Regardless of how one gets a new pet, it is important to spay or neuter your dog. Overpopulation has become a big problem in the United States. Seventy thousand dogs and kittens are born each year, while only 10,000 humans are born. There are not enough homes. Every home for a puppy bred is a home for a shelter dog lost. For every puppy bred a puppy is euthanized, and in the United States, an animal is euthanized every 6 seconds. Purebreds, in fact, are 25% of all shelter animals. About 50% of the dog overpopulation is unneutered males.

There are also medical reasons to spay or neuter your dog. About 50% of un-spayed dogs develop breast tumors. Each heat cycle increases the chances of developing breast tumors. Spaying reduces the risk of breast cancer. Spaying also prevents uterine disease and ovarian cysts. Almost 60% of male dogs suffer from prostate cancer. Neutering significantly reduces the risk of prostate gland and testicular cancer. Neutering also prevents testicular tumors.

Some myths about spaying and neutering:

1. "My dog is a purebred, so it's okay to breed." Twenty-five percent of dogs in shelters are ANKC purebreds. Having purebreds breed contributes to overpopulation.

2. "My dog is an indoor dog or I keep it fenced." Dogs can escape, and sometimes, other dogs can get in.

3. "My pet is male, so it can't have babies." Unneutered males have a tendency to roam. They can sire large numbers of puppies.

4. "Spaying and neutering costs a lot." Getting your dog fixed costs little or no money, but raising puppies can cost more than $1,000 a year.

5. "I want kids to see how puppies are born." Kids can learn about puppy births through education and computer simulations.

6. "Spaying and neutering will hurt my pet." Spaying and neutering are done under anaesthesia, but giving birth can hurt your dog.

7. "My dog should have at least one litter." Having puppies can weaken a dog's health.

8. "My dog won't be as protective if I have him fixed." Stable hormones after neutering may help a dog become more protective.

9. "My dog will become fat." All dogs, whether they are fixed or not, need exercise.

10. "My dog was expensive, so I'll sell puppies to make up for the cost." Raising puppies costs a lot of money.