The St. Louis Petlover Coalition is supporting a new campaign, asking pet owners to take the pledge to spay/neuter their pets.
It is estimated that more than 23,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in St. Louis City and County every year due to pet overpopulation. While approximately 25 percent of animals entering our area’s public and private shelters are adopted and a similar number are returned to their owners or transferred, sadly approximately two in four (44 percent) are euthanized, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Pet overpopulation also poses a threat to our health and safety, including through potential attacks on kids and adults on our streets and in our neighborhoods.
Also, did you know that one dog or cat that is not spayed or neutered can produce thousands of unwanted offspring in a very short time? In fact, an unspayed female dog and her mate
along with all of their offspring can produce a staggering 67,000 dogs in only six years. The numbers for cats are similar.
For more information on the importance of spaying and neutering and on the campaign, please download the No Unwanted Litters campaign fact sheet from the Coalition’s website.
You can help make our neighborhoods safer and bring pet euthanasia numbers down in the St. Louis area by supporting the No Unwanted Litters campaign. No Unwanted Litters is a movement developed by the St. Louis PetLover Coalition to reduce the number of pets that enter the shelter system in the first place by increasing funding and region-wide awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering.