Neutering Dogs: Not the Norm Everywhere

Would it surprise you to know that neutering dogs in Norway is illegal, other than in cases of medical necessity? The removal of ovaries and testicles is considered to be mutilation, no different from cropping ears and docking tails.

Photo by Wesley Sanchez on Unsplash

The Norwegian Animal Welfare Act states that surgical procedures are not to be used to adapt animals to the needs of humans and that neutering is not a substitute for proper training of a dog.

While neutering is not illegal in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, these countries share a similar belief system.

Please know that I am not advocating against neutering dogs. However, there is a lot more to consider now than in the past (more on this in future blog posts). The constant tenet is this: The most important reason to neuter dogs is the prevention of unintentional litters.

This begs the question: Why don’t Germany and the Scandinavian countries have a pet overpopulation problem? Why are there few animal shelters and practically zero stray dogs on the streets? The only reason that makes sense to me is that, in these countries, dog ownership is managed far more responsibly than in the rest of the world. There are government regulations in place that require this level of responsibility.

In the United States, neutering is part of routine preventive health care, yet here, the number of homeless dogs is staggering. Interesting food for thought, eh?

Life for dogs in Norway is not a panacea. Veterinarians there regularly treat breast cancer and pyometra (an accumulation of pus in the uterus) both of which are life threatening and preventable with spay surgery. Castration can impact dog-on-dog aggression, and dog fight injuries in Norway are commonplace.

Does any of this surprise you?

Please stay tuned for more on the topic of neutering dogs.