Sam, You are correct that people are asked to spay or neuter their pets they adopt. However, many adult pets have already been spayed or neutered, so there is no extra cost.
Here part of the adoption fee is for the spay/neuter. You pay for it up front, and have the totally dumb option of not following through. HOWEVER, the SPCA and Humane Society *also* offer help in the expenses of spaying and neutering. When I got my current Rescue dog I didn't pay the normal "adoption fee" because the foster home was overcrowded with doggies and I promised to do all the things that the rescue group does prior to a normal adoption: spay/neuter, all shots up to date, and microchip ID & registration, basic obedience training. I live on a pension. I called the Humane Society to ask about the help program on spaying, and they told me to come on in. I brought my pension statement in case they asked me to prove my income, but they told me they didn't need it. They took my info, took my vet's name, and issued me a certificate for a FREE spay on my dog. Spay/neuter is actually the smallest expense to responsible pet ownership, and it's a one-time thing. Proper nutrition, flea control, heartworm, annual checkups, regular immunizations, coat & nail care if you can't do it yourself ... those are the expenses that decent and responsible pet owners should expect and be willing to meet. ==== On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 20:28:10 -0500, Samuel W. Heywood wrote: <snip> > One of the reasons why cats and dogs which go to the animal shelter are > not likely to be adopted is that the persons adopting such animals must > agree to have them spayed or neutered at their own expense. These > operations are expensive. The animal shelter will demand that the > adopting owner show a certificate signed by a veterinarian attesting that > the operations have been performed as agreed. -- Arachne V1.70;rev.3, NON-COMMERCIAL copy, http://arachne.cz/
