early spay/neuter – Bridging the Paradigms: re-connecting people and the planet

June 20, 2012 by Robyn

People are starting to listen to those of us who are learning the truth about early spay/neuter.

Vets are starting to speak up as well. Like all pioneers and good-thinking people, they are not always treated well by the establishment. Why? Speaking the truth upsets the status quo, and that often means an income loss for others as well.

Here’s the thing. I lost my beloved Cavalier, Murphy, to a cancer linked to early spay/neuter. I had her neutered at six months because we are all told that’s what you do. The arguments for it are silly and amount to brainwashing by special interests: vets, animal shelters and welfare groups, people who invented procedures and refuse to look at the consequences and the clear proof that it is wrong.

Yes, early spay/neuter is wrong. It leads to cancer, thryoid disease, obesity, arthritis. It should be a choice, a choice made by the animal’s family, the animal, and a responsible, knowledgeable veterinarian.

Check out this article: “At What Age Should I Spay or Neuter My Dog or Cat? What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Neutering My Pet? Revisiting the Idea of Early-Age Neutering.” The article outlines how early spay/neuter got started, what the health and behavior issues are with it, and what it means for you and your animal families. It was written by Ron Hines, DVM, PhD, a Texas veterinarian who is apparently under fire from the Texas veterinary association for sometimes giving free advice online.

Really.

I can’t presume to know why people do the things they do, even though I work as an intuitive, and somehow we’re supposed to know things other people don’t. Truth is, I don’t understand brainwashing, or the subtleties that go along with it.

I just love my animal family, and always tried to do right by them.

At the time I lost Murphy I began to learn the truth about early spay/neuter. I’ve been talking the truth ever since.

People say: “But we have to prevent pet over-population.”

Really?

That hasn’t worked. Besides, are you going to let your animals run around untrained and unsupervised? If so, you have a bigger problem to deal with, which starts with common courtesy and respect. You’re the problem, not my animals.

People say: “We have to adopt all the animals in the shelter. We have to rescue animals.”

Really?

Fine, if you want an animal from the shelter. But consider the irony. The shelters are adopting out animals that are bred irresponsibly by your irresponsible neighbors, and perhaps also by you. They are asking you to take care of it for life, at whatever cost that comes to, and denying you the fundamental right to decide one of life’s most important issues: when to spay/neuter your animal.

And you’re still going to those shelter/rescue places why? Tell them no. They’ll start taking better care of the animals who end up in their care. If you want an animal from a shelter organization, make sure the spay/neuter decision is yours. Not theirs.

The irony for me is, my dogs are purebreds and I’m proud of it. I’m proud of their beautiful personalities, their breed, and I love them. If you want to adopt a dog who’s a mixed bag genetically, then do so. You’re free to do that. Leave my purebreds alone.

My cat is a cat mutt I adopted from a local Seattle rescue organization.

All my animals came to me with a spay/neuter agreement in place. I did so early, because that was the recommendation. I didn’t adopt an animal that was spayed or neutered before it came to me. As a responsible pet parent, I was asked to make that decision for them myself.

As we all should be.

I had no idea that the advice I was getting was wrong.

You do, now.

I lost my beloved dog to a cancer linked to early spay/neuter. I have to live with the idea that I might have contributed to that because the responsible pet parent I thought I was clearly was not.

I didn’t know better.

You do now.

Refuse any animal, purebred or otherwise, where the decision on when and why to spay/neuter is anyone else’s but yours. Policies will change when it costs these organizations the thing they most want: money and your support. Plus, they will educate themselves about the truth behind their misguided policies.

Your animal’s life may be at stake.

Your peace of mind should be.

Love life. Love your animals. Say no to early spay/neuter.

Please.

Stop Early Spay/Neuter: Save Our Dogs!

June 1, 2012 by Robyn

Murphy is dead.

My beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel died March 8 of splenic cancer. She was a week shy of 13 years and 8 months.

She died of a cancer linked to early spay/neuter.

Cancer is the new epidemic in this country: 50% of dogs over 10 get cancer. Don’t believe me? Google it.

Our dogs don’t have to get cancer because of ill-conceived social conventions.

Save your dogs.

Stop early spay/neuter.

Just say no.

Here’s the thing. Cancer comes from a lot of things, including environmental toxins, poor nutrition, genetic mutation, and plain bad luck.

It also comes from interrupting the maturing organism’s hormonal development by spaying and neutering when they’re babies. Before they are sexually mature, as nature designed them.

Why did we ever think we were smarter than nature?

Because of politics.

Stop overpopulation, we’re told (get the irony of that for human populations?). Spay/neuter before the animal is sexually mature.

Has that policy worked? No, it has simply created a gigantic welfare agency called the shelter and rescue community. They have become the new puppy millers. Shut down puppy millers, they claim, including responsible breeders. Instead go to the shelter/rescue people to buy dogs whose parents weren’t spayed and neutered or properly supervised. And the oh-so-well-meaning organization will spay or neuter the offspring, and stop overpopulation.

Which has not happened.

But cancer has.

Make no mistake. You are buying a dog from a shelter or rescue organization, an animal who comes to you before you can choose whether it needs to be spayed or neutered, and when. They are buying into bad advice from their comrades and from the veterinary community.

I would never have spayed or neutered any of my animals early if I’d known the truth about cancer.

Now you know. What are you going to do about it?

I hope you’re going to save your dogs: if not the ones you currently have, then all the ones that come later.

This policy was born in ignorance. It will only stop if we take a stand. Here’s what you do:

REFUSE. Refuse to buy any dog from any shelter/rescue/breeder/careless person that sticks to the early spay/neuter policy.
REFUSE. Refuse to support any person or agency that insists on this policy. That includes the Humane Society, Best Friends, veterinarians, pet supplies stores, you got it. All of them.
EDUCATE. Educate yourself and everyone you meet about this problem.
COMMUNICATE. Get together and talk about it. Help figure out how we can change mindset and save lives.

Together we can make a difference. We can stop the brainwashing with bad statistics that is ruining lives. We can save our dogs.

Say no to the truly irresponsible organizations and people: refuse to adopt their dogs if they refuse to stop this policy.

The policy will stop soon enough. Because we’ll put them out of business.

Money works. Talk works. Love works.

Murphy is dead. Don’t let your dogs die from something you could have prevented when they were babies.

Stop early spay/neuter.

The life you save may be your beloved animal’s.