A dog that has not been spayed could potentially have a litter of seven to ten puppies every three months – that’s up to 40 puppies per year.

A cat could potentially give birth to between five and seven kittens every three months – or 28 per year.
If each of those puppies and kittens is not spayed or neutered they could all go on to have untold numbers of young over the course of a lifetime.

Over the course of seven years, one unsterilised cat could give rise to 420,000 more cats being born. A dog that has not been sterilised could lead to 67,000 more dogs being born over the course of the next six years.

Since the Humane Society began its spay and neutering programme in August of 2006, 5,000 dogs and cats have been sterilised. Even if those 5,000 animals had each only had one litter of five young each year, their offspring alone could number in the hundreds of thousands. The island would literally be overrun with dogs and cats – dogs and cats that would likely have no homes, and might well be feral in nature.

The Humans Society is therefore actively educating the community not only about proper care for pets, but also the importance of preventing pet overpopulation. To this end they not only spay and neuter the pets that are in their care, they also offer the service to pets that have happy homes and will even offer a free pick up and drop off service for the pet.

But of course as well as keeping future numbers down, they provide food and shelter for dozens of stray or abandoned pets, and those whose owners have had to leave the island and cannot take their pets with them.
But the Humane Society only has the capacity to accommodate 63 dogs and 40 cats. At present, they are over maximum capacity, with 70 dogs.

The alternative is to take these pets to the Department of Agriculture – where they would be put to sleep.
The shelter’s volunteer programmes, such as dog walking, cat grooming, dog and cat socializing, fostering programmes and sleep over arrangements all ensure that these pets get to receive some human love and attention, even if they have no permanent home.

It works both ways of course, because the reason humans keep pets in the first place is the company they provide, and the unconditional love they lavish on their owners.

Through walking, fostering and socializing these pets, many people develop bond with them and end up adopting them. But the Humane Society is not concerned with finding any old home for these pets – they make sure the pets go to a good home. The adoption fee of $70 for a cat and $90 for a dog includes not only the spaying or neutering of the animal and the three vaccinations they require – it also includes pet care advice and a home inspection, to ensure dogs have a fenced in outdoor area and will be exercised regularly by their new family.