One of the most important things that can be done to control the populations of cats and dogs is to spay and neuter them. Spaying can also help contribute to the overall health of the animal, with animals having 50% fewer uterine infections when spayed, and a significant decrease in breast tumors.

That’s why World Spay Day is an important day for pet lovers to mark on their calendars. It’s a day that falls on the last Tuesday in February and helps pet lovers all over the world save the lives of animals and improve their lives significantly.

The History of World Spay Day

This holiday was first created in 1995 by the actress Doris Day and her organization, the Doris Day Animal League. It started as Spay Day USA and then turned into an annual event the following year.

When the Doris Day Animal League merged with the Humane Society in 2006, the tradition continued to be carried on by the organization. From 2008 to 2014, the Humane Society of the United States granted over $385,000 for the spaying and neutering of over 9,000 animals in 39 states.

Facts About Spaying & The Pet Population

During our research, we’ve come across some interesting facts about spaying and neutering, so we decided to list some of the more remarkable facts below.

• Half of all animals entering shelters are euthanized.
• Over 2.7 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized because they don’t have homes.
• Spaying reduces the number of animals euthanized every year.
• It costs less to spay a pet than it does to raise puppies or kittens for one year.
• Early spaying and neutering can reduce aggression in pets.
• Spaying does not make an animal fat.
• Female pets should be spayed before their first heat.
• Spaying and neutering pets make them less likely to wander away from home.
• Pets don’t have a sexual identity, so spaying or neutering doesn’t cause psychological harm to them.
• Female dogs and cats that are spayed are healthier than their unspayed counterparts.

Observing World Spay Day

There are several ways that people can observe this holiday. The first way is to make sure that their pets are spayed and neutered. People can also ask their legislators to proclaim this day a holiday in their town or city—if it’s not one already. People can also raise money for various spay and neutering programs in their area.

It’s also a good idea to raise the profile of this day by posting about it on your social media accounts using the hashtag #WorldSpayDay. This is a good way to let more people know about the holiday, so they can help reduce the stray population in their area.