Leaflet: Reasons for castration of animals
LEGAL OBLIGATION TO CONTROL THE REPRODUCTION OF PETS
The Animal Protection Act obliges pet keepers to carry out mandatory control of their reproduction. This means that every caregiver is obliged to ensure that there are no unwanted offspring of pets under their care in order to comply with the related legal provisions and to avoid financial costs and sanctions. A good, safe, and long-term cheap way to control the reproduction of dogs and cats is permanent sterilization or castration.
Castration of male and female dogs and cats is important for the animals themselves, the animals that surround them, for their caregivers, and for the whole community, as the best way to prevent unwanted kittens and puppies.
DOGS AND CATS DON’T KNOW HOW TO ADD, BUT THEY KNOW HOW TO BREED
• only one cat and its offspring can give birth to 420,000 kittens in seven years
• only one female dog and her offspring can give birth to 67,000 puppies in seven years
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
According to the Animal Protection Act, cities and municipalities may prescribe mandatory permanent neutering as a way to control the reproduction of dogs and cats. Many local communities have already used this legal tool and thus helped their budget and the animals as they set out to address the root cause of the problem given that unwanted animals both arise from uncastrated dogs and cats that have guardians. The law allows the prescribing of evidenced exceptions.
WHAT IS THE EARLIEST STAGE AT WHICH CASTRATION CAN BE DONE?
Veterinarians recommend castration of male and female animals before the first drive. The animal will not lag behind in growth. Also, castration does not affect temperament and has no effect on weight gain that depends solely on the amount of food the animal eats. Since pets are isolated from their natural habitat, we take responsibility for their well-being and reproduction.
Choose castration to prevent suffering and death and allow animals to coexist long and peacefully with humans and other animals. Encourage castration and remove prejudices. Castrate street cats and return them to the place you took them from. Mark dogs with a microchip as it is legally mandatory. Do not buy animals, but adopt an abandoned dog or cat.
Castration is a necessary way to help animals. Be a conscientious guardian.
REASONS TO CASTRATE
• A castrated animal will more rarely end up on the street where suffering, sickness, and death await
• Castration prevents the uncontrolled increase in the population of domestic animals, and thus the birth of unwanted puppies/kittens and the always associated problem of their adoption.
• Castration prevents the psychological suffering of the animal - its depression, aggression towards other animals, and running away from home.
• Castration is protection against diseases such as breast and uterine tumors, pyometra, sepsis, prostate, and testicular cancer, and a castrated animal lives longer. Today, such an operation is performed routinely and animals can perform everything on their own soon after the operation.
• Castration is a long-term solution and is significantly cheaper than paying high fines and high costs of caring for cubs.
Fulfill your legal obligation to control the reproduction of pets in the best possible way, be conscientious towards the animal you care for, and the whole community, and take your dog or cat for neutering. Do a good deed, prevent suffering and death, help your pet.