As part of our commitment to advancing the health and welfare of companion animals worldwide, we have supported the work of the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (WSAVA) Reproductive Control Committee (RCC) since 2022. Our common goal? To promote best veterinary practice in companion animal reproductive control on a global scale, and to ensure that veterinarians around the world have access to the latest resources and knowledge in this rapidly evolving, key area of animal health.

On April 17, our teams organized an international webinar to share the WSAVA's first companion animal reproductive control guidelines with veterinarians. The English webinar was simultaneously translated into French, German, Italian and Spanish. To date, over 3,500 veterinarians have benefited from the 2-hour insights and recommendations from 7 renowned experts¹ in the field of reproductive management.
 
The WSAVA's initial guidelines for feline and canine reproduction include the following points:

• Systematic sterilization of all cats and dogs is no longer supported;
• Sterilization may be beneficial for some animals but detrimental for others. The decision needs to be informed and appropriate;
• Surgical castration of dogs and cats, unless justified, is a form of mutilation;
• According to the experts, existing alternatives to surgical sterilization are worth considering. 

"It was a very informative and well run webinar that we really enjoyed and will certainly help us make decisions about spaying and neutering in the future."

"It was an easy and pleasant presentation, the expression was excellent, the English quality. Thank you for everything and I hope you will organize more presentations of this type.”

While surgical castration has long been the main option for spaying and neutering pets, it no longer has to be considered automatically; in some cases there are alternatives with proven health benefits. For several years, Virbac has offered a contraceptive implant that reversibly eliminates the effects of sex hormones while maintaining the integrity of the animal's body.

_{1-Prof. Dr. Stefano Romagnoli, Dr. Sebastian Arlt, Prof. Dr. Alain Fontbonne, Prof. Dr. Jaume Fatjó, Prof. Dr. Wojciech Niżański, Prof. Dr. Sandra Goericke-Pesh et Dr. Lluis Ferré-Dolcet}