We would like to thank Rev. Aaron Wheeler, host of “Let’s Talk About It” on WYRM 1110 AM radio, for having two of SpayHR’s representatives on his show Monday.
During the show, a gentleman called in to say he was hesitant to neuter his dog, because the dog enjoys sexual activity. His was a similar reaction to one we faced a few weeks ago, while passing out flyers on a Friday evening. In some cases, citing the statistics or health and behavior benefits of spay/neuter offers a larger context in which people with this argument will consider altering their pets. In some cases, these facts are not persuasive.
One benefit to spaying/neutering that many residents in Norfolk may not know about relates to the length of time a stray animal is given to be found. As unaltered dogs and cats are more likely to stray, this information is very relevant to people like the caller to Rev. Wheeler’s show. Let’s use the caller’s male dog as an example:
A male dog without identification (i.e., no tags, no microchip) but who is neutered will have a longer stray hold at Norfolk Animal Care Center (animal control for the city of Norfolk) than a male dog without identification who is not neutered. A longer stray hold gives the dog’s owner more time to find him. It also gives the dog more time to become comfortable in the shelter and thus a more viable candidate for adoption.
So, an unaltered dog without identification has only has five days at the shelter. After that five days, if no one has come to claim the dog, he can either be made available for adoption, transferred to a rescue organization, or euthanized. Alternately, a similarly unidentified male dog who has been neutered has ten days at the shelter.