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Originally Posted by Katylou  Leave it to our State! What about tiny dogs like my Sophie? She is 5 months old and I am waiting until she gets a bit bigger before I have her spayed?  |
Nikki + 2 posted this above:
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I don't know enough about this yet to form a full opinion. My immediate reaction is that 4 months is really young- maybe 6 months would be a little more realistic? It does say:
Require owners of every dog or cat in Florida to have each animal sterilized within 30 days of the animal reaching four months of age, or within 30 days of the owner receiving the animal.
Which means you really wouldn't have to neuter the animal until 5 months of age. Also the exceptions:
Provide ambiguous exemptions, including dogs with veterinary certification showing that sterilization would endanger the animal’s health, until such issues no longer exist; Greyhounds currently used for racing, until retirement; show animals registered with an established breed registration organization to be approved by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; dogs or cats that have earned, or are in the process of earning, a competitive sports title; animals trained, or in training, for use in law enforcement, military, or rescue; and animals for which an owner holds a valid breeding permit issued in accordance with an ordinance of a county or municipality.
So people who show would be exempt and breeders who don't could apply for a permit. Also dogs too small to safely neuter could be exempted. Depending on how this is implemented and how it ends up I would think it has the potential to be a good thing.
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So until Sophie is old enough or big enough as certified and ascertained by your vet, she's OK.