I suspect that for some people lower cost might be helpful for some people but I don't think it would for that many people. I think, however, it would be better to have a ruling that said that any dogs that are not used for showing or breeding had to be neutered. That way no one would have an excuse for not having it done.

Oscar was castrated as soon as he was old enough and any dogs I had that were not for showing or breeding would be. I don't see the need to keep them entire and the health risks make neutering better.

That said, I don't think we should be neutering any younger than we are now (other than for medical reasons). When i worked at the vets a client from America said there they will neuter at 6 *weeks* old! I think that is too young.

Just my opinion.

No because isn't there a scheme by the dogs trust anyway and it cost's about £15 or something stupid?

i watched an american programme on animal planet, and they were doing neutering as young as that... it was a small dogs home that were doing it for all the local people.

I thought about this some more and I actually think that yes it would make a difference, not so much to you or I - as generally i think people on this forum live by their dogs best interest so are less price sensitive to such issues.......
but say that nasty fella on the recent SBT bbc 2 prog that we have all ben discussing- he would not get injections due to the price so i imagine he had no intention of neutering!!
But to get those types interested it would have to be less expencive than a cheap pint or pack of fags!!
ironically it is these people that are more likely to breed from their poor animals and let the offspring end up in a rescue.........

yes and no

i put off having suki done due to the cost but my branch of cats protection offer free neutering in certian circumstances and highly reduced in others yet time upon time cats have litters and litters of kittens
ATD x

In Australia it is fairly expensive to a lot of people, so I think it might help to reduce the cost to encourage owners to neuter their dogs, but some will still not bother as it takes time and effort which they arent prepared to put in anyway.

The RSPCA here are neutering at 8 weeks on, they say that research proves it ok - I am not convinced
Katia

Yes I do think more people would get their dogs neutered if it was cheaper.
Obviosly not everyone but some.

I have been in the situation with a previous dog, and we are going back a while where i had no spare cash a month at all and I literally went without food to get my little Jack Russell neutered. I did not qualify for the PDSA or RSPCA schemes tho....I felt i couldnt keep him entire as he was just a wanderer and his mission in life was to go find a girl!!

So not an ideal situation....you can argue that you shouldnt have pets if you cant afford it, but people always well....and it can keep you sane!

I knew he needed to be castrated but another owner may have just let him keep "wandering" and he could have sired lots of illegitimate litters!!

We do cheap neutering/spaying at the home I work at, and yet when people come to claim their wandering dogs, and we offer the service, many have the reply oooh I couldnt have his bits taken off, or Oh no its ok we want a litter from her the costs dosnt really come into it, its the mindset of the dogs owners that prevents dogs getting done, if someone really wanted to spay/neuter, they could put a couple of pounds away each week to save up for it, if the owners cant afford a couple of pounds a week then chances are they qualify for benefits and many places do either free or very low costs neutering for those people.

Mo

Think it depends on where you live and the cost - I think it should be cheaper and a set rate, some vets charge over and above - I have heard of vets charging as much for a neuter as a spey