Spay and Neuter

Why You Should Spay/Neuter Your Pet

According to the Humane Society of the United States, an estimated six to eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters each year: 50% of these animals (three to four million) are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them — that’s one every eight seconds!  As tremendous as the problem of pet overpopulation is, it can be drastically improved if each of us takes just one small step: spaying/neutering our pets. Spay/neuter surgery is commonly and routinely performed every day. 

 

Here are the top 10 reasons to spay or neuter your pet:

Medical Benefits

  • Spaying female pets helps prevent life-threatening uterine infections. It also helps reduce the risk of breast tumors, which have a 50% chance of being malignant in dogs and a 90% chance of being malignant in cats. 
  • Neutering male pets prevents testicular cancer and helps decrease the risk of prostate disease, perianal tumors, and certain types of hernias. 

Behavioral Benefits 

  • Helps reduce roaming behavior, making it less likely that your pet will run away, be injured, or get into fights. 
  • May decrease unwanted behaviors in the home, such as urine marking and spraying, which can damage furniture and carpets.
  • May help reduce aggressive behaviors that could put other pets or people in your home at risk. 
  • Eliminates heat cycles in female pets, reducing constant vocalizing and nervous behavior. 

Community Benefits 

  • Helps prevent overpopulation of dogs and cats in the community. 
  • Helps keep the community safer by reducing aggressive behaviors, resulting in fewer animal bites and fights. 

Saves Lives 

  • Gives homeless animals a better chance of finding their forever homes. 
  • Helps prevent unwanted litters that may otherwise have little to no chance of being cared for. 

Contact Us

Phone

Officer Dispatch: 720-913-2080

Alternate Phone

All Other Inquiries: 3-1-1 or 720-913-1311

Location

Denver Animal Shelter
1241 W. Bayaud Ave.
80223
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Donate Today!

Sunspot Dog Sculpture

Denver Animal Protection (DAP) operates Denver Animal Shelter (DAS), an open-admissions shelter that is home to nearly 10,000 lost and abandoned pets each year.

 Donate to the Denver Animal Shelter!

Credit and Debit Card Service Fees

Starting May 1, 2025, the City and County of Denver will charge a 2.5% service fee for processing credit and debit card transactions. The service fee is non-refundable. There are no fees for payments by cash, business check or money order.

 

 

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