KEY POINTS:
The SPCA is stepping up its campaign to control the thousands of unwanted cats and dogs in Auckland.
From today veterinarians throughout Auckland will offer discounted prices for animal desexing in an effort to combat the hundreds of kittens and puppies left with the SPCA each week.
Of the 12,500 cats that ended up on the Auckland SPCA's doorstep in Mangere last year, 4000 were adopted, about 1000 were returned to their owners and more than half were put down.
At the busiest times more than 80 kittens a day were dumped at the SPCA.
Nearly half of the 4000 dogs that went to the society last year were put down, mainly because of ill health rather than overcrowding.
Senior veterinarian Peter McQueen said the number of animals being put down could be halved if people desexed their pets.
"People really need to act responsibly if they are going to have pets in their homes, and desexing is probably at the top of the list.
"It's really a criminal act for people to allow their pets to have unwanted animals," he said.
Mr McQueen encouraged the owners of kittens or puppies who were born last Christmas to see a veterinarian as the animals come into heat this month.
Cats that are not desexed can produce two litters a season with an average of 15 kittens in each.
An unspeyed female cat from six months old can be responsible for the birth of more than 130,000 kittens if its offspring produce to their full potential.
Mr McQueen said there were many benefits for both animal and owner in desexing. "Particularly in dogs there's less fighting and they stray less because they're not out there trying to mate and breed, so fewer are impounded.
"Also, there are some medical conditions in animals that are un-desexed such as mammary tumours, testicular tumours, cancer and prostate problems."
Mr McQueen said people feeding stray cats should also "seriously consider" having the animals desexed if they were going to take them on as pets.
He said stray cats survived because people left food out. Feral cats survived without human intervention.
