Speaker 1: It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2: What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3: Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff and with me. Well,
Speaker 3: this is very exciting because not only are they return
Speaker 3: guests plus a new one, but they're actually here in
Speaker 3: the studios, so welcome. I have Kathy Galatti and Erica
Speaker 3: Kuberski from Positive Tales in Brooklyn, and doctor Brett Levitzky
Speaker 3: from Veterinary Emergency Referral Group. Is that correct?
Speaker 4: Correct, that's correct?
Speaker 3: Okay, well, welcome, thanks, welcome back, Welcome Brett. So the
Speaker 3: last time I had to look it up because you
Speaker 3: are return guests, and the last time Erica and Kathy
Speaker 3: were here it was back in September of twenty eighteen.
Speaker 3: Crazy crazy time is So, what's happened in six years?
Speaker 3: What a lot?
Speaker 1: Personally?
Speaker 3: Well yeah, well we can get into that too. So
Speaker 3: tell me what has Positive Tales? What have some of
Speaker 3: the highlights you've done in the past, even in the
Speaker 3: past year.
Speaker 1: I mean, I think probably some of the more you know,
Speaker 1: we've continue to work on our emergency cases, and there
Speaker 1: been a lot of those to work on, but probably
Speaker 1: since twenty eighteen, we've introduced our pop up clinics where
Speaker 1: we do a lot of pop up veterinary clinics and
Speaker 1: underserved areas city. Sure, we'll go with a team of
Speaker 1: team of veterinarians veninary technicians and set up and we'll
Speaker 1: probably see about one hundred and fifty families and do
Speaker 1: wellness and vaccines. And I think that's probably been the
Speaker 1: most as far as us being able to be able
Speaker 1: to see more clients.
Speaker 3: I think that's sure. I guess that's huge. How often
Speaker 3: do you do the pop up clinics.
Speaker 1: I would probably we probably do them. I would say
Speaker 1: sixty eight times a year.
Speaker 3: Oh that's a lot. And of course you have volunteers
Speaker 3: that come with you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're really lucky. We are still one hundred percent volunteers.
Speaker 3: Nice. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah, no, that's good. That's good.
Speaker 3: And doctor Brett, do you go along with them on
Speaker 3: these pop up clinics or so.
Speaker 5: I'm an emergency veterinarian at Verge and that's where we
Speaker 5: see all of the emergency.
Speaker 4: Cases that we deal with with positive tails.
Speaker 5: But I will say it's very exciting these the more
Speaker 5: pop up clinics we have, we do more preventive care there.
Speaker 4: So the thought being is it.
Speaker 5: Keeps them from coming in right to have to see
Speaker 5: me sure in the emergency.
Speaker 3: Room, right right. It's almost like when people take their
Speaker 3: vitamins rather than just go to the doctor because they're
Speaker 3: not healthy anymore. That's great. So for you as an
Speaker 3: emergency doctor, what is the biggest emergency that people have
Speaker 3: with their pets? I mean, is there one that's more
Speaker 3: like something that's more common or.
Speaker 5: All pet owners know that their dogs and their cats
Speaker 5: can get very curious and eat things.
Speaker 4: They're not supposed to do.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and some of those things pass and some of
Speaker 5: them don't and they get stuck in the gih act
Speaker 5: and require surgery. Yeah, and that can be a bit costly.
Speaker 3: Sure, sure, yeah, so that I mean, that would make sense.
Speaker 3: And I think sometimes and not to blame the owners,
Speaker 3: but sometimes I will. I think sometimes people forget to
Speaker 3: pet proof their house and apartments. Then my thought has
Speaker 3: always been, well, you'll do a certain thing for kids,
Speaker 3: it's the same thing for pets.
Speaker 4: It absolutely is.
Speaker 5: The The thing is, though, dogs and cats they can
Speaker 5: get into places that you may think you have your
Speaker 5: your apartment pet proof, and then right someone will say, well,
Speaker 5: I haven't seen that ball for years because it was
Speaker 5: under the couch somewhere in.
Speaker 3: The dog or cabin under there, and they find it.
Speaker 4: Swallowed it and then they're back to see us.
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, I mean I would have agreed with you
Speaker 1: until I got my most recent dog.
Speaker 3: Uh huh. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Luckily he's a tank, so everything eventually passes.
Speaker 3: But right, so what is he eat?
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't want to embarrass myself, but it's
Speaker 1: not your fault.
Speaker 3: You're busy.
Speaker 1: He ate a peanut butter glass jar and all.
Speaker 3: What the glass jar? Oh yeah, I never heard of that,
Speaker 3: And I.
Speaker 4: Will say her husband is a veterinarian also.
Speaker 3: Right, right, I do him? Okay, okay, so wait, wait
Speaker 3: I can't get my head around how big was this
Speaker 3: peanut butter jar? You know, like that like a ra
Speaker 3: How big is this dog?
Speaker 1: He's about eighty pounds.
Speaker 3: Oh okay, so he has like a massive mouth and jaw.
Speaker 3: I would assume, right, that's powerful because glass. I mean,
Speaker 3: I couldn't not that. I can't understand maybe a plastic
Speaker 3: jar of peanut.
Speaker 1: Butter, but okay, he's he's I don't understand him a lot.
Speaker 3: Okay, Well, you're still getting to like how old.
Speaker 1: You see he's probably about eight or nine. Now, okay, no,
Speaker 1: he means he's awesome, but.
Speaker 3: Yeah, of course he is. No, he's a dog, of course.
Speaker 3: But I'm with you two years, with us two years?
Speaker 3: Oh okay, okay, so you're still getting to know each other.
Speaker 3: It's like a new relationship.
Speaker 1: You're in that honeymoon p right and.
Speaker 3: Now and now he's feeling more comfortable, right, so he's like, yeah,
Speaker 3: I'm feeling more comfortable now this might oh my goodness.
Speaker 3: So he's okay though, oh yeah, and so I guess
Speaker 3: pasted it. He didn't have to have surgery for it.
Speaker 3: Then he like pooped out the peanut butter and the
Speaker 3: glass jar. Yeah, I mean, I'm not fascinated by this.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry.
Speaker 1: We took him in for an X ray. Yeah, that
Speaker 1: there was a lot of glasses in there and then
Speaker 1: in his belly. Yeah, I mean, and then the experts said.
Speaker 3: Just let it pass.
Speaker 4: Don't point at me. I know it's justin you.
Speaker 3: Okay. So now I have a red question on that.
Speaker 3: So as a vet, if you looked at that X ray, like,
Speaker 3: how do you know the glass isn't going to rip
Speaker 3: his stomach? And say let it pass? I mean, obviously
Speaker 3: you know that where we would be like, oh my god.
Speaker 5: But it's a common question people people really freak out
Speaker 5: of Sure, we've seen dogs and cats swallow needles, razor blades, glass. Sure,
Speaker 5: a lot of times it can pass as long as
Speaker 5: it doesn't form an obstruction. Okay, the basically, the intestines
Speaker 5: are just a tube of muscle and they just want
Speaker 5: things along. If they're able to do that, it's the
Speaker 5: g I tract is pretty resilient and can pass.
Speaker 3: Think that because I would think as it passed it
Speaker 3: would cut, it'd make cuts. It doesn't.
Speaker 5: Surprisingly, if a cat or a dog swallows a piece
Speaker 5: of thread, uh huh, that's usually more devastating on the
Speaker 5: g I track.
Speaker 4: Because it's the stomach.
Speaker 5: And then as it moves along it acts like a
Speaker 5: little saw versus a piece of glass that just kind
Speaker 5: of moves along. Maybe because a little irritation.
Speaker 3: I would never think that. That's why I'm not a vet.
Speaker 6: My cat ate a needle and thread.
Speaker 3: Well, the needle I can understand, but I mean, but
Speaker 3: the thread tongue and oh boy.
Speaker 6: Passid and it was coming out of both ends and
Speaker 6: thankfully surgery at a MCD.
Speaker 3: Wow, there was no at the time. Wow, But okay,
Speaker 3: so now it's a string that's different than grass because
Speaker 3: I know sometimes my last dog used to eat grass
Speaker 3: and then sometimes if he was like going nuts like
Speaker 3: salad bar this, it would be like, okay, I'm kind
Speaker 3: of like pulling it out of his book, you know. Gross.
Speaker 3: But if you're you're a dog owner, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm talking about.
Speaker 4: Yeah, growing tinsel for us?
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yes, I've heard of that.
Speaker 4: Oh it's Christmas ye stars poop and tinsel.
Speaker 3: But that's not as bad as like a thread or
Speaker 3: because it's grass, because it's natural.
Speaker 5: Right, and it's softer and it's shorter from the thread
Speaker 5: can be really long and get anchored under the tongue
Speaker 5: and then really it makes its way all the way
Speaker 5: down to the polee.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, that makes sense, It makes it's It just
Speaker 3: always makes me laugh about dogs because I know more
Speaker 3: about dogs than cats. But I think dogs are so
Speaker 3: smart and then they'll do something like that and I'm like,
Speaker 3: you're a dog.
Speaker 4: Are smarter than others?
Speaker 3: Yes, that's true, and we can't say it, but is
Speaker 3: it true that well, it's probably just more of an opinion.
Speaker 3: In fact, are certain breeds actually smarter than others. Yes,
Speaker 3: it's definitely it's not it is okay, all right, all right,
Speaker 3: I'm not talking, I'm going to but yeah, right, because
Speaker 3: everybody thinks that their dog is the smartest, do you
Speaker 3: know that, or the cutest, and of course we should,
Speaker 3: we should think our own dogs are the cutest, correct,
Speaker 3: but there are It's true though, right, certain breeds are smarter.
Speaker 1: I knew it.
Speaker 3: You heard it here.
Speaker 1: And I'm voting it's the mixed breeds.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I would believe that. Oh yes, because you
Speaker 3: get the you get the best of both worlds, right, like,
Speaker 3: you know, you get the better genes from the smart
Speaker 3: and smart.
Speaker 1: I mean you know sort of your parents aren't related,
Speaker 1: it's got to be better.
Speaker 3: Well that would be true to mus rule anyway. Yeah,
Speaker 3: and MutS are the best, right. We love months, we do.
Speaker 3: That's why this is Maria's mutts and stuff. We're here,
Speaker 3: that's right. Okay, So we're getting into November or it
Speaker 3: is November, and you have a big this is a
Speaker 3: big month, spay and new iter months. So let's talk
Speaker 3: about that because I know over the years, the numbers
Speaker 3: are just incredible to me that people still think and
Speaker 3: I guess it's because we should all think that our
Speaker 3: dogs and cats are the best and the cutest and
Speaker 3: the most adorable and let's make more. But more cats
Speaker 3: and dogs are not needed in the world, right, So
Speaker 3: what do you think it is about people not wanting
Speaker 3: to spay and neuter their dog? And I know you
Speaker 3: probably all have your own opinions, So let's like, what
Speaker 3: do you think it is, Kathy.
Speaker 6: I think it's a little bit of what you're saying
Speaker 6: that they are like, Oh, my dog is so cute.
Speaker 6: I would love to see what their puppies would look like,
Speaker 6: the kittens would look like, Oh, my neighbor has the
Speaker 6: female and I have the male, and or it could
Speaker 6: be a money producing greeds. Yeah, so it could be
Speaker 6: for so many reasons. Some people worry about the actual
Speaker 6: spain neuter is going to change the dog or cat's personality.
Speaker 3: Oh my god, I've heard that a million times and
Speaker 3: that's not true, not true at all.
Speaker 6: And I think that it's so layered for people. You know,
Speaker 6: I don't want to go there, but I think sometimes
Speaker 6: it could be a little bit of a male connection
Speaker 6: to a male.
Speaker 3: I've heard that too.
Speaker 6: Yes, Yeah, so there's a lot of things that I
Speaker 6: think make people.
Speaker 3: Some of it is cost. It's expensive sometimes, yeah.
Speaker 6: Definitely an investment. Sure, and people weigh it out and
Speaker 6: they say, well, my dog or cat's not going to
Speaker 6: be around another dog or cat. Why would I bother?
Speaker 3: Right, But then they don't.
Speaker 6: Think about the health concerns. Sure, they don't think about
Speaker 6: if their dog or cat gets.
Speaker 3: Out right, right, right? Sure?
Speaker 6: That so a lot of it is education and making
Speaker 6: people wear the importance of it.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 6: It's so multi layered, and in the end, your dog
Speaker 6: or cat is going to be better for it.
Speaker 3: Sure. And I mean I know sometimes and people have
Speaker 3: said it, and I'm sure all of you have heard
Speaker 3: it where people but I'll ask you, doctor Brett, that
Speaker 3: people say, oh, well, you know, it's not healthy for
Speaker 3: me to neuter my dog and it's going to cause
Speaker 3: cancer for him to not be neutered. But that's not true.
Speaker 5: The bottom line is early spaying or neutering can be
Speaker 5: huge not only hugely beneficial, but from a cost perspective,
Speaker 5: having to spay or neuter them when they're older, when
Speaker 5: they have when they've developed a problem, let's say a
Speaker 5: testicular tumor or a piometer which is an infected uterus.
Speaker 5: The cost, the costs sure way higher of course, plus
Speaker 5: the medical risk for that patient when they're young and
Speaker 5: they're healthy and it's an elective procedure in and out.
Speaker 3: Yes, they could.
Speaker 5: Be in the hospital for days and on multiple medications,
Speaker 5: and their their chance of not making it actually you know,
Speaker 5: increases as they get older, right.
Speaker 3: Right, Basically it's people need to spay and neuter. Like
Speaker 3: what other myths are there that we can tell people
Speaker 3: that's not true?
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I think maybe also another important
Speaker 1: thing to falsehoods is that you know, I think often
Speaker 1: I think right now, we have a lot of people
Speaker 1: who are interested in it. For us, we're interested in
Speaker 1: the procedure, and the problem is that it is too
Speaker 1: expensive for so like I do think, you know, the
Speaker 1: education is out there, and I think, but I think
Speaker 1: the problem is that we're telling everyone's spay neuter, but
Speaker 1: then we're not really giving them affordable option, right, yeah,
Speaker 1: and so you know, like you know, I think the
Speaker 1: average cost of a dog's bay might be eight to
Speaker 1: eight hundred to one thousand.
Speaker 3: Dollars, which is very expensive.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, because a lot of our clients make
Speaker 1: forty thousand dollars a year.
Speaker 3: Right, No, that's expensive, that's like their rent, that's you know,
Speaker 3: groceries and everything else. Yeah.
Speaker 1: So we at any given time probably have one hundred
Speaker 1: and fifty people on a waiting list to find a.
Speaker 3: Spot, right. That's a lot. Yeah, yeah, so, and.
Speaker 1: I think, I mean, I think it's great that the
Speaker 1: education has you know, and I think that's another thing
Speaker 1: that comes up at our clinics. And another reason we
Speaker 1: love doing that is that we give that people that
Speaker 1: personal interaction with their medical team m hm. And somebody
Speaker 1: who's maybe on the fence, right is going to leave
Speaker 1: that day, and sure they're going to be convinced that
Speaker 1: that's what they need to do.
Speaker 3: Sure, No, that makes sense.
Speaker 5: I'm always I'm always amazed when when a dog comes
Speaker 5: in for piometra, you know, the infected uterus. The clients
Speaker 5: will oftentimes ask could I prevented this?
Speaker 4: And you're like, yeah, I have to kind.
Speaker 5: Of bite my tongue like of course, but they just
Speaker 5: don't know you can prevent it by having them spade
Speaker 5: early on. Sure, so no uterus, no infection right right?
Speaker 3: Right? Yeah, I guess I don't know. I mean, you know,
Speaker 3: I always say and I know it's mean to say it,
Speaker 3: but that I think sometimes just like people, I think
Speaker 3: sometimes not everybody should be a parent, right, So I
Speaker 3: think people need to take a test, just a little
Speaker 3: test to see if you are okay to But I
Speaker 3: feel the same way about having a cat or a
Speaker 3: dog because I think something like that, Yes, you could
Speaker 3: have prevented it if you did something that was so simple.
Speaker 3: And I know many you know, there's you can find
Speaker 3: low cost spaying and neutering. So I don't know, not
Speaker 3: that people should take a test or have a light.
Speaker 3: I mean, you can get a dog license or but
Speaker 3: I think sometimes you might need to take a test.
Speaker 3: But that's just me. I know it's a little extreme,
Speaker 3: but no, I would.
Speaker 1: Agree with that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you, thank you, Kathy, thank you. Don't you think? Yes,
Speaker 3: I mean I see people do stuff on the street
Speaker 3: with their dogs and I'm like, oh my, I'm not
Speaker 3: going to say anything because just because but the people
Speaker 3: are just really stupid, and I think, you know, I
Speaker 3: hope you never reproduce because you know you're not handling
Speaker 3: that dog very well a human or correct correct. So
Speaker 3: tell me what is positive tails doing for spee and
Speaker 3: neuter month?
Speaker 1: I don't even know if November is spay or newt
Speaker 1: or not. But we're making it.
Speaker 3: Yes you are, yes, yes, well that's what I meant
Speaker 3: for you. No, I don't know if it is either. No,
Speaker 3: it's you. Yes, no, you are starting it.
Speaker 1: Yes, we are doing a spae and neuterrathon. And I
Speaker 1: I think we came upon the idea of just because
Speaker 1: of you hear about all the adoptathons, and sure, amazing
Speaker 1: that is when you hear those numbers. Yeah, but then
Speaker 1: of course there's still going to always be in plenty
Speaker 1: of animals to adopt. But let's get to the heart
Speaker 1: of the issue, right and make less cats and dogs
Speaker 1: that do need homes.
Speaker 3: Correct.
Speaker 1: And so what we're doing is we are partnering with
Speaker 1: at this point, we probably have about thirty clinics in
Speaker 1: the city. That's awesome, donating forty of those procedures.
Speaker 3: That's very nice record. Wow, that's nice.
Speaker 1: So what we're partingering with all these private clinics who
Speaker 1: aren't giving us spots so either for free are extremely
Speaker 1: low costs.
Speaker 3: Right, so, which is very important. Yeah, I mean that's all.
Speaker 1: Over the city, So based on where people are located,
Speaker 1: we're something them to different spots, and original goal is
Speaker 1: to do one hundred, but now we're going to do
Speaker 1: We're off to like well over two hundred's point.
Speaker 3: That's awesome.
Speaker 1: So and hopefully maybe we'll make it to three.
Speaker 3: That's great. So, Now, if someone who's listening and who's
Speaker 3: in the area, can they see like where the clinics
Speaker 3: are by going to positive tails dot org or they
Speaker 3: would contact us or just contact you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we would, and we have an application where Okay,
Speaker 1: because we are targeting people who financially need.
Speaker 3: Us, how would they contact you or get in touch?
Speaker 1: Yeah, they mean they could get in touch on our
Speaker 1: website or and there will be our email and our
Speaker 1: phone number, and okay, send them our application which takes
Speaker 1: about three minutes to fill out.
Speaker 3: Oh, that's great, okay, and that's a positive tails dot
Speaker 3: org correct, Yes, okay. So the other part about spaying
Speaker 3: and neutering that we didn't really touch on, and I
Speaker 3: think a lot of people don't think about it, is
Speaker 3: the fact that dogs and cats get euthanized. Right, So
Speaker 3: let's you know, let's talk a little bit not about
Speaker 3: the horrors of it, but the fact that it is
Speaker 3: a fact, and people, I think don't think about.
Speaker 4: It, well I don't. I think they don't want to.
Speaker 3: They don't want to.
Speaker 4: They want to.
Speaker 5: See the cute puppies and cute kittens or even the
Speaker 5: adult dogs and cats, but they don't want to think
Speaker 5: about the fact that if they go buy a dog
Speaker 5: right instead of going to the local shelter rescue group,
Speaker 5: there's there are finite resources currently, especially in New York City,
Speaker 5: and resources finite space. So the older or maybe the
Speaker 5: ones with the chronic illnesses that could otherwise be managed. Sure,
Speaker 5: they're being put to sleep, and you know, we use
Speaker 5: terms like put to sleep because it makes people feel better, but.
Speaker 3: They're killed, correct, which is sad terrible? Yeah, no, it's
Speaker 3: very sad. And I think people don't think about that.
Speaker 3: And I think people think, oh, well, we can just
Speaker 3: drop it off at you know, a shelter or rescue,
Speaker 3: and many of them won't take it. Like I know
Speaker 3: that happens at springtime when all the cats and all
Speaker 3: the kiddies are being born and people what do I
Speaker 3: do with them? Well, why didn't you know, why didn't
Speaker 3: you spay your kid your cat?
Speaker 4: Right?
Speaker 5: Or the holidays where it's a great idea to open
Speaker 5: up a gift and it's a living creature. Worse thing,
Speaker 5: it's a dog or a cat that needs to be
Speaker 5: cared for. And then you know they lose interests after
Speaker 5: the holidays. Well we'll just bring to the shelter, and
Speaker 5: they just tell themselves that the dog or cat will
Speaker 5: be adopted.
Speaker 4: And that's not always the case.
Speaker 3: It's not always the case. It's not always the case.
Speaker 3: And I know in the sense in the fact with
Speaker 3: the city shelters, like I know people who don't realize
Speaker 3: that they don't have a choice because they're city shelters.
Speaker 3: And it's like that around the country. A city shelter
Speaker 3: has to take the cats and dogs even if they
Speaker 3: don't have the room, So how are they going to
Speaker 3: make room? They have to euthanize, And people don't think
Speaker 3: about that, want to think about it, but it's really
Speaker 3: the cold, hard truth. So you know, if there's no
Speaker 3: other reason to spaye anew to your dog or cat,
Speaker 3: that really is the reason, correct, you know, and you're
Speaker 3: very right you should just go to shelter because I
Speaker 3: don't understand and I think it's getting better, but I
Speaker 3: think and I want you guys to talk to me
Speaker 3: about about your feelings on this that people still because
Speaker 3: I've heard it from people who might say it to
Speaker 3: me that well, if you go to a shelter, you know,
Speaker 3: I don't really want to damaged dog a cat, Like
Speaker 3: I know you shook your head. Yeah, but you've heard it, right,
Speaker 3: We've all heard it. Do you feel like it's gotten
Speaker 3: a little bit better?
Speaker 1: I mean I do think, you know. I mean, I
Speaker 1: think the awareness has really increased. I mean, especially for cats,
Speaker 1: maybe more than dogs. I feel like sometimes people have
Speaker 1: this notion of like a kid a dog that they
Speaker 1: had as a children as a child, and the Dailey
Speaker 1: one again. But I definitely think the word is getting
Speaker 1: out there. But you know, also the pet stores, unfortunately
Speaker 1: make it really easy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and so like the worst like we just had.
Speaker 1: We just met somebody recently. He was fourteen years old
Speaker 1: and just went to a pet store near his house
Speaker 1: and just bought a dog. And then he's obviously he
Speaker 1: ran into us one of our mobile vans somewhere and
Speaker 1: was begging us for help because his parents didn't want
Speaker 1: the dog, and they said, if you could figure everything out,
Speaker 1: But how did that pet store sell a fourteen Yeah exactly?
Speaker 3: How did that happen.
Speaker 4: He had money.
Speaker 3: He had money, right exactly, And that's a sad part
Speaker 3: of it. Yeah, yeah, he had money.
Speaker 4: Business.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's terrible.
Speaker 6: But there are also people breeding in their homes.
Speaker 3: There are people.
Speaker 6: Breeding in their homes and you know that same factor.
Speaker 3: They may not have a criteria.
Speaker 6: So someone comes in and they have the cash, so
Speaker 6: they'll sell them a puppy. Sure, and who knows it's
Speaker 6: so layered if to walk into a shelter is not
Speaker 6: necessarily all you know cuteness, right, roses right, you know
Speaker 6: it's not the puppy just up a little.
Speaker 3: Bow, right, like it is online. Right, and people are like, oh, yeah,
Speaker 3: which is fake anyway?
Speaker 6: Interact with the dog or cat, sure, to the extent
Speaker 6: to get to know this animal who's probably freaked out
Speaker 6: anyway in a cage. But there is, like Eric is saying,
Speaker 6: there is more awareness.
Speaker 3: A lot of.
Speaker 6: Rescue groups go to these shelters, these kill shelters, and they.
Speaker 3: Pull and they pull them out exactly as.
Speaker 6: Many cats as they can to their capacity, but their
Speaker 6: organizations can't afford what they take on either. Sure, and
Speaker 6: we've helped them also with spe and neuter because it's
Speaker 6: this whole cycle of how do you stop the madness?
Speaker 6: I think the spae nooter thing.
Speaker 3: Is how Yeah, I think so aareness of.
Speaker 6: You know, the shelters bringing out dogs and cats to
Speaker 6: show people they're not damaged. They just didn't get a chance, right,
Speaker 6: And maybe their chances were many because they were adopted
Speaker 6: by the same type of person that didn't have the commitment.
Speaker 4: Sure.
Speaker 6: Sure, and it just keeps getting worse. It's like the
Speaker 6: child in foster care right now. It doesn't mean the
Speaker 6: child is bad, right, It.
Speaker 3: Just it could just be bad circumstances that happened to
Speaker 3: the child. Yeah. And it's the same thing with the animals.
Speaker 6: Yeah, which is why this is so important. And the
Speaker 6: awareness of spe nooter being like just kind of a
Speaker 6: household term. If we can really promote that more and more,
Speaker 6: how great would that be a regular event and people
Speaker 6: start to maybe become accountable. Maybe veterinarians will be accountable
Speaker 6: for how much they can price gouge people for spe
Speaker 6: and neuter, Like, there's so many things that could come
Speaker 6: from this.
Speaker 3: Sure, sure, it's good.
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, definitely, I think just from a veterinary perspective,
Speaker 2: then a business owner, Yes, veterinary hospitals are businesses.
Speaker 4: Sure that doesn't make them evil or bad.
Speaker 3: No, no, no, it's a business like everything else.
Speaker 5: Yeah, you have to give back, You absolutely have to
Speaker 5: give back. And if if it were somehow required to
Speaker 5: get a license in New York City to practice a
Speaker 5: veterinary medicine that you have to do one day doing
Speaker 5: space and neuters per year, we would we would empty
Speaker 5: the sheltered, we would we would have no problems doing
Speaker 5: all of these low cost space of neuters.
Speaker 4: And that that would what would it be for.
Speaker 3: One, right, that's very interesting for like for all the
Speaker 3: animal hospitals say in the in the metropolitan area right
Speaker 3: to do that.
Speaker 5: Whereas now you have instead of everyone doing a little,
Speaker 5: you have a smaller amount of people doing a lot,
Speaker 5: and that caused them to become overwhelmed.
Speaker 3: Sure, how could we get that started? That's very interesting
Speaker 3: you say that like I mean that, not that it's
Speaker 3: a requirement, but maybe to make it like a requirement that.
Speaker 5: I'll tell you this, this whole spaeterrath On is Erica's brainchild.
Speaker 5: It really has been wonderful kind of just riding in
Speaker 5: the wake and helping whoever I can. But this, if
Speaker 5: we had her contact every animal clinic in the New York.
Speaker 3: City area, everybody would be doing it.
Speaker 5: Or maybe go to our city association and say it
Speaker 5: needs to be mandatory.
Speaker 4: Ultimately, they can't say no to.
Speaker 3: Her, right, has that charm? Right? No, you're not annoying?
Speaker 3: They go, okay, we'll do it. No, it's true.
Speaker 1: No, I mean, I do you know, from what Brett's saying,
Speaker 1: I like, I do wish this city was paying a
Speaker 1: little more attention to it, you know, Yeah, I don't,
Speaker 1: you know, because of Vendarians. A lot of them are
Speaker 1: small businesses, so I necessarily think it should be on them,
Speaker 1: of course, but of course, you know, but I think,
Speaker 1: like our city, as amazing as it is, and I
Speaker 1: think we have really high padwing population. I think fifty
Speaker 1: percent of households in New York City own pets, right.
Speaker 1: I think we spend of all the major cities, spend
Speaker 1: the least money per like the city spends the least
Speaker 1: money per animal.
Speaker 3: Interesting, yeah, and so like.
Speaker 1: What would it, Yeah, like what if this city made
Speaker 1: deals with these clinics for like a certain stipend or
Speaker 1: something like that to like get people in. Because what
Speaker 1: I found when I contacted these clinics. I thought it
Speaker 1: was going to be a really hard part to miss them.
Speaker 1: But the ones who said yes not only said yes,
Speaker 1: they were so excited to say yes. Oh wow, just
Speaker 1: and I was just so you know, I couldn't believe.
Speaker 3: It, right, You were probably surprised by the reaction, like yeah, yeah, yeah,
Speaker 3: like well we would but right, right, So are there
Speaker 3: any do you know if there are any other cities
Speaker 3: like around the country that have that that they it's
Speaker 3: not like an enforcement, but maybe like a requirement.
Speaker 5: I mean, I don't know, I have not heard of that, No, neither,
Speaker 5: just something I always wondered if.
Speaker 3: Right, if Eric is doing it right?
Speaker 1: Right?
Speaker 3: And yeah, I'm just going to be the mayor.
Speaker 1: I'm a single issue mayor.
Speaker 3: Right, I think I think we can make you mayor
Speaker 3: and then in a few years are going to make
Speaker 3: you president and then you can get it in every
Speaker 3: city around the country will be your staff. All right, Well,
Speaker 3: that's I think it's very good. Well I'm excited for
Speaker 3: Spain neuter month. Yes, and and what's coming calling it?
Speaker 1: We're calling it New York City's Fix.
Speaker 3: Oh, I love it. That's very clever. Did you come
Speaker 3: up with that? I mean, maybe I think you did,
Speaker 3: think you did? Yeah, yeah, Okay, come up with the
Speaker 3: clever clever Okay, and then I know in December you
Speaker 3: have a fundraiser happening. Yes, so let's tell me all
Speaker 3: about that.
Speaker 6: Well, they're so exciting. How many fundraisers have we had
Speaker 6: so far?
Speaker 1: You know, they've we've probably, I mean, honestly, they're since
Speaker 1: they are the hardest thing of all the things we do.
Speaker 3: Of course, it's a lot of planning, and it's a lot. Yes,
Speaker 3: it's a once a year, it's a lot. Okay. So
Speaker 3: do you have the date for this one? It is
Speaker 3: December fifteenth, Okay, Sunday, it's a Sunday. And what's the time,
Speaker 3: six o'clock? And where is it?
Speaker 1: It's at Little Field.
Speaker 3: Okay, in Brooklyn. Okay, Guanis uh huh. Ganis is the
Speaker 3: hot neighborhood now Brooklyn. Look at that right around the
Speaker 3: black front. Oh, look at that. Okay, we're cool. You
Speaker 3: are cool. You are cool. That's why Gowanas is cool
Speaker 3: because that's.
Speaker 4: Where ViRGE is.
Speaker 3: So okay, So tell me about the fundraiser.
Speaker 1: So it's a little both, you know, it's to celebrate
Speaker 1: what we hope will be a really exciting. It's going
Speaker 1: to be posts Spain uonrath On, So we're going to celebrate,
Speaker 1: celebrate that. We're going to obviously inviting everyone who participated
Speaker 1: in it just to celebrate that. And of course we're
Speaker 1: always trying to make the next funds because Spain uterrath
Speaker 1: On twenty twenty five is only eleven months.
Speaker 3: Later, right, okay, okay, So and it's open to the public.
Speaker 3: It's open to public.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 1: We will be selling tickets on our website.
Speaker 3: And so when people are listening to this, they can
Speaker 3: get tickets at Positive Tales dot org.
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, probably find out more details on our social media.
Speaker 3: You're on Instagram, okay, So we update the most.
Speaker 4: And we do welcome corporate sponsorships. Oh good, kind of mine.
Speaker 3: That's a very good segue.
Speaker 5: We have partners at verg that that are very supportive
Speaker 5: of Positive Tales over the years, but we're always looking
Speaker 5: for other corporate sponsors and they can absolutely reach out
Speaker 5: to us, and especially if you're local in the neighborhood.
Speaker 5: We've had TD Bank, we have our lab antech or
Speaker 5: even our crematory. M scared of that final sure peaceful
Speaker 5: transition of our of our pets.
Speaker 4: They contribute.
Speaker 5: But but if you're in the neighborhood, who loves to
Speaker 5: see that you're supporting local issues?
Speaker 3: Yeah and pete Yeah yeah, local, that's big. That's very big. Well,
Speaker 3: our city could agree.
Speaker 1: One thing we probably all could agree on is well
Speaker 1: most of us that cats and dogs are very important.
Speaker 3: They are very important. A lot of people they are,
Speaker 3: weren't they just talking with the city is going to
Speaker 3: pass a thing that you can take a sick day
Speaker 3: for your pet, for your pet if you're pet sick. Yes,
Speaker 3: that's great. I think it's great.
Speaker 6: Yeah, that's very good.
Speaker 3: I mean, I like yours if your pet's ill, Like
Speaker 3: if your dog is sick, you take a sick day
Speaker 3: from work, but it doesn't get it's like it's an
Speaker 3: allowed pet sick day as opposed to your personal day.
Speaker 4: That's great.
Speaker 5: I just want to tell all the vergu employees, you
Speaker 5: work at an animal hospital, so you don't get off.
Speaker 4: You can just bring your pet to work.
Speaker 3: To clarify, I knew he was going to say that.
Speaker 3: I just had a feeling that's great. Well, I guess
Speaker 3: it would make sense if you work an animal hospital
Speaker 3: and you're a vent or venech go off with.
Speaker 1: Apartment.
Speaker 3: You bring your sick pet to work, but you can't
Speaker 3: take off that. That's great, that's great. All right, So
Speaker 3: let's start with Kathy. Any closing comment or remark for
Speaker 3: someone who's listening right now about anything your dog and cat? Okay,
Speaker 3: very good. I knew Positive Tails Okay, that's perfect. Oh yes,
Speaker 3: that's a big thing. By the way, I'm sorry to
Speaker 3: interrupt you. So yeah, so you do obviously, you guys
Speaker 3: run everything on donations. So yeah, so if someone's listening
Speaker 3: right now and they have an extra few bucks, they
Speaker 3: can make a donation at positive tails dot org.
Speaker 6: Correct correct, okay, and think about adopting.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, adopt, don't shop.
Speaker 6: The shelters in the organizations are overflowing, yes, and need support.
Speaker 6: And if you can't adopt, you can volunteer. You can
Speaker 6: foster m hmm, you can donate. There's so many things
Speaker 6: to do to support sed animals in inco city or
Speaker 6: in your local city wherever.
Speaker 3: Okay, Erica, you.
Speaker 1: Know, my advice would be, you know, like maybe you
Speaker 1: to talk to your neighbors and if you think of that,
Speaker 1: somebody's relinquishing an animal and you think you could help them,
Speaker 1: figure out a way judgment free, like maybe they maybe
Speaker 1: they were linguishing their cat because their cat is spraying, right,
Speaker 1: why don't you try to help them find instead of
Speaker 1: being upset with them, why don't you try to find
Speaker 1: help the solution, Yeah, a new door appointment or something
Speaker 1: like that, or teach them about organizations like ours, because
Speaker 1: there are there are a lot of organizations doing this
Speaker 1: work right, and there are there are resources if you
Speaker 1: educate people on.
Speaker 3: Them right to make other alternatives to giving your animal away. Yeah,
Speaker 3: and doctor.
Speaker 5: Brett for me, really, it's just a big thank you
Speaker 5: to everyone who's ever donated the Positive Tales, whether it's
Speaker 5: financially or donated their time or services. You know, one
Speaker 5: of our one of our missions is to help families
Speaker 5: with pets with emergency is that have a good prognosis
Speaker 5: that they couldn't otherwise afford care. As an emergency doctor,
Speaker 5: I speak for myself and for my emergency team, there's
Speaker 5: nothing more heartbreaking than a pet coming in. You know,
Speaker 5: you can help them, and were it not for Positive Tales,
Speaker 5: we would have to put them to sleep, sure, and
Speaker 5: that takes a toll on the family. Obviously, the pet
Speaker 5: has to be put to sleep, and then for the veterinarians,
Speaker 5: it's it's devastating.
Speaker 3: Of course it is.
Speaker 4: You know, we care about all of the all of
Speaker 4: your pets.
Speaker 5: So just a really big thank you. All of the
Speaker 5: previous donors have just allowed us to do so much
Speaker 5: for for helping these pets that we know we can help,
Speaker 5: right and they've allowed us to do that.
Speaker 3: Okay, Well, thank you all for being here and coming.
Speaker 3: So doctor Brett Levitsky, Erica Kuberski, and Kathy Golotti, you
Speaker 3: will come back again. We're not going to wait six years, right, Okay,
Speaker 3: thank you for being here in the studio and talking
Speaker 3: and taking the time. Thank you, thank you. Good luck
Speaker 3: with your spae Nooter month. What New York City fix?
Speaker 3: You said? Fix at New York City? What did you say?
Speaker 6: It was?
Speaker 4: The fix in?
Speaker 3: The fix is in? Well, that's it's good. What coming up?
Speaker 3: One slogans, so yes, tell me what you think? Okay,
Speaker 3: and positive tales, Yes, that would be a great idea
Speaker 3: and we can sell those oh good, good good good good.
Speaker 3: And so listeners can also go to your Instagram to
Speaker 3: see if you have those bandanas when you decide yes,
Speaker 3: but they can go to Positive tales dot org to
Speaker 3: get more information and to if they want to donate,
Speaker 3: if they want to volunteer, or if they want to
Speaker 3: come to the fundraiser on December fifteenth. Yes, so good
Speaker 3: luck with that. Yes you can. I'm going to try
Speaker 3: to come. I will, okay, thank you so much, thank you,
Speaker 3: thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 6: Maria U