What is Pet Overpopulation?
Pet overpopulation is caused when there are more pets in an area than safe and loving homes for those pets. Animal shelters like JAR exist to help mitigate this by providing care for stray and surrendered animals while helping to rehome them. While Juneau is lucky to have a more controlled pet population than the numbers that shelters in the continental US face, the resources available to shelters and animal welfare groups in Southeast is also limited.
The increase in litters this year happened to coincide with the return to work and school for many people, which has exacerbated the number of animals relinquished to JAR and other shelters. This ballooning of numbers has added strain to a community with limited resources.
These animals need help and homes now, but what can you do to help prevent overcrowding in the future?
Spaying & Neutering
The #1 way to prevent pet overpopulation is to have your animals spayed and neutered. Cat and dog spay/neuter surgeries are routine procedures that most every vet office is able to perform. This is a guaranteed way to prevent breeding amongst your animals or prevent your pet from getting pregnant or impregnating other animals if it escapes your home or is allowed to roam unsupervised.
If you have puppies or kittens in your home along with the mother, be sure to keep them separate as the offspring reach sexual maturity: animals won't distinguish between family members when it comes to mating, and both dogs and cats can be sexually mature as early as six months. If intact animals have had any opportunity to mate, you can get the female spayed as soon as possible to prevent an unwanted litter.
In addition to preventing expensive and unwanted pregnancies, spaying and neutering also prevents potentially lethal health issues for your pets. Pyometra, or an infection in the uterus, is often deadly and can be difficult or even impossible to detect before becoming lethal. It is completely preventable by having your cat or dog spayed. Likewise, testicular cancer can be lethal, and neutering your pet is 100% effective against the development of testicular cancer.
If you are low-income and cannot afford the standard cost of a spay/neuter surgery for your pet, you can learn about JAR's low-income spay/neuter program HERE. Check the income guideline to see if you qualify; completed applications can be submitted with payment and proof of income qualification at the JAR lobby during business hours (Monday-Saturday, 9:30am-5:30pm). Surgeries are scheduled and performed by Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center, according to their availability.
Responsible Rearing
If you have a pet that cannot safely undergo a spay/neuter surgery, such as a small animal or exotics, the best way to avoid contributing to pet overpopulation is through careful and responsible husbandry, or care of the animals.
Rodents in particular can reproduce very quickly and repeatedly. Hamsters can reach sexual maturity at as little as six weeks of age. A female hamster can get pregnant as briefly as 24 hours after giving birth. If you have pets of different sexes, the only way to ensure they won't breed is to keep them separate at all times. Small pet populations can very quickly spiral out of control, resulting in unmanageable numbers.
While most reptiles prefer to be isolated and may not be able to easily breed without proper temperature and environmental conditions, unwanted offspring are easily avoidable. Though it usually requires intentional care and incubation to hatch reptile eggs, a single gravid female can lay dozens of eggs. If you find eggs in your reptile's enclosure and think there is even a small chance that the eggs could be fertile, you can place the eggs in the freezer until they are frozen solid. This will quickly and safely prevent development of the embryo.
By keeping your pets from reproducing, you can greatly help JAR; every unwanted litter that is avoided keeps animals out of shelters, allowing more space for the many pets that need our help and care.
Pet overpopulation is caused when there are more pets in an area than safe and loving homes for those pets. Animal shelters like JAR exist to help mitigate this by providing care for stray and surrendered animals while helping to rehome them. While Juneau is lucky to have a more controlled pet population than the numbers that shelters in the continental US face, the resources available to shelters and animal welfare groups in Southeast is also limited.
The increase in litters this year happened to coincide with the return to work and school for many people, which has exacerbated the number of animals relinquished to JAR and other shelters. This ballooning of numbers has added strain to a community with limited resources.
These animals need help and homes now, but what can you do to help prevent overcrowding in the future?
Spaying & Neutering
The #1 way to prevent pet overpopulation is to have your animals spayed and neutered. Cat and dog spay/neuter surgeries are routine procedures that most every vet office is able to perform. This is a guaranteed way to prevent breeding amongst your animals or prevent your pet from getting pregnant or impregnating other animals if it escapes your home or is allowed to roam unsupervised.
If you have puppies or kittens in your home along with the mother, be sure to keep them separate as the offspring reach sexual maturity: animals won't distinguish between family members when it comes to mating, and both dogs and cats can be sexually mature as early as six months. If intact animals have had any opportunity to mate, you can get the female spayed as soon as possible to prevent an unwanted litter.
In addition to preventing expensive and unwanted pregnancies, spaying and neutering also prevents potentially lethal health issues for your pets. Pyometra, or an infection in the uterus, is often deadly and can be difficult or even impossible to detect before becoming lethal. It is completely preventable by having your cat or dog spayed. Likewise, testicular cancer can be lethal, and neutering your pet is 100% effective against the development of testicular cancer.
If you are low-income and cannot afford the standard cost of a spay/neuter surgery for your pet, you can learn about JAR's low-income spay/neuter program HERE. Check the income guideline to see if you qualify; completed applications can be submitted with payment and proof of income qualification at the JAR lobby during business hours (Monday-Saturday, 9:30am-5:30pm). Surgeries are scheduled and performed by Southeast Alaska Animal Medical Center, according to their availability.
Responsible Rearing
If you have a pet that cannot safely undergo a spay/neuter surgery, such as a small animal or exotics, the best way to avoid contributing to pet overpopulation is through careful and responsible husbandry, or care of the animals.
Rodents in particular can reproduce very quickly and repeatedly. Hamsters can reach sexual maturity at as little as six weeks of age. A female hamster can get pregnant as briefly as 24 hours after giving birth. If you have pets of different sexes, the only way to ensure they won't breed is to keep them separate at all times. Small pet populations can very quickly spiral out of control, resulting in unmanageable numbers.
While most reptiles prefer to be isolated and may not be able to easily breed without proper temperature and environmental conditions, unwanted offspring are easily avoidable. Though it usually requires intentional care and incubation to hatch reptile eggs, a single gravid female can lay dozens of eggs. If you find eggs in your reptile's enclosure and think there is even a small chance that the eggs could be fertile, you can place the eggs in the freezer until they are frozen solid. This will quickly and safely prevent development of the embryo.
By keeping your pets from reproducing, you can greatly help JAR; every unwanted litter that is avoided keeps animals out of shelters, allowing more space for the many pets that need our help and care.