Spay/Neuter 700 homeless dogs in Tabio, Colombia

Dear donor and friend, we´ve always explained, that the only option for our strays and shelter dogs is spaying/neutering. But obviously we had to recognize, that there are exceptions. So let’s briefly review the pros and cons. Spaying is a responsible decision to prevent diseases and reduce cancer risks, and it also addresses behavioral issues, like aggression. But though age is no illness, there is also a flip side, such as hormonal imbalance, a longer recovery period for senior dogs, potential urinary incontinence and increased weight gain/obesity. Either way, our top priority is the well-being of each individual. As we focus on the rescue of elderly dogs, at the moment we have three unspayed oldies, Uncle Tom, Jerito and the newbie Milo. Uncle Tom is a real Methuselah and surgery would be far too risky. He is always in love with every female that comes by, which doesn’t affect him negatively in any way, because our females are all neutered. He simply wants to attract their attention by showing off and letting them know, how handsome he still is. Jerito is our tripod, so we made the decision not to spay, in order to avoid weight gain, endangering spine and hips. Milo is our latest rescue, 10 to 12 years old, with a terrible ear infection. We have to study his health condition very well, before we make any decision. Because that´s the point: making a careful, individual decision to guarantee their quality of life.

Dear donor and friend!! As there are always discussions about the pros and cons of spaying/neutering, let´s investigate more deeply on this subject.

Whether it makes sense to neuter a dog should be a well-considered, individual decision, based on research, pondering over good reasons for and some good reasons against.

•  Neutering before the end of puberty (depending on the dog, after 2-4 years of age!). Unfortunately, even many veterinarians are still uninformed, because brain development during puberty should be basic knowledge for every veterinarian before premature surgery. The timing of a possible spay is one of the most important points of all. Waiting until the dog reaches puberty before making this decision so that the body, bones, and psyche can develop fully and healthily. Neutering has serious effects on brain development, which occurs during a dog's puberty. This development and change in the brain are also initiated and maintained by  hormones. Certain remodeling and development in the brain can only occur through these hormones, and if they are lost through neutering, the final development is also lost.
•  Behavioral problems. A strong interest in the opposite gender in a young dog is completely normal and says nothing about how he will behave as an adult. Female dogs are also often spayed because they experience pseudopregnancy, which is a normal and natural process and does not necessarily mean that she is suffering. It can happen that this process becomes truly exaggerated, but to a certain extent, it is simply normal. Those who don't grow up can't truly behave like adults. Sometimes it's not a big deal; sometimes neutered dogs become "dumb" dogs and are insecure, dependent, hyperactive, and simply dim-witted in social interactions during their entire lives. But they're sweet, funny, eternal puppies, and avoid conflict. Unfortunately, this only benefits the owner and is mean to the dog. And if the dog is completely dull, it can become impractical for the owner, because with a socially impaired dog it is difficult to achieve certain goals that require adult thinking. Genetics, breed, and experience also play a role here, but no matter how controlled a dog is, if it is neutered before the end of puberty, its self-control is always worse than it could have been had they not been neutered. More and more dogs who have lifelong problems with their self-control due to the lack of maturation caused by neutering. Increased aggression, restlessness, insecurity, short-tempered behavior, unfair behavior, and poor inhibition during confrontations.
• Cancer screenings forget that neutering also increases the risk of cancer, so, early neutering doesn't prevent a dog from getting cancer; it only changes the statistical probability of which type of cancer they will get. There are now enough studies to prove this, so anyone can find out more if they want. While many still believe that male dogs display aggression more often due to their intactness, it is still not sufficiently understood in the dog world that too little of these hormones can also cause aggressive behavior and biting.

• Vasectomy: Those who want to surgically prevent puppies from being born can simply have the male's spermatic cords severed. This is a significantly smaller surgery with less risk. Everything stays in, but the dog's fertility is eliminated. This is called sterilization and is a completely safe method of contraception that would prevent unwanted puppies without altering the hormonal balance.

(excerpts by Maren Grote, dog trainer, Germany)

As an animal welfare organization, our position is not based on research or scientific papers, but on real life experience. In Colombia, too many puppies are born because someone didn't neuter their dog and then didn't pay attention. Too many puppies are born, because no one likes a dog in heat at home and simply lets them out, “to follow the law of nature”. Too many puppies are born, because they are intentionally produced in clandestine puppy mills, where dogs are knowingly mated, or bred. Too many puppies are born in the streets or in the wild, bounded to a stray life, without any expectations of being adopted. And, last but not least, too many competing dogs are badly hurt or killed in dog fights, because of that one unprotected female in heat. Therefore, we created this wonderful project, and every rescue includes neutering, before adoption.