Whether it is ethical to spay a pregnant dog is not an “abstract” discussion. It has life and death consequences.
I do not support the spaying of pregnant animals. If the kittens or puppies are viable, they must be individually killed, usually through an injection of sodium pentobarbital. Even when they are not, when a mother is spayed, the kittens or puppies die from anoxia (oxygen deprivation) due to lack of blood supply from the uterus once the vessels are clamped. They suffocate. That is not consistent with the No Kill philosophy.
In anticipation of those who might be inclined to support the killing of puppies and kittens not yet “born” based on the traditional excuse of pet overpopulation, I refer you to yesterday’s post, The Lie at the Heart of the Killing. This isn’t an “either-or” proposition: either unborn puppies and kittens must die or those already born must. The myth of pet overpopulation condoned an atrocity committed against this puppy and he was thrown away as if he is nothing more than garbage. It also condoned the killing of 11 puppies in Williamson County, Tennessee recently, which ultimately may have also cost the mother her life.
I therefore stand with No Kill Williamson County, TN in their effort to end the killing of these puppies. They are doing the right thing. And for the animals’ sake, I hope they prevail.
For further reading:
Puppies Aborted at Williamson County (TN) Shelter
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