Sterilisation

The word Sterilisation may not communicate the procedure correctly to all readers as in some countries, it is referred to as spay, neuter, sterilization, or fixing. We generally focus on female dogs as the operation is the most cost effective route to reducing the number of puppies and kittens born. While the surgical operation on a female is slightly more expensive than the sterilisation procedure on a male dog, the cost to benefit ratio is much greater by focusing on females. WVS Thailand believe that sterilisation is the right approach to reducing the number of homeless puppies and kittens and it remains our main priority.

We maintain a regular number of sterilisations every month and each year we aim to increase our previous years achievements. This is made possible entirely through the donations and support of our community here and abroad.

The typical sterilisation process carried out by WVS Thailand is a simple one.

  1. Identify the dogs requiring sterilisation
  2. Temporarily home the dog at the shelter for a short period to assess it’s health condition and ultimately to cease the feeding of the dog 12 hours before an operation
  3. Arrange with a veterinarian to perform the sterilsation
  4. Deliver the dog to the veterinarian
  5. Collect the dog after surgery and pay for the procedure
  6. Return the dog to the shelter and administer post op medical care – anti inflammatory and anti biotic medicines, the fitting of a plastic anti lick collar and daily wound dressing
  7. Return the dog to the place it came from, unless the dog is staying at the shelter for either further medical treatments or possible adoption.

The cost? Each female dog currently costs about 800 baht, cats 650 baht (approximately $22 USD or 16 Euros). This money is largely for the cost of the anesthetic used and helps cover the cost for our on-site veterinarians.

If you would like to help reduce the population of homeless dogs in Chiang Mai, please support us with a donation.

Benefits of Sterilisation

The benefits to be gained from organised and extensive sterilisation of Cats & Dogs are listed below.

  • Fewer unwanted litters. The animals can no longer breed and multiply, thereby the stray animal population eventually decreases.
  • Less nuisance behavior. Sterilising animals eliminates the desire to find a mate. This means fewer animals wandering into traffic; chasing or biting people or their pets while protecting a litter; or unwittingly spreading pests and disease. A cleaner, happier and healthier environment for us all.
  • Less fighting. Fights over territorial boundaries are common where sources of food and shelter are limited. With fewer litters being born, competition for food and shelter is lessened and there is an overall improvement in quality of life for the animal.
  • Improved Health. Repeated pregnancy takes a toll on the female body, with animals reproducing each season experiencing a reduction in general health. Spaying females reduces the incidence of breast cancer, eliminates the risk of ovarian cancer and uterine infections, and sexually transmitted diseases (such as venereal tumors).
  • Improved demeanor. Problems with territorial or sexual aggression in male dogs can be partly managed by neutering, which also eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and greatly reduces the chance of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Stabilisation of numbers. As dogs are territorial by nature, returning sterilised dogs to their own territory prevents other dogs ‘moving in’.
  • Less injury. Tom cats (unsterilised males) are known to ‘rape’ female cats, and do not discriminate between sterilised and unsterilised females. Toms can inflict serious and painful injuries to female cats.
  • Cleaner environments. Tom cats are notorious for indiscriminate ‘spraying’ of scent, which is generally offensive to most people. Neutering virtually eliminates the offensive scent.
  • Preserving native species. Domestic cats and dogs are introduced species in urban environments. Many populations of native species of animal, birds and reptiles are compromised by stray animals either by becoming prey or from loss of habitat/food source.