A Chastity belt for dogs? What the Heck?

Ok, a friend sent me the link on this article.



There is a man who has developed a Chastity Belt for dogs. The female wears it while in heat, much like a maxi pad that leaks for dogs and prevents pregnancy in the process. UH.... HELLO!!!??? This defeats the purpose of spaying and neutering and give people just one more excuse to not do the right thing and spay or neuter their pets. He claims as posted below, that he is all for spaying ad neutering however.....

"I'm all for neutering and spaying," says Dexter Blanch. "But in some cases, it is a health risk for the dog. In other cases, the pet owner is squeamish about putting the dog through surgery. And then there are people who plan one day to breed their pet."

""The Pet Anti Breeding System – or PABS, as he calls it – a polypropylene belt with an eight-buckle locking system and a washable mesh pad for female dogs.
The device allows the pooch to do all its natural bodily functions, except one, of course.
The PABS slogan: "When the heat is on, lock it, and stop it."
"The dogs can urinate and defecate," Blanch says. "But they can't copulate or impregnate."
Amorous canines won't get hurt trying to penetrate the PABS sheathing, Blanch claims. "

This gives people just one more out as far as I am concerned. He talks about the fact that it would have to be washed out regulary as it is made of a mesh material that allows bodily functions to happen just fine, like urination etc. But it doesn't say it will keep the blood spotting off of your floors or furniture. And as a dog is usually in heat up to 21 days at a time, twice a year, washing this thing out daily so it doesn't smell, and hopefully for the fabric to last some is simply just, well, YUCK! Why would I want to wash my dog and her "underthings" everyday?

Ok, enough of the YUCK factor. Now to the part that counts..... Being in season is very very stressful for the female and the male. They will try to mate regardless of what is there in the way, and they are so focused on the heat cycle, they will attempt it over and over and it puts way too much stress on the heart and body systems. Male dogs become agressive and will fight, females get no rest, etc. This not only causes veterinary bills, but you are in fact shortening your pet's lifespan. Trust me, the truly are much happier and healthier fixed than not.  Spaying and Neutering your pet does give them a longer and happier life.

Now, did anyone find his idea ludicrous?  I only hope someone doesn't come up with this idea for cats! Cats barely tolerate one either dressing them or doing much of anything to them. Can you just imagine the amount of pain involved with trying to put this device on a cat? I forsee sutures in one's future who attempts this. (just picturing it has me rolling on the floor laughing!)

Don't think you should spay or neuter? Think again....

Once again the issue of spaying and neutering is a hot topic on another networking group I belong to. It started by a friend posting her experiences working in a shelter, and just how many healthy, happy puppies, adult dogs, adult cats, and kittens are euthanized on a daily basis because there aren't enough homes for them. Not evening defining "good" homes, just homes for them. And the kicker as she so eloquently put it was this, "every person that allows more dogs to be born into this already overpopulated dog world, should first have to assist in the euthanasia of healthy, homeless dogs for a month. If, after a month of euthanizing wo/man’s best friend over and over and over, you can still, without regret, allow more puppies to join us -- then I guess I don’t have much more of an argument. Hold those dogs in your arms as they take their last breaths – for no good reason except that there aren’t enough homes. NO MORE PUPPIES!!!" She went on to post about the one dog, whose death will always stay with her, "I'll NEVER forget one specific dog that was euthanized. He was 'average' looking, sweet, sensible, maybe 3-4 years old. Didn't get anyone's attention I guess because he was 'average.' When it was his turn to be euthanized, the drugs would not kill him. His heart wouldn't stop beating. The staff vet had to be called in. I was holding the dog and sobbing and said "Why won't he die?" and I'LL NEVER FORGET THIS -- the vet said to me "Because he's so healthy." They eventually had to give him a massive dose of whatever. To this day I wish I had added that little "average" dog to my pack before he was picked to go to 'the room.' If I'd only known."


We also perpetrate all these euthanasias by buying purebred animals from breeders who will indiscriminately kill pups or kittens that don't meet their standards, or are slightly deformed. And mill breeders will kill undesireable animals any way they can, look at how Michael Vick killed his, by electrocution.

Then I was reminded by another friend the 10 reasons people consistently come up with for "NOT" altering their pets:

THE TEN WORST REASONS NOT TO SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET:


1. Just one litter and we’ll have Fluffy spayed.
Studies show that nearly the entire pet overpopulation stems from the "Just one litter" mentality

2. My dog doesn’t run loose, so he/she doesn’t need to be fixed.
Murphy’s law says otherwise

3. We always find a home for the kittens/puppies
And that means that an equal number of kittens/puppies with be euthanised at your local pound.

4. I want my children to witness the miracle of birth.
RENT A VIDEO!!!

5. My dog/cat is so cute and unique, there should be more of him.
The shelters are full of cute and unique dogs and cats with only a few days left to live!

6. It’s just not natural.
There hasn’t been anything "natural" about dogs or cats since we began to develop breeds thousands of years ago

7. I just couldn’t look my dog in the eyes if I had him castrated
GET A LIFE !!!

8. A female dog/cat should have at least one litter for health reasons
Medically, factually and ethically INDEFENSIBLE.

9. Neutering my dog/cat will make them fat and lazy
Too much food and not enough exercise make your pet fat and lazy

10. Fixing my pet will change his/her personality
The primary influence on an animal’s personality is the kindness and care with which it is treated.

And then if you can read all this above and still say oh, but this would never happen to my "Fluffy's" offspring, think again. Then look at this poster from the Humane Society and rethink it all. This poster says it all:



So.... think again, and I would ask you how you can justify allowing your pet to breed indiscriminately or how can you justify paying money for a "purebred" animal, and allow so many other souls to die?

Declawing cats and other regularly practiced forms of cruelty

I have to give kudos to some California cities recently. Back in 2003, West Hollywood California outlawed declawing cats noting that it is in an of itself a form of animal cruelty. More recently several other California cities have followed suit. I am very happy to hear this. And yes, it has always been in the back of my mind that this practice was barbaric and extremely cruel.



Wikipedia gives this description of declawing:

Onychectomy is an operation to surgically remove the claws and part of the toes, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating all or part of the distal phalanx, or end bone, of the animal's toes, and is popularly known as declawing.

Although common in North America, declawing is rarely practiced outside North America and is considered an act of animal cruelty in certain other regions (see "Declawing practices" below).

Apparently other regions in the country have outlawed it also.

Back in the 70's I worked for a veterinarian in Florida. I cried the first time I watched him "de-claw" a young cat. At that time all he did was anesthetize the cat, and using regular toenail (scissor type) clippers, lopped off the nail and last joint at the "knuckle". Imagine taking those selfsame clippers and removing your fingernail permanently at the first knuckle. But the poor kitties, coming out of anesthesia and you could see the pain in their eyes, you could see that it hurt to stand on the bandaged feet. My grandmother had her last two cats declawed, and they were forever tender on their feet, and were terrified to have them touched at all. The same type thing was done for removing puppy dew claws. Except curved scissors were used then to stop the bleeding a styptic powder or q-tip used on the wound. No anesthesia, and it was done within days of birth.

Docking tails on puppies wasn't much better as they were done so young and there was no anesthesia done on puppies. And Docking was done with a pair of sharp surgical scissors, and then a couple stitches put in. At least pups who were to have their ears cut, got the benefit of anesthesia. But it was after ear cutting that they had problems. In order to get the ears to "stand" tongue depressors with, hopefully cotton taped to the bottom, would be inserted in the ears, then the ear tips taped to the depressor to train the ear to stand straight up. This was done mostly on breeds like Dobermans, Pit  Bulls, Great Danes, and Schnauzers. Either way, it was still a painful and traumatic experience for the animals.

Other animals suffer tail docking also. Sheep are docked, mostly using very tight rubber bands to cause the circulation to stop and the end of the tail to drop off. Many horse breeds still have their tails docked as foals either for "fashion" or because they still believe that without docking working horses' tails that they become entangled in harnesses, or will cause other problems or are difficult to deal with.

Any of these for any animals is unacceptable anymore. It is mutilation, plain and simple. Fine if we make a conscious decision to mutilate ourselves, but why should we purposely mutilate our animals?

Why would you declaw? People who are very vain about their furniture will cite they don't want the cat to scratch the furniture, or them. Well then, provide plenty of scratching posts sprayed or rubbed with catnip to attract them to their "furniture" rather than yours. And yes you can train a cat, it's easier than you think.

Why dock tails? Vanity? On horses, how do they swat flies then? Flyspray is really ineffective, flies happen period. Their tails are the best defense. On dogs? Why? Is it because you are afraid the tail will sweep off your coffee table? Is it the style? No need for the style anymore.

Some old timers think animals don't feel  the pain, they are just an animal. Uh excuse me? What makes them think this? Do they know personally that young animals, babies included here, don't feel pain at losing an appendage? Do you think an infant wouldn't feel it if you cut off his finger at the first knuckle? No different than declawing or docking. All the same actually, you are cutting off an appendage at a joint.

Ear cropping or docking, hoo boy, talk about a fashion gone way out of acceptance and style. Every so often I read about people cutting off their pit puppy's ears with common scissors and getting busted for it and charged with animal cruelty. They used to cut of pit's ears to give less purchase or one less appendage to be torn to shreds by the dog it is fighting. It's awful, ears provide protection to the inner ear of the dog. So stupid.

And my last gripe of the day is this, Spay and neuter your pets! Even "responsible" breeders are only adding to and compounding the over population problem. Majority of the litter your un-altered animal gives birth too is probably going to be euthanized because it cannot find a home.

While I don't agree with PETA most of the time. I mean their topics are not bad ones, they just get a little over exuberant on their efforts, this poster is probably one of the best ones I've see in support of spay and neuter.

Why adopt? Why Spay and Neuter?

I am sure I have covered this topic once before, however, it is one that bears repeating. And I wish to add this disclaimer, I am not an expert on this, and the numbers may be old, but they will give you a general picture and the message is still the same.

First a few statistics on euthanasia and the shelters:

1. 
   

   Every day approximately 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in this country while only 10,000 people are born. 

   
   


2. 
   

   Every year over 6 million animals are euthanized in shelters for lack of available homes.  If the number were "only" 7 million, that would mean 135,000 PER WEEK, or 20,000 pets euthanized EVERY 24 HOURS.  365 DAYS A YEAR!

   
   


3. 
   

   An animal is euthanized in the U.S. every 2 seconds.

   
   


4. 
   

   On average, 64% of all animals taken into shelters nationwide have to be euthanized for the simple reason that there is no room for them or no home.

   
   


5. 
   

   The animals at animal control shelters are not "problem" animals. The animals available for adoption have been picked up as strays or taken from the owner for abuse, or neglect. They are truly in need of a loving home and are greatly appreciative for a second chance at life.  

   
   


6. 
   

   At least 50% of the overpopulation problem is non-neutered males.  Females can't do it alone.

   
   


7. 
   

   Purebreds account for 30% off all the animals in shelters.  "Papers" don't mean an animal should be bred.

   
   


8. 
   

   For every home you find for an animal that you have bred, a home is lost for a shelter animal.

   
   


9. 
   

   Breeding to "see the miracle of birth" demands that you also "see the tragic results".  Visit a shelter and watch a puppy being euthanized for every puppy your "miracle of birth" delivered.

   
   


10. 
    

    Animal overpopulation has reached a crisis point in this country

    
    

Now, some myths about spaying and neutering

 Most of these myths have been passed along for many years without any basis in fact. People still believe false statements like: "It will calm her down to have a litter" and "He needs to sow his oats," or "It will make her/him more protective." These are all inaccurate viewpoints and flat nonsense; and you have probably heard them all! Let’s look at a few more.

"My dog is a purebred so it's ok if I breed"  The fact is that 25% of all animals found in a shelter are AKC or UKC purebreds. There is no guarantee of quality. In fact, most times purebred animals have some serious medical and behavioral problems, due to inbreeding.

"My pet is a male; I won’t have any litters"  These animals are a very big part of the pet overpopulation problem since they escape and breed with females in heat. They roam more, are more aggressive and sire hoards of litters for someone else to raise, or destroy because they are unadoptable.

"It cost too much"  It will cost you a lot more to care for the puppies created by the dog!  And there are many, many low cost to free spay and neuter clinics. It is affordable!

"My children should see the miracle of birth"  School programming, virtual computers or films can convey the same information in a more caring way.

"She needs to have at least one litter"  Does a woman need to have at least one child? Having a litter does not in any way improve or change a pet's disposition.

"Spaying & neutering is painful for the pet."  How painful is giving birth? Surgery is performed under anesthesia and animals are usually back on their feet into normal activities within 24 to 72 hours. This slight discomfort is not harmful and prevents the suffering and death of hundreds of unwanted animals that could be born if you do not spay or neuter your pet.

"If I neuter him, he won't be as protective."  Instinct is not affected by hormones.  In fact, most pets when neutered will actually be more protective and loyal to their owners and will have reduced desires to wander, mark territory and fight with other animals.

"They'll get fat and lazy".  Not true! Pets get fat because of improper feeding and or exercise. They like us, if fed too much and too little exercise will get fat.

"A litter will calm my animal and having a litter will be better for her" Veterinary medical evidence says otherwise. This is just not true.

"Only females need to be fixed, it's not my responsibility"Not true, it takes two to make a litter. This is a chauvinistic idea that pregnancy is all the woman's fault. It is everyone's responsibility.

"My pet is special"  Every animal is special. Most will never be duplicated. Think of all those special animals that are killed daily. Adoptees are very special animals.

If this section still has not convinced you to neuter your animal, go visit a shelter. I challenge you to spend some time there. Ask when they euthanize animals & witness how the animals cringe, defecate in fear, and act when they are taken out to be killed. Look them in the eyes and explain why you do not want to neuter your pet.

Now..... all this being said, please spay and neuter your pet! And please promise to adopt from your shelter for your next pet(s), or if you can, offer to foster pets from the shelter so they may have more room to help other pets in need. If we are proactive about spaying and neutering, helping shut down puppy mills, eventually someday I would like to hope that there will be less animals, who deserve a life just as much as we do, lose theirs before they can experience it.