Desex to stop sad cycle

The start of this year has been wonderful, but unfortunately for us, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

We have seen more than 20 unwanted, neglected and homeless puppies come through our rescue in January alone.

So this got us thinking, it’s time to seriously start talking about desexing. These pups are the direct result of non-desexed dogs wandering the streets.

Did you know a male dog can smell a female dog on heat from 3km away?

He can also scale a six-foot fence with ease to get to her.

Male dogs will stop at nothing; we have even seen the deed done through the separation of a pool fence. Do you have an escapee?

Castrating your boy will keep him at home, or are you having unwanted visitors? Spaying your female will keep them away.

Now, yes, we know the puppies are cute, but unfortunately this cuteness is quickly dampened by the reality of what actually happens to them.

Those that survive the risk of contracting parvovirus then have to face the burden of thousands of parasites, and if that’s not enough, they find themselves fighting extreme heat, lack of food and other predators.

If they are lucky enough to be picked up by the public, the rescue system then has only a limited number of foster homes.

So as you can see, this becomes a heartbreaking experience for all involved. So we urge you, please desex your animals to help stop the cycle of unwanted puppies.

Tegan Phillips is a veterinary nurse at Kimberley Vet Centre.