Abstinence-Only Education Doesn’t Work on Pets Either

I do a double-take every time I see this ad1 at Logan Airport:

It can happen sooner than you think. 50% of all pets born are accidents. Spaying or neutering your pet at 4 months can prevent those accidents and help save millions of cats and dogs from being killed in shelters each year. Prevent More. Fix at month four.

While the poster is actually encouraging owners to spay and neuter their pets, I always think it might be a “safe sex” ad. Something more like this:

It can happen sooner than you think. 50% of all pets born are accidents. Talk to your cat or dog about safe sex, and teach them how to prevent pregnancy and the diseases they can get from unprotected sex. Prevent More. Fix at month four.

The business of this would really make more sense. After all, spaying and neutering are a one-and-done procedures. But with kitty condoms and doggie birth control pills, veterinarians could be making money year after year.


Footnotes:

  1. A full-sized version is archived here. ↩︎