Dog Birth Control  

by Steve Urbick

Who would have thought that there is dog birth control? Before becoming interested in the topic, I too was clueless that such a thing even existed! Being a dog lover, it breaks my heart to go to local pounds and animal shelters and see hundreds of dogs locked up in cages without a loving family. Every dog and puppy needs a loving, caring family to take care of it and play with it, giving it the attention it deserves. This is where dog birth control comes to into play.

If you're like me, you consider your dog to be part of the family, especially if he has been around for a few years. Most dog lovers (myself included) see their pooch as another son or daughter. And just like homeless children and overpopulation is a problem troubling the world today, an overpopulation of dogs is an issue just as serious.

Every hour in the United States, 2000 dogs are born. A majority of these dogs end up abandoned or dead because of uncontrolled breeding and overpopulation. The price is adding up too: American taxpayers are paying around $230 million for animal control agencies to cope with this problem. The solution? Killing all unwanted, homeless dogs!

Breeding dogs is serious business, and if you are considering it, you should know the facts. Research your dogs breed and learn the proper breeding methods. However, if you are NOT considering breeding your dogs and would like to prevent your beloved puppy from having a bunch of cute puppies, then you should look into dog birth control. Just like human birth control methods, there are actually dog birth control pills, dog condoms and other methods to prevent female dogs from going into heat! There are also birth control options for male dogs. Dog condoms are increasing in popularity and are in most tests, are about as effective as human counterparts. They come in sizes designed to fit small, medium, and large breed dogs. The condoms are available in meat scented and lubricated to increase pleasure for both dogs. The first dog condoms were to set to appear in most major pet stores in fall of 2005. Currently there is a female condom being designed as well which is set to hit the shelves sometime in 2007. As always, consult your veterinarian first so that they can examine your dog and determine the proper and most effective method of birth control! Remember to put the healthy and safety of your pet first before using birth control! Another great option for controlling unwanted dog births is to spay or neauter your pet. Although many will disagree, spaying and neutering your dog has many benefits and will make for a happier, calmer, family friendly dog. Not to mention the fact that by spaying and neutering you dog you are preventing the birth of unwanted puppies. By doing this, the main focus of the dog's life will be his/her human family. A lot of people out there against this for the reason that it is "cruel" or "inhumane". Well, it is just as cruel and inhumane to let dogs roam endlessly, producing millions of unwanted puppies whose only fate will be death because of overpopulation. It is just like failing to educate our teenagers about proper birth control safety methods. There are millions of babies born each year to mothers who aren't ready to have a child, and so they end up put up for adoption, in shelters or foster homes. I honestly see no difference in these two scenarios. Dogs are living, breathing beings and should be treated with respect. Spaying and neutering may seem cruel, but for the fact alone that prevents many health problems should be enough to convince any dog lover. No one actually enjoys seeing their dog suffer, spaying and neutering can put an end to that. Animal shelters do what they can to connect homeless dogs with a home, but there are far too many dogs and far too few homes for all of them. It's a tragedy that we're allowing these dogs to be born only to turn our heads when they are put to death. Be responsible! Have your dog spayed or neutered, and invest in dog birth control if necessary. It is truly the only way to control the dog population, and have a happy, healthy, family oriented dog for life!

www.dog-birth-control.com