‘Neuter your ex’ sounds like revenge. Shelters say it’s an act of love.
‘Neuter your ex’ sounds like revenge. Shelters say it’s an act of love.
wapo.st
‘Neuter your ex’ sounds like revenge. Shelters say it’s an act of love.
“Neuter your ex” campaigns popped up across the country this year, from Maryland to Michigan to Washington state. Getting back at an ex can now mean neutering or spaying a cat because “some things shouldn’t breed,” as one New Jersey animal shelter put it.
I'm all for neutering and spaying but using sexual violence as a "joke" and "shock marketing" doesn't sit well with me.
The non-human animals aren't in a position where consent (or lack thereof) can be accounted for. They aren't neurologically able to comprehend the consequences of their activities or the detriment it brings about when they follow their instincts. They also don't comprehend that the operation will make parenthood impossible, so they're not left to suffer from any mental trauma or sense of loss afterwards.
And if all that isn't enough, there just isn't a viable alternative for controlling the domestic animal population: We can't educate the animals to let them make informed decisions. We can't get them to use contraceptives. We can't convince or trick them to stop having sex. We also don't have the means to keep them all contained, and in any case that would be far more detrimental to their mental and emotional health than being neutered.