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When is Spay Day USA?

Spay Day USA occurs on the last Tuesday in February.

What is Spay Day USA?

Kittens and puppies are adorable. It’s too bad so many end their lives homeless, euthanized because they were unwanted. Spay Day USA raises awareness about the overpopulation problem of U.S. pets and urges owners to spay or neuter their pets.

Every year, 1.5 million homeless dogs and cats are euthanized to control the population. Spaying and neutering prevents unplanned litters, so the Doris Day Animal League created Spay Day USA in 1994 to encourage folks to address the issue.

“Spay” refers to the removal of the ovaries and uterus from a female animal. To “neuter” means removing a male animal’s testicles, though sometimes “neuter” is applied to the female process too.

The procedure might sound unkind, but skipping this step in responsible pet ownership is definitely harsher because it perpetuates the problem. There are too many unwanted dogs and cats roaming American alleyways and parks. Spay Day USA offers one solution to this problem.

Fun facts about Spay Day USA!

  • A quarter of the pets that land at animal shelters are purebreds, so spaying a purebred won’t create a shortage as some people fear.
  • Veterinarians recommend that owners spay a female animal before her first heat, not after her first litter.
  • Many states have low-cost programs to make it easy for people to spay/neuter their pets.

How to celebrate Spay Day USA:

Get your pets spayed or neutered. They won’t be able to have babies, but you can always get another dog or cat from the shelter. If that sounds like a bad idea, spend some time researching pet adoption myths to be sure you know your facts.

What’s the hashtag for Spay Day USA?

Promote animal population control on social media by using #SpayDayUSA.