The Cost of Not Spaying or Neutering Is More Than a Surgery
When most people think about the cost of not spaying or neutering pets, they imagine a simple veterinary bill—or worse, ignoring it entirely. However, for animal shelters and rescues, the impact is profound, long-lasting, and measurable.
Each unplanned litter born into a community increases intake pressure, stretches limited resources, and slows lifesaving outcomes for all animals in care. Preventing those litters at the source remains one of the most effective strategies for reducing shelter congestion and saving lives.
Rising Shelter Intakes and Falling Spay/Neuter Rates
Recent nationwide data shows a troubling trend: fewer animals entering shelters have already been spayed or neutered. Between 2019 and 2023, the percentage of dogs arriving at shelters already altered dropped from 33.2% to just 22.3%, and cats from 27.9% to 22.0%.
This decline has real operational consequences. Animals that are already spayed or neutered typically move through shelter systems faster—reducing their length of stay and the overall burden on facilities.
The Financial Burden on Shelters
In the U.S. alone, about 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year, many from unplanned litters that could have been prevented through effective spay/neuter initiatives.
Unplanned intake leads to:
-
Higher medical and housing costs
-
Increased manpower for intake processing
-
More days of care per animal
-
Greater competition for limited kennel and foster space
For shelters operating with constrained budgets, these costs divert funds from enrichment, behavior support, and emergency medical care.
Fewer Altered Animals Means Longer Shelter Stays
In 2023, data from Shelter Animals Count revealed that intact cats entering shelters stayed 11 days longer than those already spayed or neutered. For dogs, the difference was four days.
Across hundreds or thousands of animals, those days add up—raising both the cost of care and the emotional toll on staff and volunteers.
Staff Burnout: A Hidden Cost of High Intake
Shelters struggle with rising workloads when preventable intake increases unchecked. High intake isn’t just numbers—it’s more cleaning, more care, more outreach, and more emotionally taxing work.
Burnout undermines retention, increases training costs, and stops organizations from investing in strategic community programs.
The Value of Prevention
Effective spay and neuter programs ease intake pressures, improve outcomes, and create healthier community ecosystems. Scientific research shows that targeted programs can reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates significantly. For example, high-impact trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs have been linked with dramatic decreases in shelter impounds and euthanasia when deployed at scale.
Real-World Success Stories
Project Bay Cat — Northern California
Project Bay Cat, a TNR initiative in northern California, reduced its community cat population by 95% over time through humane trapping, sterilization, and return efforts.
Their multi-year, grassroots approach demonstrates how proactive intervention directly lowers population growth and supports healthier community animal dynamics.
United Coalition for Animals — Cincinnati
United Coalition for Animals (UCAN) operates a spay/neuter clinic in Ohio, providing over 67,000 surgeries to low-income pet owners since the mid-2000s. Their model—not only performing surgeries but engaging community vets—has helped reduce euthanasia rates significantly in the greater Cincinnati area.
The Humane Alliance model, which UCAN follows, has also contributed to more than an 82% reduction in euthanasia in greater Asheville, North Carolina over the past decade.
Low-Cost Programs Nationwide
State initiatives that fund free or subsidized spay/neuter services—such as programs in Maryland, Maine, West Virginia, and Delaware—have shown measurable impact on shelter admissions and euthanasia rates by increasing access for underserved pet owners.
These models demonstrate that accessibility—not just policy—is key to reducing unplanned intake and its downstream effects.
Case Example: Miami-Dade County Free Spay/Neuter Program
County-level programs like Miami-Dade’s free spay and neuter initiative have shown positive effects on animal population control and shelter effects, proving that reducing barriers to sterilization produces community-wide benefits.
How Shelters Can Turn Awareness Into Action
Understanding the cost of not spaying or neutering is one thing—acting on it is another. Prevention efforts must be resourced, organized, and accessible.
That’s why many shelters and welfare organizations are turning to streamlined management systems designed for programmatic success.
How Doobert Simplifies Spay & Neuter Program Management
Doobert’s Spay & Neuter Program/Clinics is an all-in-one solution built for shelters, rescues, and community welfare groups. It supports spay and neuter assistance and clinic management from start to finish—handling initial requests, waitlists, case workflows, and closure.
At $729 per year, this package provides easy-to-use forms and automated workflows that keep operations organized, efficient, and transparent.
Doobert’s plug-and-play program gives organizations a ready-to-use foundation—so you can hit the ground running without technical delays.
Every Program Includes:
-
Unique Phone Number
-
Unlimited Texting
-
Tailored Reporting
-
Rapid Support
-
Template Customization
-
Quick Template Setup
-
Expert Team Training Session
Turning Awareness Into Action During Spay & Neuter Awareness Month
February’s Spay & Neuter Awareness Month is a powerful moment to shift the narrative from reaction to prevention. Organizations that embrace structured, accessible programs not only reduce intake but also improve outcomes for animals, staff, and communities.
Understanding the true cost of not spaying or neutering helps shelters make data-informed decisions that save time, money, and lives.
Interested in simplifying your spay and neuter operations and maximizing your impact this awareness month?
Our team can walk you through how Doobert’s Spay & Neuter Program/Clinics can support your organization’s goals.
