Neutering your Dog

Neutering is  a simple operation that prevents male and female dogs from reproducing.  In the case of males the operation involved is termed castration, in females it is called spaying.  It is a humane way to reduce the stray dog population, preventing thousands of unwanted puppies being born each year, that may be cruelly abandoned or needllessly destroyed.

Each year Derry City Council is faced with the unenviable task of humanely destroying healthy dogs that simply need a responsible owner.  We are committed to tackling the serious problem of stray and unwanted dogs coming into the Council Dog Shelter and believe that neutering offers the best long-term solution to achieving this.  To this end Derry City Council has been working closely with the Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest animal charity, on a number of neutering initiatives throughout the Council area.  This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of dogs, especially unwanted litters of puppies, coming into our Council Dog Shelter.   Humane destruction figures however are still unacceptable as the vast majority of these dogs are healthy and capable of being re-homed. 

Derry City Council through the help and support of the Dogs Trust wish to make neutering the “norm”, as is the case in most of England.

Why neuter?

Besides reducing unwanted litters and lowering the number of stray dogs, neutering is also important for the health and wellbeing of your pet. 

• Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer. 
• Neutering does not change a dog’s personality. Some unwanted behaviours may cease - It can help reduce aggressive and unwanted sexual behaviour, preventing fighting, mounting and being destructive. 
• Neutering reduces the risk of womb infections and false pregnancies in older females pets. It also saves them from mood swings during season. 
• It is not ’good’ for a bitch to have at least one litter before being spayed, if anything there is more risk to them during pregnancy than if they were spayed after the first season. 
• Female dogs that are not neutered suffer unwanted attention from male dogs that are often bigger than them. 
• Neutering does not cause fat pets. A dog’s ability to metabolise its food will lessen and it is necessary to feed smaller portions of food than before. 
• Neutering does not reduce the efficiency of a working dog. It frees them from hormonal changes and frustrations leaving them better able to concentrate on their work. 
• Neutered dogs are also less likely to stray or cause a barking nuisance.

When Should I get my dog neutered?

Most vets will neuter dogs of either sex from the age of about six months, although it can be done at any age.  The recovery time is ten days but will depend on your dog.  Neutering is not expensive and it’s much cheaper than feeding a litter of puppies for a lifetime.

Neutering Initiatives

Derry City Council through the Dogs Trust has been able to offer free neutering and microchipping to all dogs rehomed from its Dog Shelter.   In addition we been involved in a number of highly successful neutering initiatives throughout the council area that resulted in large numbers of dogs being neutering.  It is hoped that we will be able to run some focused initiatives this year concentrating in areas where we currently experience problems of straying and unwanted dogs.

The Dogs Trust offers a heavily subsidized neutering scheme throughout Northern Ireland in which dog owners on income-based benefits can get their pet neutered for £15  (see website below for further information). 

 

Contact

Micheal Duddy   
Kennel Supervisor/Dog Warden 
Tel: 028 71 261414   

Malachy Duddy
Dog Warden
Tel: 028 71365151
 

Links

www.dogstrust.org.uk