Many shelters across the nation have adopted Neutering Before Adoption (NBA) policies. According to American Humane Association information, sterilizing kittens and puppies as early as they can be adopted means shelters can ensure that adopted animals will not contribute to pet overpopulation. Valuable staff and volunteer time also is saved in following up on spay/neuter contracts that are difficult to enforce.

"Neutering before adoption is probably the most important policy a shelter can have to make sure its adopted animals do not contribute to the problem of homeless pets," says Esther Mechler, founder of SPAY/USA, a national low-cost spay/neuter network.

The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Colo., experienced a significant reduction in the number of kittens entering the facility after establishing an NBA program. "Even better, we have seen a reduction in the number of animals we have to euthanize," Jan McHugh, the society's executive director, reports in "The Case for Early Neutering," an AHA video. "We feel it is attributed to the early spay/neuter program we implemented," she adds.

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