FOUR PAWS Advocates for Spaying and Neutering This World Spay Day
By addressing common myths and sharing the benefits of spaying and neutering
Cape Town, 10 February 2025 – On World Spay Day, FOUR PAWS South Africa is highlighting the critical importance of spaying and neutering pets to address the crisis of unwanted litters especially in under-resourced communities and improve animal welfare. World Spay Day, observed annually on the last Tuesday of February, provides a global platform to promote these life-saving procedures and dispel myths surrounding them.
With thousands of strays and abandoned animals entering shelters across South Africa each year, spaying and neutering are vital steps toward controlling animal populations and preventing unnecessary suffering.
The Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
Spaying and neutering are widely recognised for their numerous health benefits, including:
- Reducing health risks: Spaying eliminates the risk of uterine infections and significantly lowers the risk of breast cancer in female pets, while neutering prevents testicular cancer and reduces prostate issues in males.
- Preventing behavioural issues: Neutered animals are less likely to roam, fight, or display aggression, contributing to safer communities.
- Curbing overpopulation: Every spayed or neutered pet contributes to reducing the number of animals that end up homeless or euthanised in overcrowded shelters.
Addressing Common Myths
Despite the proven benefits, misconceptions still deter some pet owners from spaying or neutering their animals. FOUR PAWS has set the record straight on these myths:
- Myth: Spaying/neutering will change my pet's personality.
Fact: While certain unwanted behaviours may decrease, your pet’s unique personality will remain the same. - Myth: My pet needs to have one litter before being spayed.
Fact: Medical evidence shows that spaying before the first heat cycle is most beneficial to a pet’s health.
Call to Action
FOUR PAWS South Africa is calling on pet owners, animal lovers, and communities to support spay and neuter initiatives. By working together, we can ensure a kinder, more compassionate future for animals in South Africa.
For more information on the benefits of spaying and neutering, visit the FOUR PAWS website:
For more information on how to #LiveKinder visit: www.four-paws.org.za
/ENDS
Deidre Daniels
Public Relations Officer+27 (0)21 702 4277
+27 (0)78 675 8220
9B Bell Crescent, Westlake Business Park,
Green Building, Cape Town, 7945
A Public Relations professional with over eight years’ experience in fostering positive relationships between organisations and media.
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za