Spaying & Neutering Is a MUST at PACC!

If you love your dog or cat, you need to do what’s right for it. And that means having your pet spayed or neutered so it can’t reproduce. Springtime is a terribly busy time here at Pima Animal Care Center (PACC). Because of the heavy breeding season, soon shelters everywhere will be overflowing with litters and adult animals, too.

Why the fuss over puppies and kittens? Pet overpopulation is a BIG problem here in Southern Arizona and the rest of the United States. There are just too many dogs and cats than there are good homes and families for them.

Over 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the United States. Veterinarians spay or neuter dogs and cats to prevent them from having babies. Spay surgery is done on females, and neuter surgery is done on male animals. If not spayed, a female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in just six years! An unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years!

Each year, millions of these animals are abandoned in the United States and left to survive on their own, creating all sorts of health and safety problems. Taxpayers are the ones who end up paying to handle the problem of pet overpopulation.

When you adopt an animal from PACC or some other shelter, it will be spayed or neutered, which is included in the adoption fees your family pays. But many other puppies and kittens and adult animals sold by stores or private sellers still need to be spayed or neutered.

Not only does spaying and neutering help reduce pet overpopulation, it also can help your pet lead a healthier and happier life.

Spaying reduces your pet’s chances of getting certain types of cancer, eliminates mood swings and can greatly increase its lifespan. Neutering can help end negative behaviors like cats spraying and dogs mounting, running away or being overly aggressive!

Be Kind to Animals Week Is May 2 thru 8!

Dear Paw Prints,
I live over by the Casino of the Sun. My cousin and I think we saw an eagle flying overhead. Was it an eagle?

Your friend, J.

Dear J.,
If you saw an eagle by Casino of the Sun, consider yourself very lucky! Eagles are not very common in Southern Arizona.

There are, however, many other types of raptors that live around Tucson and the surrounding area. And some of them are very similar to eagles.

A raptor is a bird of prey. Raptors are characterized by a hooked beak, strong feet with sharp talons, keen eyesight and a carnivorous diet.

Hawks, eagles, falcons and owls are all raptors. Red-tailed hawk, Harris’ hawk and peregrine falcon are a few of the raptors that can be seen in Southern Arizona.

Maybe you can go to the library for a bird book to learn more about all the different birds that live in this area. Bird watching is a fascinating hobby, and few places are as good as Southern Arizona when it comes to our fine feathered friends.

Tweet, tweet!
Pima Animal Care Center

Pima Animal Care Center
4000 N. Silverbell Rd. • 243-5969
www.pimaanimalcare.org

Send your pet questions to Paw Prints
1037 N. Alvernon Way #150
Tucson, AZ 85711