Neutered & Proud | Spayed & Fabulous
Painted Paws is very excited to partner with StubbyDog Project for their Spay & Neuter Campaign!
When you look at the staggering number of intakes and euthanasia in U.S. shelters, it's obvious that something needs to be done. Without looking at statistics and just from my own experience working at a veterinarian clinic (which I previously did part-time) I can give you 4 reasons why people don't spay & neuter.
1. Believe it or not, many people still shy away from neutering due to the misconception that it takes away from their "masculinity." Let me tell ya, Bauer was neutered when I adopted him at around 10 months old. He's definitely not a non-manly dog. In fact, when he trots down the hallway, all that runs through my head is George Clinton's Atomic Dog, "Bow wow wow, yippee yo yippe yay... Why must dog chase the cat.. Nothing but the dog in me.." and all that. He also managed to hump a stuffed animal dog in a training class recently. Needless to say, he still has his masculinity
2. Another common reason for not spaying or neutering is that "I never got around to it." Then, guess what happens one day... Bruce, your neighbor's intact Basset Hound, somehow sneaks into your backyard while your sweet and innocent (and not spayed) Whippet, Kiki, is doing her morning business. Three months later, you have a litter of awkward looking Bass-a-Whips running around. Not only does just thinking of the cost of vetting the litter wear you down, but the time to take care of them until you can find them homes makes you crazy - IF you even can find them homes! I won't even suggest that you dump them at a "shelter." Just be proactive and fix them in the beginning!
3. My favorite reason not to spay or neuter a pet is because "He's just such a good dog. I plan on breeding him and keeping a puppy from the litter." I understand the thought, I want Bauer to live forever and what better way to keep his genes alive by breeding. After all, I can't afford to clone him. The problem is, what happens to the rest of the litter from your Heinz 57 Mutt? It's just a selfish reason to breed a dog. Cherish the time you have now and remember the good times. Also, take lots of photos. There will be another "he's just such a good dog" that comes along.
4. Lastly, finances can be a problem when spaying and neutering pets. Many people skip that part since it's not necessary. It's easy to say "Why have a dog in the first place if you can't afford it?!" Well, there are many people that make great pet parents that don't make great amounts of money. I'd like to consider myself one of them. Luckily, there are resources out there that can help..
Actually, StubbyDog is here to help! May 20th - June 8th, Stubby will be hosting a doggie photo contest. All proceeds from the contest will go directly to spaying and neutering dogs in various shelters and rescues. Here's where YOU come in - Enter your pup's photo in Stubby's Spayed & Fabulous or Neutered & Proud contest! All breeds welcome to participate. Enter here: https://www.360photocontest.com/249
The 1st place winners in both the "Spayed & Fabulous" and "Neutered & Proud" categories will each receive a Custom Pet Painting from Painted Paws Studio! Top three photos in each category will be printed into flyers and distributed across the country in effort to promote awareness.
Another way to help is ART FIX, which is a special we'll be running from June 8th - August 8th. 20% of proceeds from every 12" x 12" custom portrait will be donated to Stubby Dog's Spay & Neuter Fund. Also consider purchasing an item from Crochets for Spays. 100% of the purchase price goes to Stubby's Spay & Neuter fund. (You can see Bauer, pictured above, sporting his beautiful bow-tie from Crochets for Spays. Oh yeah, he's Neutered & Proud!) Learn more by visiting this link http://stubbydog.org/stubbys-spayneuter-fund/ I can't wait to see all the Fabulous and Proud photos of your pooches!
ART FIX: http://paintedpawsstudio.tumblr.com/ArtFix
Crochets for Spays: http://stubbydog.org/stubbys-spayneuter-fund/crochets-for-spays/
