If you’ve ever walked through the kennels at the SPCA of Brazoria County or scrolled through our adoptable pets online, you’ve likely seen firsthand how full shelters have become. Every kennel, every foster home, and every available inch of space is being used to house homeless dogs and cats. While we work hard to find loving homes for every pet, the truth is—we can’t adopt our way out of this crisis.
The key to solving the overcrowding problem in Brazoria County isn’t just more adoptions—it’s more spay and neuter.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s look at the reality in our community:
- In 2023, over 6,600 animals entered shelters and animal control facilities across Brazoria County, including SPCA of Brazoria County and the municipal shelters in Lake Jackson, Clute, Freeport, Angleton, and the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control. (Source: SPCA of Brazoria County and compiled regional shelter data, 2023.)
- Only about 62% of those animals were adopted or returned to their owners. (Source: Combined outcome data from shelter partners in the county, 2023.)
- In just the first quarter of 2024, there has already been a 22% increase in stray animal intakes across Brazoria County compared to Q1 2023. (Source: SPCA of Brazoria County and Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office AC intake trends, Jan–Mar 2024.)
Where are these animals coming from? The answer is simple: unplanned litters.
A single unspayed female dog, her mate, and their offspring can produce up to 67,000 puppies in six years. For cats, one unaltered pair and their kittens can result in over 370,000 cats in just seven years. (Source: Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA spay/neuter education materials.)
Spay and Neuter Saves Lives—Literally
When we spay or neuter, we are preventing the birth of animals who may never find a home. We are easing the burden on shelters, which allows us to provide better care to the animals already here. We are giving our communities the chance to thrive—because fewer strays means safer streets, fewer nuisance calls, and less taxpayer money spent on animal control.
At the SPCA of Brazoria County, we’ve seen the power of proactive spay and neuter efforts. Our low-cost clinic performs hundreds of surgeries each month. When targeted in areas with high stray populations, these efforts have resulted in noticeable drops in shelter intakes within just a few months. (Source: SPCA of Brazoria County Clinic Reports, 2022–2024.)
Spay and Neuter Is a Community Responsibility
This isn’t just a shelter problem—it’s a community issue. We need every pet owner, every rescuer, and every local leader to understand the urgency. If you love animals, the single most impactful thing you can do is make sure your pet is spayed or neutered.
We understand that cost and access can be barriers—that’s why we continue to offer low-cost and sometimes even free clinics, and we work with partners to reach more pets in underserved areas. No one should have to choose between loving their pet and doing what’s right for the community.
Be Part of the Solution
If we want to see a future where every pet has a home, where shelters are not overwhelmed, and where no animal is euthanized simply for lack of space, we must prioritize spay and neuter.
✅ Spay your pets.
✅ Encourage your neighbors and friends to do the same.
✅ Support spay/neuter efforts in our community.
✅ Choose adoption, not breeding.
Together, we can stop the cycle of pet overpopulation—one surgery at a time.
Need help getting your pet fixed? Call us at the SPCA of Brazoria County or visit our website to learn about our low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Let’s fix the future—literally.
SPCA of Brazoria County 
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