When: Officially the last Tuesday of February, with events and activities taking place throughout the month of February.

Where: Across the United States and U.S. territories, and throughout the world.

Why: More than four million pets are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Approximately 3.7 million of these pets are cats and dogs. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets, even purebreds. Maybe someone's pet got out just that one time or maybe the litter was intentional, but efforts to find enough good homes failed. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for cats, dogs, rabbits and other pets, and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more about why you should spay or neuter your pet.

How: Please visit the Spay Day Participate page to learn how to get involved with Spay Day!

SPAY DAY EVENT ORGANIZERS in the U.S.—both veteran and new—log in here.

International Spay Day Event organizers, visit Spay Day International.