Find out about the spay/neuter clinic closest to you

There simply are not enough homes for all of the animals currently being born. While national estimates vary, anywhere from 4 to 8 million friendly, adoptable animals are humanely euthanized in animal shelters every year. Animals shelters and other rescue organizations try hard to find loving responsible homes for as many animals as possible, but the sad truth is that the animal population far outstrips the number of available homes. You can save lives by neutering or spaying your pet. The logic is simple -- if fewer animals are born, those that are alive have a better chance of finding a home. Click here for a list of low-cost spay/neuter services and veterinarians across the D.C. metro area.

Some Brief Facts on Spaying and Neutering

• Spaying and neutering makes pets calmer and more affectionate.
• Neutering male cats makes them less likely to spray and makes male dogs less aggressive and less likely to bite.
• Spayed females do not go into heat. A female in heat can be noisy, temperamental and attract unwanted males.
• Neutered males will not stray, looking for a female in heat. Studies have shown that 80% of the male dogs hit by cars are un neutered.
• Females spayed before their first heat are healthier than those that have a litter. Many shelters now sterilize dogs and cats when they are only two months old.
• Animals that have been spayed or neutered are less likely to develop reproductive cancers - one of the most common causes of death in an animal.
• Animals do not have any conscious understanding of their sexual identity and so will not feel deprived if they are spayed or neutered. Almost all animals recover from the operation in a day and do not seem to notice that anything has happened to them.
• Dogs do not get fat and lazy as a result of being spayed or neutered. Pets gain weight for the same reason people do - too much food and not enough exercise.

Find out about the spay/neuter clinic closest to you