This is Jade. She came into our care with others who needed our help.
Together, We Save Lives
Spaying and neutering your pets helps save the lives of many animals. Together, we can prevent animal suffering before it begins.
Each year, it’s heartbreaking to encounter the many cats and dogs suffering. You may see an abandoned dog on the side of the road, no longer breathing. A litter of newborn kittens dropped off at a shelter, but some were not cared for in time to be saved. A group of dogs or cats in a hoarding situation where they do not have access to enough food and water, or medical care, and yet, they continue to reproduce.
It is in our power, as pet guardians, community members, and animal welfare organizations such as ours, to help prevent these tragedies that occur every single day through education and awareness.
Across the nation, we see animal shelters and rescues become overcrowded and struggling to stay afloat. Spokane Humane Society, alongside other organizations, assist by taking in transfers from partner rescues and helping find homes for animals in need. At the same time, the ASPCA’s 2025 data report found that 3 million cats and 2.8 million dogs entered shelters and animal rescues across the country, which is a 4% decrease from the 2024 report. This decrease is a glimpse of hope.
Spaying and neutering help communities get a handle on pet overpopulation by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and stray litters. Stray dogs and cats make up the majority of animal intake (ASPCA 2025 Data Report). Utilizing programs such as TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) and low-income spay-and-neuter clinics can help stabilize the growing stray animal population.
Advocating for spay and neuter also supports rehoming efforts by increasing the time, money, and effort devoted to finding homes for shelter animals already in care. The less time animals spend in a shelter environment, the better their behavioral and medical outcomes are. Thus, any extra time or resources an organization has to promote adoption are crucial to the animal’s welfare and to reducing the number of homeless pets in the nation.
Spaying and neutering save lives and prevent suffering, and can also benefit your pet and your home. According to veterinarians (ASPCA):
- Spaying your female pets can prevent urinary infections and reduce the risk of malignant tumors, helping them live longer.
- Neutering your male companions can prevent testicular cancer and issues with their prostate.
- Females who are spayed will not go into heat during breeding seasons (spring-summer), which will decrease unwanted behaviors such as urinating in your home and yowling (loud mating calls).
- Neutered males will be less likely or completely stop trying to escape your home to look for a mate, mark their territory, and mount on people, other pets, and objects.
- Neutering your male dog or cat may also reduce aggression problems that may be caused by higher testosterone levels.
When to get your pet spayed/neutered
For spaying or neutering cats, the general rule is “Fix Felines by Five,” meaning get them fixed before they are 5 months old (ASPCA). However, felines can be fixed as early as 8 weeks old, provided they are healthy and at a healthy weight.
The age at which dogs should be spayed or neutered depends on their breed. Typically, a puppy should be spayed or neutered between 6 and 9 months, but can be fixed as young as 8 weeks (ASPCA).
At SHS, all animals are spayed and neutered before going for adoption according to these spay/neuter guidelines.
Spokane Humane Society invites you to raise awareness of the benefits of spaying and neutering pets for individual families, communities, and animal welfare organizations across the nation. We will continue to care for animals in need and educate our community on best practices, such as spaying and neutering, to save the lives of our four-legged friends. This has and can only been done with the support of our community.
Together, we save lives.