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A child’s first pet, whether it be a dog, cat or fish, is like the first test of responsibility.

It teaches them to take care of another living being. If it’s a dog, they should learn to walk them every day. For any pet, they learn to feed them every day and to keep them clean and safe.

Unfortunately, some adult pet owners still neglect the crucial responsibility they have to their dogs and cats to make sure they do not breed unwanted puppies or kittens.

It is inhumane and criminal to dump, abandon or neglect a child and the same is true for a puppy or kitten.

To prevent that from happening, it is also against municipal law in many places to let pets roam at large and is mandatory to get them fixed — with few exceptions for the age of the pet, health of the pet and for breeders with a permit.

Natchez’s animal control ordinance requires that all cats and dogs be spayed or neutered by the owners unless they are under six months old, are unable to be spayed or neutered for verifiable health reasons, or the owners have a valid breeding or unaltered animal permit.

Yet, the population of unwanted pets still grows. HoofBeats and PawPrints Rescue shared with us that they have growing numbers of puppies at the shelter and urged all pet owners to follow the law and have their pets fixed.

Adoption facilities and people looking to find homes for pets should also have stipulations in place for spaying and neutering before they give those puppies or kittens away.

Spay Neuter Natchez offers resources, including extremely discounted or waived copay for spay-neuter surgeries, to anyone who needs them. They can be reached at 601-392-0232.

There seems to be no end to the cycle of unwanted pets, but it’s up to all pet owners to do the responsible thing and not add to the problem.

Not only is it a responsibility. It’s the law.