AFC - 08/25/07 Spaying/Neutering Saves Animals

08/25/07 Spaying/Neutering Saves Animals

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Animal Friends is striving to increase the awareness of citizens about respecting the Animal Protection Act

The Animal Protection Act, Article 48, paragraphs 5 and 6, prescribes that guardians of companion animals must ensure the controlled reproduction of animals which are under their control and must take care of the offspring of their own companion animals. If they fail to do this, the Act foresees a fine of 5,000-15,000 HRK for a natural person and 30,000-50,000 HRK for a legal person.

With regard to this, Animal Friends is organizing an event at the corner of Petar Preradovic Square and Varsavska ulica on Saturday, August 25, 2007, with the purpose of informing the citizens on the necessity of spaying and neutering of companion animals thus encouraging them to become responsible companion animals guardians. Our activists will distribute leaflets on the topic at the info stall, where they will be joined at 11:00 A.M. by dogs from the Shelter for Abandoned Animals of the City Zagreb in Dumovec, which are spayed/neutered and awaiting adoption. The shelter manager Tatjana Zajec, DVM will present the dogs and Bozidar Darko Martic, DVM will offer advice on spaying/neutering to interested citizens.

Animal Friends invites companion animals guardians to take not only their companion animals, but also abandoned and stray animals spay/neuter. For this purpose, a discounted veterinary service of spaying/neutering has been organized for cats and dogs. Citizens are kindly asked to contact our groups via phone or e-mail.

A single cat with its offspring can bring about 420,000 kittens to the world in only seven years, while a single bitch with its offspring can bear around 67,000 puppies in the same period of time.

Cats and dogs do not live in wilderness, but in cohabitation with humans; therefore, their overpopulation and uncontrolled procreation result in hardship and suffering for unwanted and abandoned animals. Drowning of newborn kittens, strangulation of puppies, poisoning, throwing into the street, traffic accidents, rifle shooting, hunger, thirst, illness, and euthanasia are the sad destiny of numerous animals that have never had a chance to live a happy life. This problem can be partly prevented by spaying/neutering of companion and stray animals.

Spaying/neutering prevents uncontrolled increase in companion animals population and therefore the unnecessary and violent extinguishing of their lives, since unwanted kittens and puppies are difficult to accommodate. Moreover, it prevents the psychological suffering of animals because of the impossibility to satisfy their natural instincts. Spaying/neutering also serves as the prevention of illnesses such as breast and uterine cancer, endometritis, sepsis, cancer of prostate and testicles. Spayed or neutered animals live longer. Spaying or neutering is a routine operation and the animal is on its feet several hours later.

This action is directly connected to our campaign against the abandoning animals upon going for vacation. Animal Friends wishes to appeal to the citizens not to abandon their companion animals, but to treat them with responsibility and prevent them from being hurt or enclosed in shelter cages. However, we would like to stress that a large amount of responsibility rests on the local authorities, which are obliged, according to the Animal Protection Act, to take care of abandoned animals, including the spay/neuter programs, adoption, building of shelters, veterinary care, education of the public, and punishment of irresponsible companion animals guardians.

Despite the grave problem of abandoned animals in Croatia, there are no specific spay/neuter programs for companion or abandoned and stray animals, even though such programs would greatly diminish the number of animals left to stray around our cities and towns.

08/25/07 Spaying/Neutering Saves Animals

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