Neutering Pets

Am I allowed to neuter my pet, a cat or a dog as an example, and does it make a difference whether say my dog is male or female. Thank you so much.

According to Jewish Law it is forbidden to spay any animal including pets. The prohibition is more stringent for spaying a male animal than for a female one. However, according to some contemporary authorities it is permissible to use one of the newly developed alternatives to castration which do not involve the direct (or even indirect) removal of the reproductive organs, rather they render the animal infertile without removing its reproductive organs.