Jennifer Chisnell, 2006 first place winner of the
Humane Animal Treatment Society (HATS) Nonfiction Spay Day USA Essay Contest
for students of Central Michigan University, relates: " I was motivated to
enter this particular contest because of my passion for the cause. I love
animals, especially cats. I myself have an 8-month old kitten named Jello,
whom we got spayed in Mt. Pleasant when she was only a few months old. She
recovered in less than a day, and now we will never have to worry about her
going into heat and running away! In writing the essay, I tried to use
anecdotes and descriptive passages to create a mental picture for the reader.
I think it's important to make an emotional impression to provoke the reader
to action. I believe that most people don't get their pet spayed simply
because they don't get around to it, not because they intend to be cruel. I
thought that perhaps their actions might change if they understood that by not
spaying/neutering they are potentially harming not only their own pet but
future generations of animals as well. Another big reason I think that people
neglect fixing their pet is cost. I wanted to communicate to readers that HATS
and other organizations are there to help, and cost should never be an
impediment. Finally, I wanted to reach out to fellow students at CMU.
Sometimes students get pets and then abandon them when they move. This is
outright animal abuse. You may not be personally laying your hands on the
animal, but any injuries or pain they undergo, and eventually their death, are
your fault! Most people would never actively harm an animal, but it is this
passive abuse, justified and dismissed in their minds, that causes the most
harm."
1st Place ($200 prize)-- Jennifer Chisnell "The "Unspayed/Unneutered Animal:
More Than a Minor Inconvenience" Junior--Major: English
2nd Place ($120 prize) --Jacqueline Proctor "The Importance
of Spaying /Neutering Pets" Junior--Major: Communication Disorders
3rd Place ($80 prize) --Laura E. Schmidt "Untitled" Sophomore--Major,
Biology
Honorable Mention (Winner of Dance Package from Toni's Studio of Dance, 5920
E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant)
Lauren Panaretos "Spay/Neutering Pets: Owners must be Responsible"
Senior--Major: Integrative Public Relations
Honorable Mention (Winner of Dance Package from Toni's Studio of Dance, 5920
E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant)
Kaylin Klimek "Help Control the Pet Population: Have Your Pet Spayed or
Neutered!"
Senior--Major: Psychology/Minor/Family Life and Human Sexuality
The Unspayed/Unneutered Pet: More Than A Minor Inconvenience
Entering the room, the familiar stench hits her in a thick wave, the caustic
sting of ammonia corroding her nostrils. He's done it again. All over her blue
and gold cheerleading pom pons. And the pep rally is in an hour. "Mom!!!" she
wails, fists balled in frustration. "You've got to do something about that
CAT!"
Although the previous scenario is a humorous true account, the issue behind it
is no laughing matter. Territorial marking is actually one of the more benign
consequences of failing to spay or neuter your pet. There's nothing funny
about the five million cats and dogs killed each year in shelters: every 1.6
seconds, a cat or dog dies in a shelter because there are more animals born
than there are homes for them.
If you've watched The Price is Right, you have
probably heard Bob Barker remind you to spay or neuter your pets. Comfortably
situated on the sofa, watching the brightly colored wheel of prizes spin and
spin, it sounds like a good idea. Fifty-six percent of dog owners and
sixty-three percent of cat owners regard pet overpopulation as the most
important pet issue. So why don't more people take the initiative?
Some intend to spay or neuter, but get excited at the idea of cute kittens and
puppies. While young animals are adorable, there is nothing cute about a
diseased, starving feral cat: fur matted, ribs protruding, wild eyes,
desperately struggling to survive. And tens of millions of these animals
exist, procreating freely before meeting an early death via hypothermia or the
highway.
Twenty percent of cat owners and thirteen percent of dog owners think that
their animal is too young to be altered. In fact, it can be beneficial to the
animal to spay or neuter before maturity. There is a smaller blood supply to
immature reproductive organs, meaning a reduced risk of complications and a
faster recovery. The procedure can be performed on animals as young as six to
eight weeks old. Spaying or neutering before the animal has a chance to
procreate is the best way to ensure that it never will.
Cost is another oft-cited reason
for not spaying and neutering. However, a one-time operation is significantly
cheaper than caring for an entire litter. And when you consider that it costs
taxpayers over $2 billion annually to round up, care for, and dispose of
homeless animals, it's quite a bargain. Shelters and organizations such as
HATS often offer free or reduced spays and neuters to assist pet owners with
this problem. Cost should never be a deterrent.
The Jacobs family provide a typical example of how well-meaning people can go
astray. They hadn't planned on having a pet, but when a stray tabby started
showing up at their door, they didn't have the heart not to feed it.
Gradually, it started coming around with greater frequency. Skittish at first,
it slowly became more affectionate. Eventually it won a place in their hearts
and became a member of the household. The Jacobs took it to the vet to ensure
that their new pet, a female they named Mittens, was free of worms and
disease. They planned on getting her spayed "sometime soon."
But sometime soon never came, and it wasn't long before Mittens was in heat.
Every member of the family felt the impact of this as her caterwauling drove
them all distracted with annoyance. They had never heard such passionate
complaint from an animal so small. They suffered through the noise, pillows
over their heads at night, knowing what would happen if they let her out. But
one day the youngest daughter left a window open. That was all that it took.
Within weeks Mittens began to show signs of pregnancy. The Jacobs tried to
look on the bright side. The children would enjoy having kittens around.
Indeed, the small creatures were a delight for a few weeks-- but getting rid
of them proved a challenge. Their friends already had all the pets they
wanted. They managed to avail themselves of one by running a Free Kitten ad in
the paper, but, lacking the room and resources to support another five cats,
they were finally left with no other option than the Animal Shelter. Unaware
that 56% of dogs and 71% of cats in shelters are exterminated, they assured
their children that the kitties would find good homes. The incident soon
became a distant memory.
All five kittens would die within
the next three years. The sixth kitten had been adopted by a college student,
but when she moved back home for the summer she had no place for the animal.
It became feral, and, seven years later, it had produced over 400,000
descendents. All thanks to one family who put off getting their animal spayed.
This story may seem melodramatic, but it happens all the time. A fertile
female has the potential to produce 420,000 offspring in seven years. And it
takes two to tango. Consider Mitten's partner. His family never bothered
getting him fixed because he was male. He was mainly an outdoor cat, so his
territorial marking of urine didn't bother them. Would it have bothered them
to know the result of their apathy, the suffering endured by so many animals
and the community resources drained by the attempt to manage them?
Does it bother you?
You don't have to be an animal lover to understand the principles of cause and
effect, the suffering and cost that only one untreated animal can wreak. And
if you are an animal lover, you must have empathy for the suffering endured by
so many innocent creatures. There is no excuse to delaying such a vital
operation. Spay or neuter your pet today, for the hope of a better tomorrow.
All statistics used in this essay can be
found at
http://www.ddaf.org/spayday/why/overpopulation