Open-admission animal shelters like the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) care for thousands of homeless and surrendered animals each year. While all breeds are at risk for overpopulation and homelessness, a high percentage of Siberian Husky dogs surrendered at community shelters are Husky and Husky mixes. Spaying or neutering your dog will ensure more dogs are not surrendered to SCCAS.
In addition to reducing overpopulation, spaying and neutering has medical and behavioral benefits including:
- Prevention of certain types of cancer in dogs
- Longer life expectancy — neutered male dogs live 18% longer than unneutered dogs, and spayed female dogs live 23% longer than unspayed
- Spayed females do not go into heat
- Neutered males are less likely to roam away from home and to mark territory
- Unneutered male dogs are 2.6 times more likely to bite than a neutered dog
- Unaltered pets can be more destructive and high-strung around other dogs, which can lead to serious fights and significant injuries
Dog owners should not bring their animals to register and must bring proof of Santa Cruz County residency.
All surgeries are performed by a licensed veterinarian with a professional focus on spay/neuter procedures. Surgeries include a preoperative exam by a veterinarian, pain medication and dissolvable sutures.
To receive the free spay or neuter surgery and microchip, SCCAS provides and requires a current rabies vaccination and dog license, and a blood panel test for dogs 7 years old or older.
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SCCAS offers these services at low-cost For more information, please visit www.scanimalshelter.org.