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A Pre-emptive Strike that Saves Lives!The San Francisco SPCA Marks Spay Day USA 2009 -- Tuesday, February 24

PREVENTING ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION IS “GREEN,” RESPONSIBLE

San Francisco, Apr 15 2009: The San Francisco SPCA is marking the15th annual Spay Day USA on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Spay Day USA has been designated by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) as a national day of action to encourage people to spay or neuter their companion animals.

"Spay/Neuter is a critical component of the general raising of consciousness about the challenges facing our fragile environment," SF/SPCA President Jan McHugh-Smith said today. "Preventing the births of millions of unwanted dogs and cats each year is the 'green' thing to do for the planet."

Spay/Neuter saves the environment by:

• Decreasing the numbers of dogs and cats
• Reducing the resources spent on animal population control
• Saving governments – and tax payers – money

Spay/Neuter saves animals' lives by:

• Averting the births of unwanted animals
• Reducing the euthanasia of discarded animals
• Diminishing behavior issues that are the primary reason for surrender of companion animals to shelters
• Enhancing health by preventing some cancers:
  • Testicular cancer (males)
  • Ovarian and uterine cancer (females)
• Reducing the incidence of other cancers:
• • Prostate (males)
  • Mammary (females)

Every day is spay day at The SF/SPCA, and 2009 is the first year Spay Day USA will be celebrated at the recently opened Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center. To mark the January opening of this new facility, the Society announced plans to double the number of spay/neuter surgeries performed annually at its Clinic – to 12,000. Since 1976 The SF/SPCA has altered approximately 170,000 cats and dogs and prevented the births of millions of kittens and puppies.