Help Stop Animal Hoarders, Spay and Neuter Your Dogs and Cats

So getting your dog and cat neutered probably won't cure society of animal hoarding, but you can be sure that if there are fewer pets procreating, then there are certainly fewer pets out there to hoard.

Fix this problem

​With so many abandoned pets crowding the shelters, the San Francisco SPCA has decided to offer a month of free spaying and neutering for dogs and cats -- the best way to cure overpopulation.

Starting Feb. 1, San Francisco residents can take their dogs and cats to get fixed for free through the end of the month. It's the first time the agency has offered a whole month off free spay and neutering.
But a month is necessary, considering that the pet overpopulation problem isn't easing up at all. Nationally, we've seen a 14 percent spike in the number of sweet dogs and cats killed at shelters because they cannot find homes.

In San Francisco, euthanasia has dropped by as much as 4 percent for dogs, according to the SPCA. That's in part because of the shelter's aggressive messaging on spaying and neutering. Still, 129 dogs and cats were euthanized at the shelter in 2009.

"There is always an overpopulation problem," said Jennifer Lu, spokeswoman with the SPCA. "We are trying to lower the number of pets that enter our shelters."