, or dog about every 8 seconds due to a critical lack of resources, including loving, lifetime homes. Spay/neuter is a humane, proven solution to this tragic human failure.

Q: Doesn’t spaying and neutering hurt?

Veterinarians provide animals with a general anesthetic, so the surgery itself is painless. Any discomfort an animal experiences afterward is minimal, and can be alleviated with medication given to you by your vet. According to VetCentric.com, “most cats will heal very easily and quickly,” and “most dogs show no signs of discomfort from the procedure.” In fact, some animals “may attempt to resume their normal level of activity immediately after surgery.” This, of course, should be monitored to ensure that the animal does not aggravate the incision. Most animals return to normal activity within 24 to 72 hours after surgery.

Q: Does spaying or neutering provide any additional benefits?

Yes. Spaying greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer and prevents various reproductive tract disorders. Neutering often resolves undesirable behaviors such as aggression, spraying, and roaming, and eliminates the risk of various testicular diseases. Generally, animals who have been spayed or neutered prove to be more sociable companions.

Q: Doesn’t spaying or neutering make dogs less protective?

No. Any changes brought about by spaying or neutering are generally positive. Neutered males tend to fight less and are less likely to become lost due to straying from home in search of a mate. Spayed females do not go into heat or need to be confined indoors to avoid pregnancy. Dogs do not become less protective or loyal to their guardians as a result of being spayed or neutered.

Q: Is it really necessary to neuter males? Males don’t give birth!

The old saying “it takes two to tango” is as true for animals as it is for humans. Even if you are very careful to keep your male pet under control at all times, accidents do happen and he may escape. In fact, he will likely try repeatedly to escape, digging up your yard, scratching up your door, or chewing off his restraint in the process. Males roaming in search of a mate are susceptible to being injured by traffic and in fights with other males. And while a female cat or dog can only have one litter at a time, male animals can impregnate many females each day.

Q: When should I have my pet spayed or neutered?

As early as possible! Although cats and dogs have traditionally been altered at six months, many veterinarians are now practicing pediatric (also known as “early age,” “prepubertal,” or “juvenile”) spay/neuter surgery, which can be performed on animals who weigh at least two pounds—typically at six to eight weeks of age. Doctors practicing this technique report that the surgery is significantly easier and quicker to perform; guardians who have had pediatric spay/neuter performed on their animals report fewer medical problems than those who have older animals altered; and spaying or neutering homeless animals before adopting them out is the best way to prevent accidental births.

Q: Isn’t spaying and neutering expensive?

Although to some animal guardians the cost of surgery may seem high initially, it’s a real bargain when compared with the cost of raising a litter of puppies or kittens. Spaying and neutering also saves tax dollars. A 1999 survey of 186 shelters revealed an average cost of $176 to handle each homeless animal2—a cost that ultimately comes out of all our pockets. Most important of all, when you consider the moral expense of euthanizing millions of healthy, innocent beings whom many of us consider “best friends,” the cost of spay/neuter surgery fades to insignificance. While prices for spay/neuter surgery vary considerably, many humane societies, welfare organizations, and municipal animal care and control departments will spay/neuter animals at low costs for people who truly need them—those struggling to make ends meet on a low income, animal rescue workers such as those who trap and neuter feral cats, and Good Samaritans who are paying for someone else’s animal(s). Friends of Animals, for example, distributes low cost spay/neuter vouchers through its national toll-free hotline: 1-800-321-PETS (1-800-321-7387). Other resources are listed here: Humanesociety.org/spayday You can also start a low cost spay/neuter program in your community. The bottom line is this: when you bring an animal into your family, you assume responsibility for that animal’s wellbeing. Spaying or neutering is as vital to your pet’s health and happiness as routine physical examinations, good nutrition, grooming, playtime, and love. Before you adopt an animal, you need to seriously consider whether or not you are ready to take on the financial responsibility of properly caring for one. If you have already adopted an unaltered animal, it is your responsibility to have that animal spayed or neutered regardless of cost.

Q: I’ve been feeding a group of stray or feral cats, and they are reproducing. What should I do?

It is important to humanely trap the cats and have them spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Please refer to a feral, stray or domestic cat resource to provide step-by step instruction expert guidance to ensure your Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) effort is a rewarding success.

Q: Are there any special considerations to take into account when having animal companions other than cats and dogs spayed or neutered?

Yes. It is vital that rabbit, ferret, guinea pig, and rodent spay/neuters be performed by veterinarians who have experience with operating on these particular animals.

1 The State of the American Pet—A Study Among Pet Owners. Prepared by Yankelovich Partners for Ralston-Purina, October 2000. www.purina.ca/images/articles/pdf TheStateofThe.pdf2 Wenstrup, John, and Alexis Dowidchuk, “Pet Overpopulation: Data and Measurement Issues in Shelters,” Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2(4), 1999, 303-319.

• “Haven’t bothered to do it yet.” (29%) Spay Day USA is the perfect motivator!

• “My pet is too young.” (15%) Maybe not. Animals weighing as little as two pounds may be spayed or neutered.

• “I can’t afford it.” (9%) There are programs available to help. Visit humanesociety.org/spayday

• “It’s cruel.” (5%) /”It’s unnatural.” (4%) Spay/neuter is a humane, effective alternative to the unnatural euthanizing of healthy, adoptable pets.