Artificial insemination is a technique used to enable animals to become pregnant without natural mating.

Artificial insemination allows the use of semen from stud animals worldwide, eliminating the need to transport animals for breeding and increasing the pool of potential stud animals. Artificial insemination reduces potential risks associated with natural mating, such as sexually transmitted diseases and aggression.

Use of artificial insemination should be carefully considered to avoid unintended welfare consequences. Animals who cannot be bred via natural mating due to health or conformation reasons should not be bred using artificial insemination as these genes may pass onto their offspring, possibly affecting the health and welfare of future animals.

If artificial insemination is performed, SPCA supports the practice of non-surgical artificial insemination by trained operators.

Non-surgical insemination includes transvaginal or transcervical insemination. Non-surgical artificial insemination methods do not require general anaesthesia or surgery and can be completed in a few minutes by a competent operator. Transcervical insemination results in the same or improved conception rates when compared with surgical artificial insemination.

SPCA opposes surgical insemination in companion animals due to the associated welfare risks and availability of lower risk alternatives, such as transcervical insemination.

Surgical insemination is an invasive surgical procedure and carries welfare risks associated with surgery. It involves general anaesthesia of the animal, removing the uterus, introduction of (typically) frozen thawed semen into the uterus, replacement of the uterus, and closure of the surgical site.