June 16, 2025 • 20 mins
Maria chats with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats and Flatbush Veterinary Clinic in Brooklyn NY. Flatbush Cats focuses on solving the problem of cat overpopulation. Will has innovative ideas and solutions that will hopefully expand to all five boroughs in NYC and then be a model for other communities around the country.
Learn more at flatbushcats.org.
Learn more at flatbushcats.org.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Maria's MutS and Stuff, and with me is
the founder of Flatbush Cats and Flatbush Veterinary Clinic in Brooklyn,
New York. It is Will Zweigert. So will thank you
for taking some time out. I know you're busy, you
got a lot going on, but I wanted to talk
to you about Flatbush Cats and all that you do.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thank you so much, Maria, glad to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, so tell me what made you decide, like how
long has Flatbush Cats been around and what made you
decide to start up?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, it was kind of pulled into this after running
into a lot of cats in central Brooklyn. My partner
and I had lived in different parts of New York,
in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and it wasn't until we moved
to central Brooklyn start to see colonies of cats kittens
outside and this was totally new to me, life long
(01:01):
cat lover, long time New Yorker, and I guess I
just didn't realize that there was such a huge problem,
particularly in the outer boroughs. Sure, and so it was
really the cats themselves in our immediate area that kind
of pulled me in. And as soon as we got
started rescuing, we learned about trap need to return and
just started trying to work our way through things right right, And.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I mean when you said about all the cats, these
are all pretty much feral cats.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
There are a bunch of feral cats outside. There are
also a bunch of friendly cats who lived indoors at
some point, And so we can also use the term
community cats, which can encompass both. So, because oftentimes we're
doing a trap need to return project, we may bring
ten cats in, we're actually finding that three or four
(01:49):
of them are friendly. They've just been outside for a
little while and needs time to decompress.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Sure, no, that makes sense, And I mean, I mean,
I guess is it common sense? Or like why do
you like do you feel like the problem has increased
over the years because people are in Spain and neutering
their cats, like or what do you think is really
the bottom line problem of why it's you know, grow
it's grown so much, the population has grown so much.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I think one of the biggest issues is that many
New Yorkers are not even aware this is a problem.
Don't we don't see it? We don't know about it,
we don't hear about it, and so there's sort of
a problem blindness around this issue at all unless you're
exposed to it directly. So I would say that's that's
one issue. The other macro trend that we're seeing is
(02:38):
that veterinary costs, the cost of carrying for pet have
increased well over three hundred percent over the last few decades.
The New York Times had a study that showed far
beyond inflation, veterinary costs are are rising quickly. So many
New Yorkers, like many Americans sure, are now shogging to
(02:58):
cover basic costs and wondering how they're going to feed
themselves and their pets, let alone cover you know that
that built, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Which I think is a reason why to a lot
of you know, dogs and cats are winding up in
shelters more so than before because people, like you said,
they're not even sure they can feed themselves or keep
a roof over their heads. And I think that that
I mean, I think it's it's a problem all around,
as you said, throughout the country as well as as here.
(03:30):
We'll tell let's talk about for you, what's a day
in like in your life, like how does your day
start with Flatbush Cats and and how does it end
or does it ever end? Like do you get any sleep?
Because I have a feeling that you don't get a
lot of sleep. But let's talk about a day in
the life of you will.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah. So it is true that the majority of rescues
and I would say almost all T and R volunteers
are volunteers. That's why you that term, and so it
is often the second job. And for the first several
years I was working in corporate advertising. I would, you know,
take the Q train from Flatbush to Midtown and I
(04:12):
was just doing my regular work from nine to six
or seven at an agency and then I would come
home and do all the volunteer work. So that was
my life for several years. My life now is different
because this is a long term challenge and so it's
really important that we prioritize sustainability and a balance. And
(04:36):
so as the executive director of Flatbush Cats, I need
to set the tone for how we work as a
team and how we show up for each other, and
so we actually set really strong boundaries for each other.
Part of the reason why this organization has grown and
has several hundred active volunteers out right now is this
is really hard, isolating work to do by yourself, right,
(04:59):
So we don't we don't want to be martyrs. We
don't want to be burning ourselves out, burning the candle
at both ends. We've tried to build team based approaches
because anyone out there who's rescued a cat or foster
to cat knows it's a lot of work to do
by yourself. Sure, And so my day to day is
really now as a leader about team support. My last
(05:21):
discussion was just looking at one of our teams and
making sure that everyone has the resources that they need
to succeed, because this is a long term effort and
you can go really hard by yourself rescuing cats, but
it's going to take a big team, moving slowly and
thoughtfully to solve this at a systemic level.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Right right. And those resources, like, what are they that
a team would need?
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Well, I think we I mean your greatest resources time, right, Yeah,
So having clarity around one of the questions that we
ask our donors and we ask our team members is
the same what kind of impact do you want to have?
And so we start with that. The biggest impact we
want to have is we want to address why there
(06:06):
are so many casts outside suffering. Because we're in the
middle of kitten season right now rescues where we brought
in a litter of nine kittens, all each one with
its own medical issues, some of them had to go
to the er. So we have to really look up
stream and say, assume that there's almost an endless supply
(06:27):
of casts needing help, more than you can possibly get to.
So the kind of impact we want to have is
we want to prevent those casts from ever needing help
in the future, and that starts with providing our neighbors,
New Yorkers and pet owners with access to affordable veterinary care,
which is why a little bit less than two years ago,
(06:50):
we launched our first nonprofit veterinary clinic in Flatbush. It's
called Flatbush Veterinary Clinic. And the reason why we did
that is because Spain neoter is under prevention. The best
way that we can prevent thousands of casts from needing
help outside has been sure New Yorkers have access to
span and or surgeries.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Okay, so and let's talk about the Flatbush Veterinary Clinic
because that seems to be the answer that we need
all over the country in small towns, big towns, cities,
because basically, you know, people can't afford to get their
pets spade and neutered. So let's talk a little bit
(07:29):
about that, because I feel like you have a plan
or have had a master plan that you're working on
and currently doing. So let's talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah, and a lot of this comes from my experience
directly as a rescuer, because you know, I've been I've
been through burnout many times. I've been through that feeling
of frustration like no matter what you do, it's not enough, right,
And so we really had to take a step back
and say how we're going to get in front of this.
And so I spent years learning from other folks, talking
(08:02):
to folks around the country, just trying to understand what
could we do at a city level that would actually
reduce the number of cats and dogs showing up at shelters,
because our partners at the shelter are given an impossible task.
If you show up every Monday and there are several
hundred animals waiting for you to place them somewhere, and
(08:24):
there's nowhere for you to place them, then we as
a city have set you up to fail.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So Flatbush VET was designed as an upstream model as
a solution to over crowded shelters here in New York,
and it is a scalable model. To your point, this
is something that nonprofits and city leaders can bring to
their town, can bring to their county or city, because
everyone does need affordable ventery care. Over half of all
(08:51):
Americans right now can't afford a spade utter surgery. And
so we know this. We know the data that shows
two thirds of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. So
it's no surprise that affordability is both the number one
reason why people surrender pets and also the number one
reason why people say they can no longer afford to adopt.
(09:11):
It's so heartbreaking and you think about your pets, right,
and I have people come up to me and say, hey,
my pets are my life, but when they pass, I'm
not going to be able to adopt again. I've heard
that heartbreaking that is it is.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, I've heard the same exact thing, because people are
just I can't do it, and it's really sad. It's
very sad. I mean, it's sad for us as humans
because I feel, you know, we're the human pet bond
is just so incredible, and it's important for us to
have pets in our lives, just as important it is
for us to be in their lives. And the fact
(09:49):
that so many people are not going to do it
moving forward, you know, that's not good. It's not good
either way.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Yeah, you know, yeah, you're right. And the good news
is I look at this as a solvable problem. I mean,
the human healthcare system is a total mass it's it's
pretty much, you know, it's not working for most Americans.
It's not giving us the outcomes that we want. The
good news is that the veterinary care system is not
currently dependent on the same insurance model, and so as
(10:19):
a nonprofit vet clinic, our goal is to make these
services affordable. They don't need to be they don't need
to be free. People just need a fair shot, They
just need a chance to be able to provide for
their pets. And the city does play a role in this.
So the majority of our support and the reason why
flablished Veterinary Clinic exists is because animal loving supporters from
(10:40):
around the country, not just New York. That I need
to see this happen because I want to see it
happen somewhere, and if we can make it happen in
New York, you know, the same anywhere. Yeah. So this
is really something that animal lovers can can fund here
in New York and in their towns. And then we
also need to get the city involved because our message
(11:02):
to City Council, and we've recently testified at the latest
budget hearings, is that this is actually a cost saving
measure for the city. So when we talk to City
council members, we say, look, I don't it doesn't matter
whether you're an animal lover or not. This is just
common sense. If we can provide more New Yorkers, the
Spain and Ent appointments are going to be spending a
lot less money sheltering animals.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Right, yeah, yeah, And I'm sure that was met with
agreeable you know, city council people agreeing with that because
it's logical.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah. Start, I start every conversation by saying, the number
one issue for New Yorkers is affordability, So let's talk
about it, and we're bringing a solution here. It's not
every day that you could introduce something like a new
budget measure. There's a one point five million dollars Spade
neuter budget measure in this upcoming budget. It's not every
day you can introduce something that actually makes life better
(11:56):
for your constituents and helps the bottom line because you're
saving about seventy five percent her animal if you just
give them the services that they need so they can
stay with their family instead of having to pay to
shelter them.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Sure, no, I mean that makes it's it's almost it
makes so much sense that people don't get it. If
that makes sense, you know what I mean? Like, sometimes
things are so filled with common sense and what you
scratch your head like, wait, why it hasn't this happened before?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, So let's I've heard you use the word you've
said upstream a couple of times. Talk to me about that.
I know that's you use that as opposed to downstream.
Explain I like it, but explain upstream to my listeners.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Yeah. The premise is that it was actually an analogy
based on having to pull people out of a river
where you're trying to you're trying to go in and
save someone's life by pulling them out of the river,
and it's kind of an old folk tale and someone says, well,
I'm going to go upstream and figure out why they
keep falling in right, And so the premise behind upstream
(13:06):
is that the best time to solve a problem is
before it happens, correct.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Actually, So
what do you see in I want to say, not
the near future, but what do you see five years
from now for you with flat bush cats? For the
pet uh you know, I want to I don't want
to call it industry because that sounds like I'm not
talking about you know, food and toys, but for the
(13:33):
pet population. What do you think, like, what's your gut
down the road and maybe not even five years you know,
down in the future.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yeah, how did it? Yeah, we're looking. Yeah, that's a
great question. We're looking five to ten years out right
now because a lot of these problems are very large
and you don't solve complex problems quickly. I think the
biggest win for us, and I say us, I mean
animal lovers around the trade, around the world. The biggest
(14:01):
win for us would be a mindset shift. There's a
lot of individualism, there's a lot of blame and judgment
around if someone needs to surrender their pet due to
life circumstances. We've always been told don't adopt a pet
if you can't afford to care for it. I would
(14:23):
like to see and we're going to be working on
a collective mindset shifts so that we can start taking
better care of each other. When we do that, we
can take better care of ourselves and our pets. Because
when you actually meet someone and talk to them about
their pet, you see that they're the light of their world.
You realize we actually, we all believe that pets are family.
(14:43):
And that mindset shift is so important because this is
not something that we're going to be able to solve
through an individual lens. We need to think about our
collective responsibility to care for each other, and we need
to imagine a world where we're able to provide basics
for each other and then actually expect those services to
be provided by our local government. Because right now in
(15:06):
New York City, most New Yorkers are not aware of
this problem. They're not aware of a solution. And when
I say solution, I mean affordable community clinics around in
every borough, and so they're not asking, they're not asking
for it. They're not asking city council members to fund
these types of initiatives. So when I say mindset shift
is because a lot of this work has to start
(15:27):
with us. What we believe is possible and what we're
willing to work for makes sense.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So let me ask you this, did you ever do
you ever think about getting involved in politics locally?
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I am involved in politics. I am working to increase
city funding for spade hooter and affordable veterinary care, and
all New Yorkers have the ability to know the love
and joy and companionship that our pets provide, and we
are going to be increasing our efforts in this area.
I can tell you, I tell you what's on my agenda.
(16:01):
If you'd like to hear it, I would love to
hear it. Yes, Okay, So right now, New York City
is spending about forty one million dollars on sheltering animals,
which is a necessary function, that is a necessary thing
the city should do. But they're spending zero dollars maria
on spade inner services, and so we need that number
(16:21):
to increase dramatically. New York City should be a leader
in this and that would mean spending significantly more per
capita on animal welfare services, which right now is less
than zero point zero two five percent of the city budget.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That's embarrassing.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
You need to get real. It is embarrassing.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It'ssing.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
We need to get real. Yeah, let's get real about
what it's actually going to cost to take this problem seriously.
And let's let's give our politicians credit for being able
to walk and show them at the same time, we're
able to have parks and subways and mass transit and
affordable housing. We're able to push for multiple things at
(17:02):
once and as long as our tax dollars are used effectively.
The other thing I would like to see is the
creation of a Department of Animal Welfare. And this may
look different in different cities and counties around the country,
but New York City is large enough that it needs
a standalone, funded department that is baselined in the budget.
(17:23):
It's not the whim of a new mayor. And we
have meaningful resources and support, not just for shelters and
not just for affordable veteran care, but for the thousands
of T and R and rescue volunteers who are out
there doing the city's job for free, with out the
resources that they need to do the job, and we're
not going to be able to accomplish that through the
(17:45):
Department of Health as things are standing now. The last
thing I would like to see on our agenda is
we need legislation and funding that mandates the creation of
nonprofit veteran clinics in every borough period.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yes, you're absolutely right, and you know you said it
because I was gonna say, I just find it ridiculous,
and I don't. I'm not sure if it's like that
in other cities around the country, but the fact that
animal welfare is part of the Department of Health, it
just yeah, it just kind of it just doesn't make
sense to me. It never made sense over the years,
(18:20):
and the fact that it's still continuing the same way
it doesn't make sense. And I'm and I actually you
probably might know more than me. Is it like that
in other cities around the country.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Generally yes, And that's because we haven't meaningfully updated animal
welfare legislation and policy in decades, decades, like the role
that animals play in our lives now. When these departments
were created, the job was to was to protect people
from animals, right and now now that they're part of
our families and they're sleeping in our beds. Yeah, we
(18:52):
need to be resourcing these much more meaningfully. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
I feel like it's from like hundreds of years ago,
you know, like let's update it a little bit too.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So we have to That starts with
us though, right, we can't criticize We can't criticize our
elected officials for not passing legislation that no one asks for.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Well, that's true.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
So the first step starts with us. We need a
vision what's possible, and then we need to go ask
for it. And I believe that our pets deserve nothing less.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I agree with you. I agree. So will for someone
who's listening right now and they want to do something
and they want to help you do survive on donations. Correct,
you know you're a nonprofit, So they could go to
flatbushcats dot org to help out.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Absolutely. Our greatest need is financial support, and we are
our vessel for the supporters out there who want to
see meaningful and structural change. We will deliver it, and
we love folks to join us as a monthly supporter.
They could visit flatbushcats dot org slash donate to make
a one time or recurring donation and they can keep
up with all of our rescue stories and updates on Facebook, Instagram,
(19:58):
on YouTube wherever you you like your videos.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Well will thank you for all that you do. Keep
fighting the good fight. And I you know when I
asked you about getting into politics and you said you are,
but I would really like to see you in an
elected position because I think you just have the drive
and the knowledge and the passion to do that. So
if you ever decide to take that road.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Something, I really I appreciate that. And we'll keep pushing
from wherever we can. And thank everyone listening for joining
us on this mission.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Absolutely well, thank you again and thanks for all you do.
We'll definitely talk again because I think we're going to
have a lot more news too as time goes on.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Let's make some news, yeah,
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Maria's MutS and Stuff, and with me is
the founder of Flatbush Cats and Flatbush Veterinary Clinic in Brooklyn,
New York. It is Will Zweigert. So will thank you
for taking some time out. I know you're busy, you
got a lot going on, but I wanted to talk
to you about Flatbush Cats and all that you do.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thank you so much, Maria, glad to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, so tell me what made you decide, like how
long has Flatbush Cats been around and what made you
decide to start up?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, it was kind of pulled into this after running
into a lot of cats in central Brooklyn. My partner
and I had lived in different parts of New York,
in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and it wasn't until we moved
to central Brooklyn start to see colonies of cats kittens
outside and this was totally new to me, life long
(01:01):
cat lover, long time New Yorker, and I guess I
just didn't realize that there was such a huge problem,
particularly in the outer boroughs. Sure, and so it was
really the cats themselves in our immediate area that kind
of pulled me in. And as soon as we got
started rescuing, we learned about trap need to return and
just started trying to work our way through things right right, And.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I mean when you said about all the cats, these
are all pretty much feral cats.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
There are a bunch of feral cats outside. There are
also a bunch of friendly cats who lived indoors at
some point, And so we can also use the term
community cats, which can encompass both. So, because oftentimes we're
doing a trap need to return project, we may bring
ten cats in, we're actually finding that three or four
(01:49):
of them are friendly. They've just been outside for a
little while and needs time to decompress.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Sure, no, that makes sense, And I mean, I mean,
I guess is it common sense? Or like why do
you like do you feel like the problem has increased
over the years because people are in Spain and neutering
their cats, like or what do you think is really
the bottom line problem of why it's you know, grow
it's grown so much, the population has grown so much.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I think one of the biggest issues is that many
New Yorkers are not even aware this is a problem.
Don't we don't see it? We don't know about it,
we don't hear about it, and so there's sort of
a problem blindness around this issue at all unless you're
exposed to it directly. So I would say that's that's
one issue. The other macro trend that we're seeing is
(02:38):
that veterinary costs, the cost of carrying for pet have
increased well over three hundred percent over the last few decades.
The New York Times had a study that showed far
beyond inflation, veterinary costs are are rising quickly. So many
New Yorkers, like many Americans sure, are now shogging to
(02:58):
cover basic costs and wondering how they're going to feed
themselves and their pets, let alone cover you know that
that built, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Which I think is a reason why to a lot
of you know, dogs and cats are winding up in
shelters more so than before because people, like you said,
they're not even sure they can feed themselves or keep
a roof over their heads. And I think that that
I mean, I think it's it's a problem all around,
as you said, throughout the country as well as as here.
(03:30):
We'll tell let's talk about for you, what's a day
in like in your life, like how does your day
start with Flatbush Cats and and how does it end
or does it ever end? Like do you get any sleep?
Because I have a feeling that you don't get a
lot of sleep. But let's talk about a day in
the life of you will.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah. So it is true that the majority of rescues
and I would say almost all T and R volunteers
are volunteers. That's why you that term, and so it
is often the second job. And for the first several
years I was working in corporate advertising. I would, you know,
take the Q train from Flatbush to Midtown and I
(04:12):
was just doing my regular work from nine to six
or seven at an agency and then I would come
home and do all the volunteer work. So that was
my life for several years. My life now is different
because this is a long term challenge and so it's
really important that we prioritize sustainability and a balance. And
(04:36):
so as the executive director of Flatbush Cats, I need
to set the tone for how we work as a
team and how we show up for each other, and
so we actually set really strong boundaries for each other.
Part of the reason why this organization has grown and
has several hundred active volunteers out right now is this
is really hard, isolating work to do by yourself, right,
(04:59):
So we don't we don't want to be martyrs. We
don't want to be burning ourselves out, burning the candle
at both ends. We've tried to build team based approaches
because anyone out there who's rescued a cat or foster
to cat knows it's a lot of work to do
by yourself. Sure, And so my day to day is
really now as a leader about team support. My last
(05:21):
discussion was just looking at one of our teams and
making sure that everyone has the resources that they need
to succeed, because this is a long term effort and
you can go really hard by yourself rescuing cats, but
it's going to take a big team, moving slowly and
thoughtfully to solve this at a systemic level.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Right right. And those resources, like, what are they that
a team would need?
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Well, I think we I mean your greatest resources time, right, Yeah,
So having clarity around one of the questions that we
ask our donors and we ask our team members is
the same what kind of impact do you want to have?
And so we start with that. The biggest impact we
want to have is we want to address why there
(06:06):
are so many casts outside suffering. Because we're in the
middle of kitten season right now rescues where we brought
in a litter of nine kittens, all each one with
its own medical issues, some of them had to go
to the er. So we have to really look up
stream and say, assume that there's almost an endless supply
(06:27):
of casts needing help, more than you can possibly get to.
So the kind of impact we want to have is
we want to prevent those casts from ever needing help
in the future, and that starts with providing our neighbors,
New Yorkers and pet owners with access to affordable veterinary care,
which is why a little bit less than two years ago,
(06:50):
we launched our first nonprofit veterinary clinic in Flatbush. It's
called Flatbush Veterinary Clinic. And the reason why we did
that is because Spain neoter is under prevention. The best
way that we can prevent thousands of casts from needing
help outside has been sure New Yorkers have access to
span and or surgeries.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Okay, so and let's talk about the Flatbush Veterinary Clinic
because that seems to be the answer that we need
all over the country in small towns, big towns, cities,
because basically, you know, people can't afford to get their
pets spade and neutered. So let's talk a little bit
(07:29):
about that, because I feel like you have a plan
or have had a master plan that you're working on
and currently doing. So let's talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah, and a lot of this comes from my experience
directly as a rescuer, because you know, I've been I've
been through burnout many times. I've been through that feeling
of frustration like no matter what you do, it's not enough, right,
And so we really had to take a step back
and say how we're going to get in front of this.
And so I spent years learning from other folks, talking
(08:02):
to folks around the country, just trying to understand what
could we do at a city level that would actually
reduce the number of cats and dogs showing up at shelters,
because our partners at the shelter are given an impossible task.
If you show up every Monday and there are several
hundred animals waiting for you to place them somewhere, and
(08:24):
there's nowhere for you to place them, then we as
a city have set you up to fail.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So Flatbush VET was designed as an upstream model as
a solution to over crowded shelters here in New York,
and it is a scalable model. To your point, this
is something that nonprofits and city leaders can bring to
their town, can bring to their county or city, because
everyone does need affordable ventery care. Over half of all
(08:51):
Americans right now can't afford a spade utter surgery. And
so we know this. We know the data that shows
two thirds of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. So
it's no surprise that affordability is both the number one
reason why people surrender pets and also the number one
reason why people say they can no longer afford to adopt.
(09:11):
It's so heartbreaking and you think about your pets, right,
and I have people come up to me and say, hey,
my pets are my life, but when they pass, I'm
not going to be able to adopt again. I've heard
that heartbreaking that is it is.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, I've heard the same exact thing, because people are
just I can't do it, and it's really sad. It's
very sad. I mean, it's sad for us as humans
because I feel, you know, we're the human pet bond
is just so incredible, and it's important for us to
have pets in our lives, just as important it is
for us to be in their lives. And the fact
(09:49):
that so many people are not going to do it
moving forward, you know, that's not good. It's not good
either way.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Yeah, you know, yeah, you're right. And the good news
is I look at this as a solvable problem. I mean,
the human healthcare system is a total mass it's it's
pretty much, you know, it's not working for most Americans.
It's not giving us the outcomes that we want. The
good news is that the veterinary care system is not
currently dependent on the same insurance model, and so as
(10:19):
a nonprofit vet clinic, our goal is to make these
services affordable. They don't need to be they don't need
to be free. People just need a fair shot, They
just need a chance to be able to provide for
their pets. And the city does play a role in this.
So the majority of our support and the reason why
flablished Veterinary Clinic exists is because animal loving supporters from
(10:40):
around the country, not just New York. That I need
to see this happen because I want to see it
happen somewhere, and if we can make it happen in
New York, you know, the same anywhere. Yeah. So this
is really something that animal lovers can can fund here
in New York and in their towns. And then we
also need to get the city involved because our message
(11:02):
to City Council, and we've recently testified at the latest
budget hearings, is that this is actually a cost saving
measure for the city. So when we talk to City
council members, we say, look, I don't it doesn't matter
whether you're an animal lover or not. This is just
common sense. If we can provide more New Yorkers, the
Spain and Ent appointments are going to be spending a
lot less money sheltering animals.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Right, yeah, yeah, And I'm sure that was met with
agreeable you know, city council people agreeing with that because
it's logical.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah. Start, I start every conversation by saying, the number
one issue for New Yorkers is affordability, So let's talk
about it, and we're bringing a solution here. It's not
every day that you could introduce something like a new
budget measure. There's a one point five million dollars Spade
neuter budget measure in this upcoming budget. It's not every
day you can introduce something that actually makes life better
(11:56):
for your constituents and helps the bottom line because you're
saving about seventy five percent her animal if you just
give them the services that they need so they can
stay with their family instead of having to pay to
shelter them.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Sure, no, I mean that makes it's it's almost it
makes so much sense that people don't get it. If
that makes sense, you know what I mean? Like, sometimes
things are so filled with common sense and what you
scratch your head like, wait, why it hasn't this happened before?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, So let's I've heard you use the word you've
said upstream a couple of times. Talk to me about that.
I know that's you use that as opposed to downstream.
Explain I like it, but explain upstream to my listeners.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Yeah. The premise is that it was actually an analogy
based on having to pull people out of a river
where you're trying to you're trying to go in and
save someone's life by pulling them out of the river,
and it's kind of an old folk tale and someone says, well,
I'm going to go upstream and figure out why they
keep falling in right, And so the premise behind upstream
(13:06):
is that the best time to solve a problem is
before it happens, correct.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Actually, So
what do you see in I want to say, not
the near future, but what do you see five years
from now for you with flat bush cats? For the
pet uh you know, I want to I don't want
to call it industry because that sounds like I'm not
talking about you know, food and toys, but for the
(13:33):
pet population. What do you think, like, what's your gut
down the road and maybe not even five years you know,
down in the future.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yeah, how did it? Yeah, we're looking. Yeah, that's a
great question. We're looking five to ten years out right
now because a lot of these problems are very large
and you don't solve complex problems quickly. I think the
biggest win for us, and I say us, I mean
animal lovers around the trade, around the world. The biggest
(14:01):
win for us would be a mindset shift. There's a
lot of individualism, there's a lot of blame and judgment
around if someone needs to surrender their pet due to
life circumstances. We've always been told don't adopt a pet
if you can't afford to care for it. I would
(14:23):
like to see and we're going to be working on
a collective mindset shifts so that we can start taking
better care of each other. When we do that, we
can take better care of ourselves and our pets. Because
when you actually meet someone and talk to them about
their pet, you see that they're the light of their world.
You realize we actually, we all believe that pets are family.
(14:43):
And that mindset shift is so important because this is
not something that we're going to be able to solve
through an individual lens. We need to think about our
collective responsibility to care for each other, and we need
to imagine a world where we're able to provide basics
for each other and then actually expect those services to
be provided by our local government. Because right now in
(15:06):
New York City, most New Yorkers are not aware of
this problem. They're not aware of a solution. And when
I say solution, I mean affordable community clinics around in
every borough, and so they're not asking, they're not asking
for it. They're not asking city council members to fund
these types of initiatives. So when I say mindset shift
is because a lot of this work has to start
(15:27):
with us. What we believe is possible and what we're
willing to work for makes sense.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So let me ask you this, did you ever do
you ever think about getting involved in politics locally?
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I am involved in politics. I am working to increase
city funding for spade hooter and affordable veterinary care, and
all New Yorkers have the ability to know the love
and joy and companionship that our pets provide, and we
are going to be increasing our efforts in this area.
I can tell you, I tell you what's on my agenda.
(16:01):
If you'd like to hear it, I would love to
hear it. Yes, Okay, So right now, New York City
is spending about forty one million dollars on sheltering animals,
which is a necessary function, that is a necessary thing
the city should do. But they're spending zero dollars maria
on spade inner services, and so we need that number
(16:21):
to increase dramatically. New York City should be a leader
in this and that would mean spending significantly more per
capita on animal welfare services, which right now is less
than zero point zero two five percent of the city budget.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That's embarrassing.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
You need to get real. It is embarrassing.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It'ssing.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
We need to get real. Yeah, let's get real about
what it's actually going to cost to take this problem seriously.
And let's let's give our politicians credit for being able
to walk and show them at the same time, we're
able to have parks and subways and mass transit and
affordable housing. We're able to push for multiple things at
(17:02):
once and as long as our tax dollars are used effectively.
The other thing I would like to see is the
creation of a Department of Animal Welfare. And this may
look different in different cities and counties around the country,
but New York City is large enough that it needs
a standalone, funded department that is baselined in the budget.
(17:23):
It's not the whim of a new mayor. And we
have meaningful resources and support, not just for shelters and
not just for affordable veteran care, but for the thousands
of T and R and rescue volunteers who are out
there doing the city's job for free, with out the
resources that they need to do the job, and we're
not going to be able to accomplish that through the
(17:45):
Department of Health as things are standing now. The last
thing I would like to see on our agenda is
we need legislation and funding that mandates the creation of
nonprofit veteran clinics in every borough period.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yes, you're absolutely right, and you know you said it
because I was gonna say, I just find it ridiculous,
and I don't. I'm not sure if it's like that
in other cities around the country, but the fact that
animal welfare is part of the Department of Health, it
just yeah, it just kind of it just doesn't make
sense to me. It never made sense over the years,
(18:20):
and the fact that it's still continuing the same way
it doesn't make sense. And I'm and I actually you
probably might know more than me. Is it like that
in other cities around the country.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Generally yes, And that's because we haven't meaningfully updated animal
welfare legislation and policy in decades, decades, like the role
that animals play in our lives now. When these departments
were created, the job was to was to protect people
from animals, right and now now that they're part of
our families and they're sleeping in our beds. Yeah, we
(18:52):
need to be resourcing these much more meaningfully. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
I feel like it's from like hundreds of years ago,
you know, like let's update it a little bit too.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So we have to That starts with
us though, right, we can't criticize We can't criticize our
elected officials for not passing legislation that no one asks for.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Well, that's true.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
So the first step starts with us. We need a
vision what's possible, and then we need to go ask
for it. And I believe that our pets deserve nothing less.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I agree with you. I agree. So will for someone
who's listening right now and they want to do something
and they want to help you do survive on donations. Correct,
you know you're a nonprofit, So they could go to
flatbushcats dot org to help out.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Absolutely. Our greatest need is financial support, and we are
our vessel for the supporters out there who want to
see meaningful and structural change. We will deliver it, and
we love folks to join us as a monthly supporter.
They could visit flatbushcats dot org slash donate to make
a one time or recurring donation and they can keep
up with all of our rescue stories and updates on Facebook, Instagram,
(19:58):
on YouTube wherever you you like your videos.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Well will thank you for all that you do. Keep
fighting the good fight. And I you know when I
asked you about getting into politics and you said you are,
but I would really like to see you in an
elected position because I think you just have the drive
and the knowledge and the passion to do that. So
if you ever decide to take that road.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Something, I really I appreciate that. And we'll keep pushing
from wherever we can. And thank everyone listening for joining
us on this mission.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Absolutely well, thank you again and thanks for all you do.
We'll definitely talk again because I think we're going to
have a lot more news too as time goes on.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Let's make some news, yeah,
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