Myths About Reasons Not to Spay / Neuter

I want to breed my purebred pet—we want another pet just like our current pet.
Even breeding two purebred animals rarely results in offspring that are exactly like one of the parents. Purebred breeding is very complicated. There 
are numerous risks involved. For example, your pet needs to be guaranteed free from any diseases, infections or hereditary problems; have up-to-date vaccinations; and do you have the proper food and equipment you will need to give the mother and offspring proper care? After the time, effort, costs 
and emotional toll on individuals and their families, most people end up wishing they would never have allowed their purebred female to have a litter.

We can sell puppies or kittens and make money. 
Even well-known purebred breeders are fortunate if they break even. The cost of raising such a litter—including health tests, vaccinations, veterinary 
costs, quality food,  advertising costs, unexpected medical copncerns,  time spent caring for the newborns and showing them to prospective owners,
and guarnateeing those pups, consumes most of the “profit.” most of the time breeders lose money but breed for the love of the animals and breed itself.

I'll find homes for all the puppies/kittens.
Only a certain number of people want pets. So each home you find for your pet's offspring takes a home away from a loving animal already at a shelter, already desperately in need of a good home. In the U.S., only 1 in 12 cats and 1 in 6 dogs finds a home. 

The humane society will find homes for my litter. 
After exhausting every effort, the average animal shelter in the U.S. can find homes for only 10% to 20% of the animals it takes in. The remaining 80% to 90% have to be destroyed. The chances of finding 4, 5 or 6 good lifetime homes for a litter is extremely unlikely. As for the fairy tale about the Humane Society finding homes for the entire litter, that's what it is—a fairy tale. 

It's just one litter. 
Studies have shown that virtually the entire pet overpopulation epidemic stems from thousands of “just one litters.” 
Dogs have exponential birth rates your one cat can turn into 420,000 kittens in only 7 years! And your one dog can turn into 4,372 puppies in only 7 years!

Spaying or neutering is too expensive. 
Spaying or neutering is a one-time cost. It is relatively small when compared to all the benefits the procedure ensures, and a bargain compared to the cost of raising a litter or litters and ensuring the health of the mother and newborns. Two months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant vet bills and food costs, especially if complications develop. 

Most communities have low-cost spay/neuter clinics and veterinarians that offer affordable services. You will find that over the course of time, spaying or neutering your dog is one of the best investments you have ever made. 

 My children should witness our pet giving birth. 
Litters have a way of arriving between midnight and 7 a.m. If the kids are around for the big event, better hope that all goes well. If it doesn't, they may be treated to scenes of deformed, decomposed or dead puppies, the mother eating a live puppy , or the mother herself dying during the birth process because 
a puppy  is too big and cannot fit through the vaginal opening. Also keep in mind that pets should be left alone to deliver. If humans divert their pet's attention or try to intervene during delivery, complications often arise because the mother becomes nervous or agitated. 

There are far less risky ways of teaching your children about the birds and the bees. Many organizations offer videos of pet births with which you could teach your children. Contact your local library, dog and/or cat clubs, zoo, science center, humane society or shelter and ask if they have a film or video cassette available that shows the birthing process. You then will be able to stop the film if your child has a question or should panic or become ill. Your own pets will not be put at risk and you are not contributing to the pet overpopulation problem. 

My male dog will be kept indoors away from any females.
Male pets will smell females in heat and many have been known to escape their homes to reach the female. 
Even the most conscientious pet owner can turn their back for a second. 

Only females add to the overpopulation problem, right?
A male may father far more offspring in his lifetime than a female can mother.