Thinking about Breeding your Pet?
Know the Facts:
Would you kill a happy, healthy, loving pet?
If you answered "No", then spaying or neutering your pet is absolutely essential.
- Every hour, thousands of puppies & kittens are born in the U.S.
- A dog abandoned in the street has a life expectancy of 1 year; a cat, slightly longer.
- Each year, between 4 & 6 million animals are destroyed in animal shelters because there are no homes for them.
- If a dog or cat has 4 offspring every year, 2 of them female...& each of these females has 4 offspring a year, 2 of them female...by the 7th year, the original mother will have 4,372 descendants!
Many people truly believe they will find homes for the litters they allow their pets to have, but all too often that is not the case. We get calls here at the shelter every single day from people with litters that they could not find homes for and want us to take them. Not to mention the fact that for every new animal that is brought into this world, there are many others waiting to be adopted from humane societies and shelters.
We must ALL work together to stop the uncontrolled and irresponsible breeding of our pets. We can help to stop the suffering of these innocent creatures by reducing the number of unwanted pets being brought into this world.
The Midland SPCA offers a low-cost spay/neuter clinic...
Please call today to schedule an appointment to have your pet spayed/neutered
432-697-PETS (7387)
If you have any questions or would like to know more on the importance of spaying/neutering your pets, please feel free to give us a call or email us
Puppy Mills & Pet Shops
What you need to know before buying from a pet store
A puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation that produces massive numbers of puppies for profit. Most are inhumane in their treatment of breeding dogs & puppies. Many puppy mills are filthly & are run by people who have no idea about or concern for the genetic implications of breeding or about what dogs require in terms of basic health care & socialilzation. These dogs are kept in awful conditions--confined to very small cages for their entire lives, fed inadequately & denied basic vet care. The females are forced to produce litter after litter until her poor body just gives out. Most of the breeding dogs are sick, wounded & malnourished and their lives are miserable.
So why should you care whether the puppy you buy comes from a place like this? Because the chances that the puppy you buy will have genetic defects that will cause disease are extremely high. Because puppies in mills are so poorly socialized that they often develop severe fearfulness and shyness. And because the money you pay for that cute puppy in the window will go right back to the mill owner. And finally because there are already so many wonderful pets in animal shelters that are in need of a good home.
Cold Weather Tips:
Brrrr…it’s cold outside! The following guidelines will help you protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.
1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.
9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.
