VIDEO: As Shelters Overflow, Danville Humane Director Joins PETA in Urgent Spay/Neuter Plea

Spaying and neutering saves lives! That’s the message that Paulette Dean, an outspoken advocate for homeless cats and dogs—and the trailblazing executive director of the Danville Area Humane Society for 31 years—is sending to companion animal guardians everywhere.

Having spent decades on the front lines of the companion animal overpopulation crisis, Paulette has witnessed firsthand the consequences of people’s failure to spay or neuter their dogs and cats, watching as shelters like hers—which accept all animals in need—are flooded with unwanted animals. So now, she’s teaming up with PETA in a moving new video urging guardians to “fix” the homelessness crisis through prevention—by spaying and neutering.

While serving residents in Danville, Virginia, Paulette has worked tirelessly to prevent more cats and dogs from ending up on the streets, where they struggle to survive without shelter, adequate food, veterinary care, or the companionship they desperately need.

The Danville Area Humane Society and other open-admission shelters do their best to accommodate the overwhelming number of animals who don’t have homes. Their compassionate work becomes more difficult when guardians fail to sterilize their companions, leading to thousands more animals being born into a world that can’t support them.

“Bigger shelters, more adoption programs, more transfers between shelters: It won’t solve the problem. The only thing to do is spay and neuter the animals.”

—Paulette Dean, director of the Danville Area Humane Society

An estimated 70 million homeless cats and dogs are struggling to survive in the U.S. on any given day. As a recent article in The New Yorker revealed, many shelters are adopting “no-kill” policies that prioritize “save rates” over the needs of individual animals, including turning away many animals, leaving the most vulnerable to be abandoned on the streets or relegated to the ends of chains in backyards. That’s why PETA urges shelters to accept all animals in need, asks everyone to adopt instead of buying from breeders or pet stores, and advises guardians to have their animal companions spayed or neutered. 

The Solution Is Simple: Spay or Neuter

It’s our responsibility to help curb the homeless-animal crisis by spaying or neutering our animal companions. These routine, affordable surgeries prevent a lifetime of suffering for countless cats and dogs.

Many communities have low-cost or free spay/neuter clinics that make it easy for everyone to do the right thing by having animals sterilized. Call 1-800-248-SPAY to find your nearest low-cost spay/neuter clinic.