Why Spaying and Neutering Your Pet Matters in Winston-Salem

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North Carolina had the second-highest healthy pet euthanasia in the country for 2024*, with approximately 30,000 healthy animals killed. The main reason for this statistic is overcrowding in shelters, primarily caused by pets that are not neutered or spayed.

One unspayed female cat can have 2 to 3 pregnancies each year, producing 4-6 kittens each. That could add up to 18 kittens a year. One unspayed medium-sized female dog can have 2 pregnancies a year, having 5 to 10 puppies each time, which can result in as many as 20 puppies in one year. Consider now that each of those puppies and kittens goes on to reproduce at the same rate. It is easy to see why the shelters get overcrowded. Winston-Salem has solutions on how you can help.

Why Should I Have My Pet Fixed?

I’m not going to let my dog or cat run around getting pregnant; they are inside animals, not feral, so why should I go through the expense of having them spayed or neutered?
One good reason is that you cannot control other animals. If you have an unspayed female pet, be prepared for it to have heat cycles. For a dog, it can last 21 days, twice a year, and for a cat, anywhere from 3 to 15 days, three or more times a year. During that time, they may cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted males who will hang around your property. Also, female dogs will pass bloody fluid, which can stain rugs.
Male dogs and cats who are not neutered are more likely to mark their territory by spraying both outside and inside the house. Unaltered dogs are more aggressive by nature, especially to other male dogs, and both cats and dogs are more likely to wander, especially if they sense a female in heat. If that happens, they can be gone for days.

My Personal Experience With An Unspayed Female Dog

I was waiting to have my puppy spayed until she was old enough, but I miscalculated, and she went into heat before I realized. She was in my fenced yard for 5 minutes, a large male dog jumped the fence, and we were faced with a litter of 8 puppies. We kept two and found homes for the others, with the promise that if they changed their minds, they would bring the puppy back. One family did, so we wound up with four dogs, because I miscalculated! Needless to say, all four were spayed/neutered.

Healthy Reasons To Spay Or Neuter Your Pet

Keeping your pet healthier is an excellent reason to have your pet spayed or neutered.

Spaying your female pet before she reaches sexual maturity (goes through her first heat) dramatically reduces the chance of breast cancer and eliminates the threat of uterine or ovarian cancer. It also eliminates the heat cycle with messy spotting, mood swings, and unwanted pregnancies. Not spaying female cats, especially if they are outdoor cats, is irresponsible.

Neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular tumors and may prevent prostate problems. It also decreases the possibility of perianal tumors and hernias. Neutering eliminates territorial and sexual aggression, as well as inappropriate spraying to mark territory (urination). It also prevents male cats from roaming, fighting, and getting injured by other male cats.

My Personal Experience With Unspayed Cats

I knew of someone who thought it was cute for their kids to enjoy kittens. So they let their unspayed female cat roam and have kittens, which, once they outgrew their cuteness, wandered the neighborhood. They fed the cats, but all the kittens became stray cats. This happened more than once, before someone reported the person to animal control, and the situation was remedied.

Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) For Feral Cats

Feral Cats are one of the most significant sources of cat overpopulation. Their communities can range in size from 2 to 200 cats, depending on available food sources. Where do they all come from? While people do abandon pet cats, most feral cats come from other feral cats. A single pair of breeding cats and their offspring can produce thousands of kittens in a short time.** While pet cats can live for anywhere from 12 to 20 years, feral cats have only a two to three-year lifespan, due to illness and disease, car accidents, prey for other animals, and fights with other cats. The solution to stopping the exponential growth of feral cat communities is help from people who love cats enough to become involved in the Trap, Neuter, Return program.

TNR is a globally recognized, humane method for managing feral cat populations. Feral cats cannot be domesticated and become pets, but their quality of life can be improved and their populations decreased by preventing the birth of more kittens. People can continue to provide food and water for the existing colony, allowing them to live out their lives.

If you are now caring for feral cats and are willing to help capture them to prevent the growth of the community, contact Humane Solution, a nonprofit that participates in the TNR Program. They offer reduced-cost feral cat spay-neuter vouchers (accepted at many veterinary hospitals), humane trap loans with returnable deposit, and limited assistance with trapping, transportation, and overnighting before and after the surgery. Cats will undergo spay-neuter surgery, receive rabies and distemper vaccines, and be treated with flea medication. Additionally, they will have the required ear tip (the tip of the left ear is cut, a universal sign of an altered feral cat). The cat can then be returned to where it was found to rejoin its colony. For details about the TNR Program and what is required, see this Humane Solution webpage.

How Much Will Spaying Or Neutering Cost?

Owning a pet is expensive, and spaying or neutering is one of those expenses that come with being a responsible pet owner. Based on geographical location and veterinary practices, spaying can run from $200-$500, and neutering from $100-$300. Although the procedures can lead to long-term savings by preventing reproductive issues and future veterinary visits for diseases, many still find the cost prohibitive, despite knowing it is necessary.

There Is Spay/Neuter Help Available

Some organizations and groups work hard to ensure that all pets are spayed or neutered, and they offer assistance to make this affordable for pet owners. Here are some in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County:

Humane Solution Spay-Neuter Program

• PO Box 20712, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-723-DOGS (3647)
• Humane Solution Website

As mentioned above in feral cat spaying and neutering, Humane Solution is a nonprofit that was founded in 1999 in response to the need for assistance for low-income pet owners. They offer reduced-cost vouchers for spaying or neutering (accepted at many veterinary hospitals) for pet owners who meet the organization’s income qualifications. The voucher cost for cats is $55. The voucher cost for dogs is dependent on size: 3-50lbs – $95, 51-100lbs – $125, 101+lbs – $150. The vouchers cover only the price of the surgery. See here for more information and required qualifications.

Humane Solutions also offers drive-thru vaccine and microchip clinics. The next one will take place September 13 at Surry Community College, 630 S Main Street, Dobson, NC. Registration opens August 15, 2025. Check events on the website for details.

The Solution Spay-Neuter Clinic, which provides affordable public spay-neuter surgeries, has suspended operation at this time, but hopes to begin offering services again soon. Donations to Humane Solution are always welcome. Visit their donation page for information.

Central Spay Neuter & Wellness Center

• 2780 W Mountain Street, Kernersville, NC
• 336-723-7550
• Central Spay Neuter & Wellness Center Website

Central Spay Neuter Wellness Center offers its low-cost spay and neuter services to healthy pets between the ages of 4 months and 6 years. They are done by appointment only, and there may be a wait for an appointment. The costs, which include post-operative pain medicine, are: Female Dogs, 3-49lbs – $150, 50-89lbs – $180, 90-120lbs – $230 (they cannot spay females over 120lbs). Male Dogs, 3-49lbs – $140, 50-89lbs – $170, 90-120lbs – $220 (call for pricing over 120lbs). Cats, Female – $120, Male – $100. Your pet must have a current rabies vaccine or receive one the day of surgery. Individual vaccines and vaccine packages are offered at low cost and can be administered either during the time of surgery or by appointment. The center also provides wellness services, other surgical procedures, and bloodwork panels, all at a reduced cost. You may see a small green line on your pet’s stomach after surgery. This required tattoo is permanent and notifies future veterinarians or shelter workers that the animal has been sterilized.

Forgotten Felines Of Forsyth

• PO Box 11363, Winston-Salem, NC
• FFFinfo@gmail.com
• Forgotten Felines of Forsyth Website

Forgotten Felines of Forsyth is a nonprofit organization that assists in the spaying and neutering of community and feral cats. They hold a low-cost spay/neuter clinic once a month where caretakers of feral cat communities can make an appointment to have cats they trap sterilized, receive rabies and distemper vaccine, flea and ear mite treatment, and have an ear notched, indicating they have been altered. The clinic can only service 35 cats a month, and unfortunately, they are currently backed up with appointments. You may email once only at the beginning of each month to see if any spaces are available. Forgotten Felines is always in need of donations, monetary and items they require. Visit their donation page for information. They also welcome volunteers who help with trapping and transporting cats, caretaking of colonies, working at spay/neuter clinics, and fundraising.

Forsyth Humane Society Of North Carolina – Low Cost Spay/Neuter Wellness Clinic

• 725 Waughtown Street, Winston-Salem, NC
• 336-721-1303 (Humane Society office)
• Fosyth Humane Society Low Cost Spay/Neuter Wellness Clinic Website

TO BE OPENED SOON – The Forsyth Humane Society of North Carolina will be opening a state-of-the-art Low-Cost Spay/Neuter and Wellness Center for all responsible pet owners to help with the cost of keeping your pet healthy, and the shelter from becoming overcrowded with unwanted animals. Along with spaying and neutering, the center and its experienced staff will provide affordable wellness services and information on resources to help owners be the best pet parents. Follow the clinic website for updates on when it will open, and visit the Forsyth Humane Society donation page to support the organization and the clinic. We will update this article as information becomes available.

Exercise Is Also Important For Healthy Pets

Dogs need to be able to stretch their legs and get the zoomies out to be healthy and happy. If you don’t have a big yard, or even if you do, Dog Parks are a great place for pups to run, play, sniff, and socialize. Check out our article about dog parks to find one near you.

Do you feel it’s important to spay and neuter? Tell us in the comments.

*Source: Animal Shelter Statistics: State Rankings and Nationwide Data, by Total Vet.
**Source: Stray Cats: The Challenge of Cat Overpopulation by Shelter Animal
Information Source: Five Good Reasons Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Pet, by Brown University