Western culture places unusually high value on the lives of companion animals. Our societyís horror of death is sometimes displaced to include death in pet animal species also. a

Humane societies have long argued that subsidised neutering must be a better way to deal with the unwanted dog problem than having to rely on various methods of mass killing. Optimism about subsidised neutering as a remedial measure has faded over the last decade. a 

Enforcement of registration and restraint regulations can dramatically reduce casual ownership, and numbers of unwanted dogs. a 

Other measures to reduce the number of unwanted dogs include telling people the real story about what happens to dogs that go to shelters, more research into reasons for pet surrender, and programs to encourage competent, responsible ownership. a 

Subsidised neutering has not solved the problem of unwanted dogs. A new paradigm which bridges the knowledge gap, values the quality of local MPM standards and understands the concerns of people in animal shelter management, is needed. a