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<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Hi Deb,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>I know I one of the lone voices out
there but here goes anyway.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>First, I am not against spaying and
neutering. If your girl is not going to show and/or bred she should be
spayed. It will make your life easier in the long term.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000><STRONG>I AM AGAINST SPAYING
BABIES!!!!!</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Removing hormones from babies is
disgusting to me. Would you do a hysterectomy on a 5 year old
child??</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000> It is More then growth plates not
knowing when to close. (I have a beagle and a basset who were spayed
at 6 months, and yes both are much taller then their non-spayed
counterparts. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>More important is the
dog's long term overall health that concerns me.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>With 1 in 4 dogs getting Cancer, plus
all the allergies and other problems we see in dogs I can't advocate removing
body parts and hormones before an animal is mature. (Poor nutrition
and over vaccination also are a mature problem for the health of our
dogs)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Your vet may recommend 6 months but mine
actually advocate waiting until they are a year old for proper growth and
health. I have 4 intact bitches and none of them came into their
first season before 8 months. 2 waited until 10 months.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>I have a fenced yard and also have
intact males.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>In 6 years of showing and having
intact animals I have never had an "oops" litter. And my males and females
are of 2 different breeds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Some on the list are talking as if heat
cycles are something terrible for the girls to endure.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Granted your not going to want to walk
your baby through the neighborhood while she is in season, but she will be able
to go out in the yard or out on a flexi if you don't have a
fence. Just stay on your property and surpervise
her. I have never had a stray dog trying to get into my
fence.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>My 2 intact Basset bitches keep
themselves so clean, I barely notice they are dripping and have never had to
"diaper" them. (One of my dachshunds is another story).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Most European dogs do not get spayed or
neutered (elective surgery) and they have very little problems with excess
litters. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>You waiting until Zoe is 12 or 18 months
old is not going to contribute to the unwanted puppy problem unless you let
it. That is such a silly argument for early
Spay/Neuter. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000> And girls only want a male
for maybe 5 days out of their whole cycle while they are actually
ovulating. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>It amazes me that people scream about
docking tails and cropping ears as cruel, but think it is perfectly okay to do
major elective surgery to spay a baby.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Let your puppy grow up. Give her
the oppurtunity to grow into the beautiful healthy basset she was meant to
be. Assuming you are a responsible dog owner there will be
plenty of time to spay her. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000>Cathy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore
color=#800000>www.summerhilldachshundsandbassets.com</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Baltimore color=#800000></FONT> </DIV>
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