Kill or neuter?

Animal activists proposed the Hong Kong Government to neuter, vaccinate and re-release unclaimed dogs into the community. Condemning the catch-and-kill policy as ‘inhumane and ineffective’, animal welfare organizations are calling for the adoption of a ‘trap, neuter and return’ (TNR) policy, whereby stray dogs can be captured, de-sexed, vaccinated and returned to the communities.

“We do not believe that [catch-and-kill] is a humane way of controlling [the stray dog] population. It doesn’t work, because the remaining dogs will just breed and fill the gap,” says Dr Jane Gray, chief veterinary surgeon of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “The key is de-sexing them so they have a stable population and limited breeding, and eventually the population will go down.” [Timeout]

However, from the technical point of view on population control, neuter does not work because the remaining dogs will just breed and fill the gap. I just wonder late neuter may introduce shadow to the dogs because they may have experienced sex before and they would sense their sexual ability is disabled.

On the other hand, the adoption of unclaimed dogs requires much more effort because these dogs have accustomed the daily life without human control.

保護動物權益人士認為捕殺沒有登記狗隻，無效於控制狗隻數量，呼籲政府停止捕殺政策，改以絕育為上。他們認為捕殺非人道，而且未捕獲的流浪狗隻仍可不斷生育，絕育卻可控制數量。

從技術來看，絕育也不行。未捕獲的流浪狗隻仍可不斷生育，曾有性經驗的狗隻被絕育後可能產生心理陰影。另外，領養這些習慣自己生活的絕育狗隻，不但難以馴養，而且可能有潛在問題。