November 4, 2024 • 33 mins
Maria chats with Positive Tail's Erica Kubersky and Kathy Galotti, plus VERG's (Veterinary Emergency & Referral Group) Dr Brett Levtizke about "Let's FIX NYC": November is spay & neuter month at Positive Tails! They discuss the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets, plus other topics!
And their fundraiser is Sunday Dec 15th at 6pm.
Learn More at POSITIVETAILS.ORG!
And their fundraiser is Sunday Dec 15th at 6pm.
Learn More at POSITIVETAILS.ORG!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff and with me. Well,
this is very exciting because not only are they return
guests plus a new one, but they're actually here in
the studios, so welcome. I have Kathy Galatti and Erica
Kuberski from Positive Tales in Brooklyn, and doctor Brett Levitzky
from Veterinary Emergency Referral Group. Is that correct?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Correct, that's correct?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Okay, well, welcome, thanks, welcome back, Welcome Brett. So the
last time I had to look it up because you
are return guests, and the last time Erica and Kathy
were here it was back in September of twenty eighteen.
Crazy crazy time is So, what's happened in six years?
What a lot?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Personally?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Well yeah, well we can get into that too. So
tell me what has Positive Tales? What have some of
the highlights you've done in the past, even in the
past year.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I mean, I think probably some of the more you know,
we've continue to work on our emergency cases, and there
been a lot of those to work on, but probably
since twenty eighteen, we've introduced our pop up clinics where
we do a lot of pop up veterinary clinics and
underserved areas city. Sure, we'll go with a team of
(01:26):
team of veterinarians veninary technicians and set up and we'll
probably see about one hundred and fifty families and do
wellness and vaccines. And I think that's probably been the
most as far as us being able to be able
to see more clients.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I think that's sure. I guess that's huge. How often
do you do the pop up clinics.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I would probably we probably do them. I would say
sixty eight times a year.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Oh that's a lot. And of course you have volunteers
that come with you.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeah, we're really lucky. We are still one hundred percent volunteers.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Nice. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah, no, that's good. That's good.
And doctor Brett, do you go along with them on
these pop up clinics or so.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
I'm an emergency veterinarian at Verge and that's where we
see all of the emergency.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Cases that we deal with with positive tails.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
But I will say it's very exciting these the more
pop up clinics we have, we do more preventive care there.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So the thought being is it.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Keeps them from coming in right to have to see
me sure in the emergency.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Room, right right. It's almost like when people take their
vitamins rather than just go to the doctor because they're
not healthy anymore. That's great. So for you as an
emergency doctor, what is the biggest emergency that people have
with their pets? I mean, is there one that's more
like something that's more common or.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
All pet owners know that their dogs and their cats
can get very curious and eat things.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
They're not supposed to do.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, and some of those things pass and some of
them don't and they get stuck in the gih act
and require surgery. Yeah, and that can be a bit costly.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Sure, sure, yeah, so that I mean, that would make sense.
And I think sometimes and not to blame the owners,
but sometimes I will. I think sometimes people forget to
pet proof their house and apartments. Then my thought has
always been, well, you'll do a certain thing for kids,
it's the same thing for pets.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
It absolutely is.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
The The thing is, though, dogs and cats they can
get into places that you may think you have your
your apartment pet proof, and then right someone will say, well,
I haven't seen that ball for years because it was
under the couch somewhere in.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
The dog or cabin under there, and they find it.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Swallowed it and then they're back to see us.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah yeah, I mean I would have agreed with you
until I got my most recent dog.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Uh huh. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Luckily he's a tank, so everything eventually passes.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
But right, so what is he eat?
Speaker 1 (03:57):
I mean, I don't want to embarrass myself, but it's
not your fault.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You're busy.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
He ate a peanut butter glass jar and all.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
What the glass jar? Oh yeah, I never heard of that,
And I.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Will say her husband is a veterinarian also.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Right, right, I do him? Okay, okay, so wait, wait
I can't get my head around how big was this
peanut butter jar? You know, like that like a ra
How big is this dog?
Speaker 1 (04:23):
He's about eighty pounds.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Oh okay, so he has like a massive mouth and jaw.
I would assume, right, that's powerful because glass. I mean,
I couldn't not that. I can't understand maybe a plastic
jar of peanut.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Butter, but okay, he's he's I don't understand him a lot.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Okay, Well, you're still getting to like how old.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
You see he's probably about eight or nine. Now, okay, no,
he means he's awesome, but.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, of course he is. No, he's a dog, of course.
But I'm with you two years, with us two years?
Oh okay, okay, so you're still getting to know each other.
It's like a new relationship.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
You're in that honeymoon p right and.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Now and now he's feeling more comfortable, right, so he's like, yeah,
I'm feeling more comfortable now this might oh my goodness.
So he's okay though, oh yeah, and so I guess
pasted it. He didn't have to have surgery for it.
Then he like pooped out the peanut butter and the
glass jar. Yeah, I mean, I'm not fascinated by this.
(05:19):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
We took him in for an X ray. Yeah, that
there was a lot of glasses in there and then
in his belly. Yeah, I mean, and then the experts said.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Just let it pass.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Don't point at me. I know it's justin you.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Okay. So now I have a red question on that.
So as a vet, if you looked at that X ray, like,
how do you know the glass isn't going to rip
his stomach? And say let it pass? I mean, obviously
you know that where we would be like, oh my god.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
But it's a common question people people really freak out
of Sure, we've seen dogs and cats swallow needles, razor blades, glass. Sure,
a lot of times it can pass as long as
it doesn't form an obstruction. Okay, the basically, the intestines
are just a tube of muscle and they just want
things along. If they're able to do that, it's the
(06:07):
g I tract is pretty resilient and can pass.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Think that because I would think as it passed it
would cut, it'd make cuts. It doesn't.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Surprisingly, if a cat or a dog swallows a piece
of thread, uh huh, that's usually more devastating on the
g I track.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Because it's the stomach.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
And then as it moves along it acts like a
little saw versus a piece of glass that just kind
of moves along. Maybe because a little irritation.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I would never think that. That's why I'm not a vet.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
My cat ate a needle and thread.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Well, the needle I can understand, but I mean, but
the thread tongue and oh boy.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Passid and it was coming out of both ends and
thankfully surgery at a MCD.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Wow, there was no at the time. Wow, But okay,
so now it's a string that's different than grass because
I know sometimes my last dog used to eat grass
and then sometimes if he was like going nuts like
salad bar this, it would be like, okay, I'm kind
of like pulling it out of his book, you know. Gross.
But if you're you're a dog owner, you know what
(07:11):
I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Yeah, growing tinsel for us?
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Yes, yes, yes, I've heard of that.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Oh it's Christmas ye stars poop and tinsel.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
But that's not as bad as like a thread or
because it's grass, because it's natural.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Right, and it's softer and it's shorter from the thread
can be really long and get anchored under the tongue
and then really it makes its way all the way
down to the polee.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, no, that makes sense, It makes it's It just
always makes me laugh about dogs because I know more
about dogs than cats. But I think dogs are so
smart and then they'll do something like that and I'm like,
you're a dog.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Are smarter than others?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yes, that's true, and we can't say it, but is
it true that well, it's probably just more of an opinion.
In fact, are certain breeds actually smarter than others. Yes,
it's definitely it's not it is okay, all right, all right,
I'm not talking, I'm going to but yeah, right, because
everybody thinks that their dog is the smartest, do you
know that, or the cutest, and of course we should,
(08:16):
we should think our own dogs are the cutest, correct,
but there are It's true though, right, certain breeds are smarter.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I knew it.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
You heard it here.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And I'm voting it's the mixed breeds.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Oh yeah, I would believe that. Oh yes, because you
get the you get the best of both worlds, right, like,
you know, you get the better genes from the smart
and smart.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I mean you know sort of your parents aren't related,
it's got to be better.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Well that would be true to mus rule anyway. Yeah,
and MutS are the best, right. We love months, we do.
That's why this is Maria's mutts and stuff. We're here,
that's right. Okay, So we're getting into November or it
is November, and you have a big this is a
big month, spay and new iter months. So let's talk
about that because I know over the years, the numbers
(09:03):
are just incredible to me that people still think and
I guess it's because we should all think that our
dogs and cats are the best and the cutest and
the most adorable and let's make more. But more cats
and dogs are not needed in the world, right, So
what do you think it is about people not wanting
to spay and neuter their dog? And I know you
(09:24):
probably all have your own opinions, So let's like, what
do you think it is, Kathy.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
I think it's a little bit of what you're saying
that they are like, Oh, my dog is so cute.
I would love to see what their puppies would look like,
the kittens would look like, Oh, my neighbor has the
female and I have the male, and or it could
be a money producing greeds. Yeah, so it could be
for so many reasons. Some people worry about the actual
(09:50):
spain neuter is going to change the dog or cat's personality.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Oh my god, I've heard that a million times and
that's not true, not true at all.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
And I think that it's so layered for people. You know,
I don't want to go there, but I think sometimes
it could be a little bit of a male connection
to a male.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I've heard that too.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Yes, Yeah, so there's a lot of things that I
think make people.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Some of it is cost. It's expensive sometimes, yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:18):
Definitely an investment. Sure, and people weigh it out and
they say, well, my dog or cat's not going to
be around another dog or cat. Why would I bother?
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Right, But then they don't.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Think about the health concerns. Sure, they don't think about
if their dog or cat gets.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Out right, right, right? Sure?
Speaker 6 (10:36):
That so a lot of it is education and making
people wear the importance of it.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Right.
Speaker 6 (10:43):
It's so multi layered, and in the end, your dog
or cat is going to be better for it.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Sure. And I mean I know sometimes and people have
said it, and I'm sure all of you have heard
it where people but I'll ask you, doctor Brett, that
people say, oh, well, you know, it's not healthy for
me to neuter my dog and it's going to cause
cancer for him to not be neutered. But that's not true.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
The bottom line is early spaying or neutering can be
huge not only hugely beneficial, but from a cost perspective,
having to spay or neuter them when they're older, when
they have when they've developed a problem, let's say a
testicular tumor or a piometer which is an infected uterus.
(11:28):
The cost, the costs sure way higher of course, plus
the medical risk for that patient when they're young and
they're healthy and it's an elective procedure in and out.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yes, they could.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Be in the hospital for days and on multiple medications,
and their their chance of not making it actually you know,
increases as they get older, right.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Right, Basically it's people need to spay and neuter. Like
what other myths are there that we can tell people
that's not true?
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I mean, you know, I think maybe also another important
thing to falsehoods is that you know, I think often
I think right now, we have a lot of people
who are interested in it. For us, we're interested in
the procedure, and the problem is that it is too
expensive for so like I do think, you know, the
education is out there, and I think, but I think
the problem is that we're telling everyone's spay neuter, but
(12:19):
then we're not really giving them affordable option, right, yeah,
and so you know, like you know, I think the
average cost of a dog's bay might be eight to
eight hundred to one thousand.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Dollars, which is very expensive.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yeah, you know, because a lot of our clients make
forty thousand dollars a year.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Right, No, that's expensive, that's like their rent, that's you know,
groceries and everything else. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
So we at any given time probably have one hundred
and fifty people on a waiting list to find a.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Spot, right. That's a lot. Yeah, yeah, so, and.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I think, I mean, I think it's great that the
education has you know, and I think that's another thing
that comes up at our clinics. And another reason we
love doing that is that we give that people that
personal interaction with their medical team m hm. And somebody
who's maybe on the fence, right is going to leave
that day, and sure they're going to be convinced that
that's what they need to do.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Sure, No, that makes sense.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I'm always I'm always amazed when when a dog comes
in for piometra, you know, the infected uterus. The clients
will oftentimes ask could I prevented this?
Speaker 4 (13:23):
And you're like, yeah, I have to kind.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Of bite my tongue like of course, but they just
don't know you can prevent it by having them spade
early on. Sure, so no uterus, no infection right right?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Right? Yeah, I guess I don't know. I mean, you know,
I always say and I know it's mean to say it,
but that I think sometimes just like people, I think
sometimes not everybody should be a parent, right, So I
think people need to take a test, just a little
test to see if you are okay to But I
feel the same way about having a cat or a
dog because I think something like that, Yes, you could
(13:56):
have prevented it if you did something that was so simple.
And I know many you know, there's you can find
low cost spaying and neutering. So I don't know, not
that people should take a test or have a light.
I mean, you can get a dog license or but
I think sometimes you might need to take a test.
But that's just me. I know it's a little extreme,
but no, I would.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Agree with that.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, thank you, thank you, Kathy, thank you. Don't you think? Yes,
I mean I see people do stuff on the street
with their dogs and I'm like, oh my, I'm not
going to say anything because just because but the people
are just really stupid, and I think, you know, I
hope you never reproduce because you know you're not handling
that dog very well a human or correct correct. So
(14:38):
tell me what is positive tails doing for spee and
neuter month?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I don't even know if November is spay or newt
or not. But we're making it.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Yes you are, yes, yes, well that's what I meant
for you. No, I don't know if it is either. No,
it's you. Yes, no, you are starting it.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Yes, we are doing a spae and neuterrathon. And I
I think we came upon the idea of just because
of you hear about all the adoptathons, and sure, amazing
that is when you hear those numbers. Yeah, but then
of course there's still going to always be in plenty
of animals to adopt. But let's get to the heart
of the issue, right and make less cats and dogs
(15:14):
that do need homes.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
And so what we're doing is we are partnering with
at this point, we probably have about thirty clinics in
the city. That's awesome, donating forty of those procedures.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
That's very nice record. Wow, that's nice.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
So what we're partingering with all these private clinics who
aren't giving us spots so either for free are extremely
low costs.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Right, so, which is very important. Yeah, I mean that's all.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Over the city, So based on where people are located,
we're something them to different spots, and original goal is
to do one hundred, but now we're going to do
We're off to like well over two hundred's point.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So and hopefully maybe we'll make it to three.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
That's great. So, Now, if someone who's listening and who's
in the area, can they see like where the clinics
are by going to positive tails dot org or they
would contact us or just contact you.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah, we would, and we have an application where Okay,
because we are targeting people who financially need.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Us, how would they contact you or get in touch?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, they mean they could get in touch on our
website or and there will be our email and our
phone number, and okay, send them our application which takes
about three minutes to fill out.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh, that's great, okay, and that's a positive tails dot
org correct, Yes, okay. So the other part about spaying
and neutering that we didn't really touch on, and I
think a lot of people don't think about it, is
the fact that dogs and cats get euthanized. Right, So
let's you know, let's talk a little bit not about
the horrors of it, but the fact that it is
(16:44):
a fact, and people, I think don't think about.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
It, well I don't. I think they don't want to.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
They don't want to.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
They want to.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
See the cute puppies and cute kittens or even the
adult dogs and cats, but they don't want to think
about the fact that if they go buy a dog
right instead of going to the local shelter rescue group,
there's there are finite resources currently, especially in New York City,
and resources finite space. So the older or maybe the
(17:14):
ones with the chronic illnesses that could otherwise be managed. Sure,
they're being put to sleep, and you know, we use
terms like put to sleep because it makes people feel better, but.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
They're killed, correct, which is sad terrible? Yeah, no, it's
very sad. And I think people don't think about that.
And I think people think, oh, well, we can just
drop it off at you know, a shelter or rescue,
and many of them won't take it. Like I know
that happens at springtime when all the cats and all
the kiddies are being born and people what do I
(17:45):
do with them? Well, why didn't you know, why didn't
you spay your kid your cat?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Right?
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Or the holidays where it's a great idea to open
up a gift and it's a living creature. Worse thing,
it's a dog or a cat that needs to be
cared for. And then you know they lose interests after
the holidays. Well we'll just bring to the shelter, and
they just tell themselves that the dog or cat will
be adopted.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
And that's not always the case.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
It's not always the case. It's not always the case.
And I know in the sense in the fact with
the city shelters, like I know people who don't realize
that they don't have a choice because they're city shelters.
And it's like that around the country. A city shelter
has to take the cats and dogs even if they
don't have the room, So how are they going to
make room? They have to euthanize, And people don't think
(18:31):
about that, want to think about it, but it's really
the cold, hard truth. So you know, if there's no
other reason to spaye anew to your dog or cat,
that really is the reason, correct, you know, and you're
very right you should just go to shelter because I
don't understand and I think it's getting better, but I
think and I want you guys to talk to me
about about your feelings on this that people still because
(18:55):
I've heard it from people who might say it to
me that well, if you go to a shelter, you know,
I don't really want to damaged dog a cat, Like
I know you shook your head. Yeah, but you've heard it, right,
We've all heard it. Do you feel like it's gotten
a little bit better?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
I mean I do think, you know. I mean, I
think the awareness has really increased. I mean, especially for cats,
maybe more than dogs. I feel like sometimes people have
this notion of like a kid a dog that they
had as a children as a child, and the Dailey
one again. But I definitely think the word is getting
out there. But you know, also the pet stores, unfortunately
(19:32):
make it really easy.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, and so like the worst like we just had.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
We just met somebody recently. He was fourteen years old
and just went to a pet store near his house
and just bought a dog. And then he's obviously he
ran into us one of our mobile vans somewhere and
was begging us for help because his parents didn't want
the dog, and they said, if you could figure everything out,
But how did that pet store sell a fourteen Yeah exactly?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
How did that happen.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
He had money.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
He had money, right exactly, And that's a sad part
of it. Yeah, yeah, he had money.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Business.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah, that's terrible.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
But there are also people breeding in their homes.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
There are people.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Breeding in their homes and you know that same factor.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
They may not have a criteria.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
So someone comes in and they have the cash, so
they'll sell them a puppy. Sure, and who knows it's
so layered if to walk into a shelter is not
necessarily all you know cuteness, right, roses right, you know
it's not the puppy just up a little.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Bow, right, like it is online. Right, and people are like, oh, yeah,
which is fake anyway?
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Interact with the dog or cat, sure, to the extent
to get to know this animal who's probably freaked out
anyway in a cage. But there is, like Eric is saying,
there is more awareness.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
A lot of.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
Rescue groups go to these shelters, these kill shelters, and they.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Pull and they pull them out exactly as.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
Many cats as they can to their capacity, but their
organizations can't afford what they take on either. Sure, and
we've helped them also with spe and neuter because it's
this whole cycle of how do you stop the madness?
I think the spae nooter thing.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Is how Yeah, I think so aareness of.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
You know, the shelters bringing out dogs and cats to
show people they're not damaged. They just didn't get a chance, right,
And maybe their chances were many because they were adopted
by the same type of person that didn't have the commitment.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Sure.
Speaker 6 (21:34):
Sure, and it just keeps getting worse. It's like the
child in foster care right now. It doesn't mean the
child is bad, right, It.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Just it could just be bad circumstances that happened to
the child. Yeah. And it's the same thing with the animals.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Yeah, which is why this is so important. And the
awareness of spe nooter being like just kind of a
household term. If we can really promote that more and more,
how great would that be a regular event and people
start to maybe become accountable. Maybe veterinarians will be accountable
for how much they can price gouge people for spe
(22:10):
and neuter, Like, there's so many things that could come
from this.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Sure, sure, it's good.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Yeah, No, definitely, I think just from a veterinary perspective,
then a business owner, Yes, veterinary hospitals are businesses.
Speaker 4 (22:25):
Sure that doesn't make them evil or bad.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
No, no, no, it's a business like everything else.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
Yeah, you have to give back, You absolutely have to
give back. And if if it were somehow required to
get a license in New York City to practice a
veterinary medicine that you have to do one day doing
space and neuters per year, we would we would empty
(22:50):
the sheltered, we would we would have no problems doing
all of these low cost space of neuters.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
And that that would what would it be for.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
One, right, that's very interesting for like for all the
animal hospitals say in the in the metropolitan area right
to do that.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Whereas now you have instead of everyone doing a little,
you have a smaller amount of people doing a lot,
and that caused them to become overwhelmed.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Sure, how could we get that started? That's very interesting
you say that like I mean that, not that it's
a requirement, but maybe to make it like a requirement that.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
I'll tell you this, this whole spaeterrath On is Erica's brainchild.
It really has been wonderful kind of just riding in
the wake and helping whoever I can. But this, if
we had her contact every animal clinic in the New York.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
City area, everybody would be doing it.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
Or maybe go to our city association and say it
needs to be mandatory.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Ultimately, they can't say no to.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Her, right, has that charm? Right? No, you're not annoying?
They go, okay, we'll do it. No, it's true.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
No, I mean, I do you know, from what Brett's saying,
I like, I do wish this city was paying a
little more attention to it, you know, Yeah, I don't,
you know, because of Vendarians. A lot of them are
small businesses, so I necessarily think it should be on them,
of course, but of course, you know, but I think,
like our city, as amazing as it is, and I
think we have really high padwing population. I think fifty
(24:24):
percent of households in New York City own pets, right.
I think we spend of all the major cities, spend
the least money per like the city spends the least
money per animal.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Interesting, yeah, and so like.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
What would it, Yeah, like what if this city made
deals with these clinics for like a certain stipend or
something like that to like get people in. Because what
I found when I contacted these clinics. I thought it
was going to be a really hard part to miss them.
But the ones who said yes not only said yes,
they were so excited to say yes. Oh wow, just
and I was just so you know, I couldn't believe.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
It, right, You were probably surprised by the reaction, like yeah, yeah, yeah,
like well we would but right, right, So are there
any do you know if there are any other cities
like around the country that have that that they it's
not like an enforcement, but maybe like a requirement.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
I mean, I don't know, I have not heard of that, No, neither,
just something I always wondered if.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Right, if Eric is doing it right?
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Right?
Speaker 3 (25:25):
And yeah, I'm just going to be the mayor.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
I'm a single issue mayor.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Right, I think I think we can make you mayor
and then in a few years are going to make
you president and then you can get it in every
city around the country will be your staff. All right, Well,
that's I think it's very good. Well I'm excited for
Spain neuter month. Yes, and and what's coming calling it?
Speaker 1 (25:50):
We're calling it New York City's Fix.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Oh, I love it. That's very clever. Did you come
up with that? I mean, maybe I think you did,
think you did? Yeah, yeah, Okay, come up with the
clever clever Okay, and then I know in December you
have a fundraiser happening. Yes, so let's tell me all
about that.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Well, they're so exciting. How many fundraisers have we had
so far?
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You know, they've we've probably, I mean, honestly, they're since
they are the hardest thing of all the things we do.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Of course, it's a lot of planning, and it's a lot. Yes,
it's a once a year, it's a lot. Okay. So
do you have the date for this one? It is
December fifteenth, Okay, Sunday, it's a Sunday. And what's the time,
six o'clock? And where is it?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's at Little Field.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Okay, in Brooklyn. Okay, Guanis uh huh. Ganis is the
hot neighborhood now Brooklyn. Look at that right around the
black front. Oh, look at that. Okay, we're cool. You
are cool. You are cool. That's why Gowanas is cool
because that's.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Where ViRGE is.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
So okay, So tell me about the fundraiser.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
So it's a little both, you know, it's to celebrate
what we hope will be a really exciting. It's going
to be posts Spain uonrath On, So we're going to celebrate,
celebrate that. We're going to obviously inviting everyone who participated
in it just to celebrate that. And of course we're
always trying to make the next funds because Spain uterrath
On twenty twenty five is only eleven months.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Later, right, okay, okay, So and it's open to the public.
It's open to public.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
We will be selling tickets on our website.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
And so when people are listening to this, they can
get tickets at Positive Tales dot org.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Yeah, okay, probably find out more details on our social media.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
You're on Instagram, okay, So we update the most.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
And we do welcome corporate sponsorships. Oh good, kind of mine.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
That's a very good segue.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
We have partners at verg that that are very supportive
of Positive Tales over the years, but we're always looking
for other corporate sponsors and they can absolutely reach out
to us, and especially if you're local in the neighborhood.
We've had TD Bank, we have our lab antech or
even our crematory. M scared of that final sure peaceful
(28:03):
transition of our of our pets.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
They contribute.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
But but if you're in the neighborhood, who loves to
see that you're supporting local issues?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Yeah and pete Yeah yeah, local, that's big. That's very big. Well,
our city could agree.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
One thing we probably all could agree on is well
most of us that cats and dogs are very important.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
They are very important. A lot of people they are,
weren't they just talking with the city is going to
pass a thing that you can take a sick day
for your pet, for your pet if you're pet sick. Yes,
that's great. I think it's great.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Yeah, that's very good.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I mean, I like yours if your pet's ill, Like
if your dog is sick, you take a sick day
from work, but it doesn't get it's like it's an
allowed pet sick day as opposed to your personal day.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
That's great.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
I just want to tell all the vergu employees, you
work at an animal hospital, so you don't get off.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
You can just bring your pet to work.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
To clarify, I knew he was going to say that.
I just had a feeling that's great. Well, I guess
it would make sense if you work an animal hospital
and you're a vent or venech go off with.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Apartment.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You bring your sick pet to work, but you can't
take off that. That's great, that's great. All right, So
let's start with Kathy. Any closing comment or remark for
someone who's listening right now about anything your dog and cat? Okay,
very good. I knew Positive Tails Okay, that's perfect. Oh yes,
(29:27):
that's a big thing. By the way, I'm sorry to
interrupt you. So yeah, so you do obviously, you guys
run everything on donations. So yeah, so if someone's listening
right now and they have an extra few bucks, they
can make a donation at positive tails dot org.
Speaker 6 (29:40):
Correct correct, okay, and think about adopting.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Yes, yes, adopt, don't shop.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
The shelters in the organizations are overflowing, yes, and need support.
And if you can't adopt, you can volunteer. You can
foster m hmm, you can donate. There's so many things
to do to support sed animals in inco city or
in your local city wherever.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Okay, Erica, you.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Know, my advice would be, you know, like maybe you
to talk to your neighbors and if you think of that,
somebody's relinquishing an animal and you think you could help them,
figure out a way judgment free, like maybe they maybe
they were linguishing their cat because their cat is spraying, right,
why don't you try to help them find instead of
being upset with them, why don't you try to find
help the solution, Yeah, a new door appointment or something
(30:27):
like that, or teach them about organizations like ours, because
there are there are a lot of organizations doing this
work right, and there are there are resources if you
educate people on.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Them right to make other alternatives to giving your animal away. Yeah,
and doctor.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Brett for me, really, it's just a big thank you
to everyone who's ever donated the Positive Tales, whether it's
financially or donated their time or services. You know, one
of our one of our missions is to help families
with pets with emergency is that have a good prognosis
that they couldn't otherwise afford care. As an emergency doctor,
(31:06):
I speak for myself and for my emergency team, there's
nothing more heartbreaking than a pet coming in. You know,
you can help them, and were it not for Positive Tales,
we would have to put them to sleep, sure, and
that takes a toll on the family. Obviously, the pet
has to be put to sleep, and then for the veterinarians,
(31:30):
it's it's devastating.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Of course it is.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
You know, we care about all of the all of
your pets.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
So just a really big thank you. All of the
previous donors have just allowed us to do so much
for for helping these pets that we know we can help,
right and they've allowed us to do that.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Okay, Well, thank you all for being here and coming.
So doctor Brett Levitsky, Erica Kuberski, and Kathy Golotti, you
will come back again. We're not going to wait six years, right, Okay,
thank you for being here in the studio and talking
and taking the time. Thank you, thank you. Good luck
with your spae Nooter month. What New York City fix?
(32:08):
You said? Fix at New York City? What did you say?
Speaker 6 (32:10):
It was?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
The fix in?
Speaker 3 (32:11):
The fix is in? Well, that's it's good. What coming up?
One slogans, so yes, tell me what you think? Okay,
and positive tales, Yes, that would be a great idea
and we can sell those oh good, good good good good.
And so listeners can also go to your Instagram to
see if you have those bandanas when you decide yes,
but they can go to Positive tales dot org to
(32:33):
get more information and to if they want to donate,
if they want to volunteer, or if they want to
come to the fundraiser on December fifteenth. Yes, so good
luck with that. Yes you can. I'm going to try
to come. I will, okay, thank you so much, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 6 (32:48):
Maria U
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff and with me. Well,
this is very exciting because not only are they return
guests plus a new one, but they're actually here in
the studios, so welcome. I have Kathy Galatti and Erica
Kuberski from Positive Tales in Brooklyn, and doctor Brett Levitzky
from Veterinary Emergency Referral Group. Is that correct?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Correct, that's correct?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Okay, well, welcome, thanks, welcome back, Welcome Brett. So the
last time I had to look it up because you
are return guests, and the last time Erica and Kathy
were here it was back in September of twenty eighteen.
Crazy crazy time is So, what's happened in six years?
What a lot?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Personally?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Well yeah, well we can get into that too. So
tell me what has Positive Tales? What have some of
the highlights you've done in the past, even in the
past year.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I mean, I think probably some of the more you know,
we've continue to work on our emergency cases, and there
been a lot of those to work on, but probably
since twenty eighteen, we've introduced our pop up clinics where
we do a lot of pop up veterinary clinics and
underserved areas city. Sure, we'll go with a team of
(01:26):
team of veterinarians veninary technicians and set up and we'll
probably see about one hundred and fifty families and do
wellness and vaccines. And I think that's probably been the
most as far as us being able to be able
to see more clients.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I think that's sure. I guess that's huge. How often
do you do the pop up clinics.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I would probably we probably do them. I would say
sixty eight times a year.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Oh that's a lot. And of course you have volunteers
that come with you.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeah, we're really lucky. We are still one hundred percent volunteers.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Nice. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah, no, that's good. That's good.
And doctor Brett, do you go along with them on
these pop up clinics or so.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
I'm an emergency veterinarian at Verge and that's where we
see all of the emergency.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Cases that we deal with with positive tails.
Speaker 5 (02:16):
But I will say it's very exciting these the more
pop up clinics we have, we do more preventive care there.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So the thought being is it.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
Keeps them from coming in right to have to see
me sure in the emergency.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Room, right right. It's almost like when people take their
vitamins rather than just go to the doctor because they're
not healthy anymore. That's great. So for you as an
emergency doctor, what is the biggest emergency that people have
with their pets? I mean, is there one that's more
like something that's more common or.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
All pet owners know that their dogs and their cats
can get very curious and eat things.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
They're not supposed to do.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, and some of those things pass and some of
them don't and they get stuck in the gih act
and require surgery. Yeah, and that can be a bit costly.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Sure, sure, yeah, so that I mean, that would make sense.
And I think sometimes and not to blame the owners,
but sometimes I will. I think sometimes people forget to
pet proof their house and apartments. Then my thought has
always been, well, you'll do a certain thing for kids,
it's the same thing for pets.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
It absolutely is.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
The The thing is, though, dogs and cats they can
get into places that you may think you have your
your apartment pet proof, and then right someone will say, well,
I haven't seen that ball for years because it was
under the couch somewhere in.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
The dog or cabin under there, and they find it.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Swallowed it and then they're back to see us.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah yeah, I mean I would have agreed with you
until I got my most recent dog.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Uh huh. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Luckily he's a tank, so everything eventually passes.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
But right, so what is he eat?
Speaker 1 (03:57):
I mean, I don't want to embarrass myself, but it's
not your fault.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You're busy.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
He ate a peanut butter glass jar and all.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
What the glass jar? Oh yeah, I never heard of that,
And I.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Will say her husband is a veterinarian also.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Right, right, I do him? Okay, okay, so wait, wait
I can't get my head around how big was this
peanut butter jar? You know, like that like a ra
How big is this dog?
Speaker 1 (04:23):
He's about eighty pounds.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Oh okay, so he has like a massive mouth and jaw.
I would assume, right, that's powerful because glass. I mean,
I couldn't not that. I can't understand maybe a plastic
jar of peanut.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Butter, but okay, he's he's I don't understand him a lot.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Okay, Well, you're still getting to like how old.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
You see he's probably about eight or nine. Now, okay, no,
he means he's awesome, but.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, of course he is. No, he's a dog, of course.
But I'm with you two years, with us two years?
Oh okay, okay, so you're still getting to know each other.
It's like a new relationship.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
You're in that honeymoon p right and.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Now and now he's feeling more comfortable, right, so he's like, yeah,
I'm feeling more comfortable now this might oh my goodness.
So he's okay though, oh yeah, and so I guess
pasted it. He didn't have to have surgery for it.
Then he like pooped out the peanut butter and the
glass jar. Yeah, I mean, I'm not fascinated by this.
(05:19):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
We took him in for an X ray. Yeah, that
there was a lot of glasses in there and then
in his belly. Yeah, I mean, and then the experts said.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Just let it pass.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Don't point at me. I know it's justin you.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Okay. So now I have a red question on that.
So as a vet, if you looked at that X ray, like,
how do you know the glass isn't going to rip
his stomach? And say let it pass? I mean, obviously
you know that where we would be like, oh my god.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
But it's a common question people people really freak out
of Sure, we've seen dogs and cats swallow needles, razor blades, glass. Sure,
a lot of times it can pass as long as
it doesn't form an obstruction. Okay, the basically, the intestines
are just a tube of muscle and they just want
things along. If they're able to do that, it's the
(06:07):
g I tract is pretty resilient and can pass.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Think that because I would think as it passed it
would cut, it'd make cuts. It doesn't.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Surprisingly, if a cat or a dog swallows a piece
of thread, uh huh, that's usually more devastating on the
g I track.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Because it's the stomach.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
And then as it moves along it acts like a
little saw versus a piece of glass that just kind
of moves along. Maybe because a little irritation.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I would never think that. That's why I'm not a vet.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
My cat ate a needle and thread.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Well, the needle I can understand, but I mean, but
the thread tongue and oh boy.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Passid and it was coming out of both ends and
thankfully surgery at a MCD.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Wow, there was no at the time. Wow, But okay,
so now it's a string that's different than grass because
I know sometimes my last dog used to eat grass
and then sometimes if he was like going nuts like
salad bar this, it would be like, okay, I'm kind
of like pulling it out of his book, you know. Gross.
But if you're you're a dog owner, you know what
(07:11):
I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Yeah, growing tinsel for us?
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Yes, yes, yes, I've heard of that.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Oh it's Christmas ye stars poop and tinsel.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
But that's not as bad as like a thread or
because it's grass, because it's natural.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Right, and it's softer and it's shorter from the thread
can be really long and get anchored under the tongue
and then really it makes its way all the way
down to the polee.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, no, that makes sense, It makes it's It just
always makes me laugh about dogs because I know more
about dogs than cats. But I think dogs are so
smart and then they'll do something like that and I'm like,
you're a dog.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Are smarter than others?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yes, that's true, and we can't say it, but is
it true that well, it's probably just more of an opinion.
In fact, are certain breeds actually smarter than others. Yes,
it's definitely it's not it is okay, all right, all right,
I'm not talking, I'm going to but yeah, right, because
everybody thinks that their dog is the smartest, do you
know that, or the cutest, and of course we should,
(08:16):
we should think our own dogs are the cutest, correct,
but there are It's true though, right, certain breeds are smarter.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I knew it.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
You heard it here.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And I'm voting it's the mixed breeds.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Oh yeah, I would believe that. Oh yes, because you
get the you get the best of both worlds, right, like,
you know, you get the better genes from the smart
and smart.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I mean you know sort of your parents aren't related,
it's got to be better.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Well that would be true to mus rule anyway. Yeah,
and MutS are the best, right. We love months, we do.
That's why this is Maria's mutts and stuff. We're here,
that's right. Okay, So we're getting into November or it
is November, and you have a big this is a
big month, spay and new iter months. So let's talk
about that because I know over the years, the numbers
(09:03):
are just incredible to me that people still think and
I guess it's because we should all think that our
dogs and cats are the best and the cutest and
the most adorable and let's make more. But more cats
and dogs are not needed in the world, right, So
what do you think it is about people not wanting
to spay and neuter their dog? And I know you
(09:24):
probably all have your own opinions, So let's like, what
do you think it is, Kathy.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
I think it's a little bit of what you're saying
that they are like, Oh, my dog is so cute.
I would love to see what their puppies would look like,
the kittens would look like, Oh, my neighbor has the
female and I have the male, and or it could
be a money producing greeds. Yeah, so it could be
for so many reasons. Some people worry about the actual
(09:50):
spain neuter is going to change the dog or cat's personality.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Oh my god, I've heard that a million times and
that's not true, not true at all.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
And I think that it's so layered for people. You know,
I don't want to go there, but I think sometimes
it could be a little bit of a male connection
to a male.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
I've heard that too.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Yes, Yeah, so there's a lot of things that I
think make people.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Some of it is cost. It's expensive sometimes, yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:18):
Definitely an investment. Sure, and people weigh it out and
they say, well, my dog or cat's not going to
be around another dog or cat. Why would I bother?
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Right, But then they don't.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Think about the health concerns. Sure, they don't think about
if their dog or cat gets.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Out right, right, right? Sure?
Speaker 6 (10:36):
That so a lot of it is education and making
people wear the importance of it.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Right.
Speaker 6 (10:43):
It's so multi layered, and in the end, your dog
or cat is going to be better for it.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Sure. And I mean I know sometimes and people have
said it, and I'm sure all of you have heard
it where people but I'll ask you, doctor Brett, that
people say, oh, well, you know, it's not healthy for
me to neuter my dog and it's going to cause
cancer for him to not be neutered. But that's not true.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
The bottom line is early spaying or neutering can be
huge not only hugely beneficial, but from a cost perspective,
having to spay or neuter them when they're older, when
they have when they've developed a problem, let's say a
testicular tumor or a piometer which is an infected uterus.
(11:28):
The cost, the costs sure way higher of course, plus
the medical risk for that patient when they're young and
they're healthy and it's an elective procedure in and out.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yes, they could.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Be in the hospital for days and on multiple medications,
and their their chance of not making it actually you know,
increases as they get older, right.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Right, Basically it's people need to spay and neuter. Like
what other myths are there that we can tell people
that's not true?
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I mean, you know, I think maybe also another important
thing to falsehoods is that you know, I think often
I think right now, we have a lot of people
who are interested in it. For us, we're interested in
the procedure, and the problem is that it is too
expensive for so like I do think, you know, the
education is out there, and I think, but I think
the problem is that we're telling everyone's spay neuter, but
(12:19):
then we're not really giving them affordable option, right, yeah,
and so you know, like you know, I think the
average cost of a dog's bay might be eight to
eight hundred to one thousand.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Dollars, which is very expensive.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yeah, you know, because a lot of our clients make
forty thousand dollars a year.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Right, No, that's expensive, that's like their rent, that's you know,
groceries and everything else. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
So we at any given time probably have one hundred
and fifty people on a waiting list to find a.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Spot, right. That's a lot. Yeah, yeah, so, and.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I think, I mean, I think it's great that the
education has you know, and I think that's another thing
that comes up at our clinics. And another reason we
love doing that is that we give that people that
personal interaction with their medical team m hm. And somebody
who's maybe on the fence, right is going to leave
that day, and sure they're going to be convinced that
that's what they need to do.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Sure, No, that makes sense.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I'm always I'm always amazed when when a dog comes
in for piometra, you know, the infected uterus. The clients
will oftentimes ask could I prevented this?
Speaker 4 (13:23):
And you're like, yeah, I have to kind.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Of bite my tongue like of course, but they just
don't know you can prevent it by having them spade
early on. Sure, so no uterus, no infection right right?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Right? Yeah, I guess I don't know. I mean, you know,
I always say and I know it's mean to say it,
but that I think sometimes just like people, I think
sometimes not everybody should be a parent, right, So I
think people need to take a test, just a little
test to see if you are okay to But I
feel the same way about having a cat or a
dog because I think something like that, Yes, you could
(13:56):
have prevented it if you did something that was so simple.
And I know many you know, there's you can find
low cost spaying and neutering. So I don't know, not
that people should take a test or have a light.
I mean, you can get a dog license or but
I think sometimes you might need to take a test.
But that's just me. I know it's a little extreme,
but no, I would.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Agree with that.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, thank you, thank you, Kathy, thank you. Don't you think? Yes,
I mean I see people do stuff on the street
with their dogs and I'm like, oh my, I'm not
going to say anything because just because but the people
are just really stupid, and I think, you know, I
hope you never reproduce because you know you're not handling
that dog very well a human or correct correct. So
(14:38):
tell me what is positive tails doing for spee and
neuter month?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I don't even know if November is spay or newt
or not. But we're making it.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Yes you are, yes, yes, well that's what I meant
for you. No, I don't know if it is either. No,
it's you. Yes, no, you are starting it.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Yes, we are doing a spae and neuterrathon. And I
I think we came upon the idea of just because
of you hear about all the adoptathons, and sure, amazing
that is when you hear those numbers. Yeah, but then
of course there's still going to always be in plenty
of animals to adopt. But let's get to the heart
of the issue, right and make less cats and dogs
(15:14):
that do need homes.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
And so what we're doing is we are partnering with
at this point, we probably have about thirty clinics in
the city. That's awesome, donating forty of those procedures.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
That's very nice record. Wow, that's nice.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
So what we're partingering with all these private clinics who
aren't giving us spots so either for free are extremely
low costs.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Right, so, which is very important. Yeah, I mean that's all.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Over the city, So based on where people are located,
we're something them to different spots, and original goal is
to do one hundred, but now we're going to do
We're off to like well over two hundred's point.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So and hopefully maybe we'll make it to three.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
That's great. So, Now, if someone who's listening and who's
in the area, can they see like where the clinics
are by going to positive tails dot org or they
would contact us or just contact you.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah, we would, and we have an application where Okay,
because we are targeting people who financially need.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Us, how would they contact you or get in touch?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, they mean they could get in touch on our
website or and there will be our email and our
phone number, and okay, send them our application which takes
about three minutes to fill out.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh, that's great, okay, and that's a positive tails dot
org correct, Yes, okay. So the other part about spaying
and neutering that we didn't really touch on, and I
think a lot of people don't think about it, is
the fact that dogs and cats get euthanized. Right, So
let's you know, let's talk a little bit not about
the horrors of it, but the fact that it is
(16:44):
a fact, and people, I think don't think about.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
It, well I don't. I think they don't want to.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
They don't want to.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
They want to.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
See the cute puppies and cute kittens or even the
adult dogs and cats, but they don't want to think
about the fact that if they go buy a dog
right instead of going to the local shelter rescue group,
there's there are finite resources currently, especially in New York City,
and resources finite space. So the older or maybe the
(17:14):
ones with the chronic illnesses that could otherwise be managed. Sure,
they're being put to sleep, and you know, we use
terms like put to sleep because it makes people feel better, but.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
They're killed, correct, which is sad terrible? Yeah, no, it's
very sad. And I think people don't think about that.
And I think people think, oh, well, we can just
drop it off at you know, a shelter or rescue,
and many of them won't take it. Like I know
that happens at springtime when all the cats and all
the kiddies are being born and people what do I
(17:45):
do with them? Well, why didn't you know, why didn't
you spay your kid your cat?
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Right?
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Or the holidays where it's a great idea to open
up a gift and it's a living creature. Worse thing,
it's a dog or a cat that needs to be
cared for. And then you know they lose interests after
the holidays. Well we'll just bring to the shelter, and
they just tell themselves that the dog or cat will
be adopted.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
And that's not always the case.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
It's not always the case. It's not always the case.
And I know in the sense in the fact with
the city shelters, like I know people who don't realize
that they don't have a choice because they're city shelters.
And it's like that around the country. A city shelter
has to take the cats and dogs even if they
don't have the room, So how are they going to
make room? They have to euthanize, And people don't think
(18:31):
about that, want to think about it, but it's really
the cold, hard truth. So you know, if there's no
other reason to spaye anew to your dog or cat,
that really is the reason, correct, you know, and you're
very right you should just go to shelter because I
don't understand and I think it's getting better, but I
think and I want you guys to talk to me
about about your feelings on this that people still because
(18:55):
I've heard it from people who might say it to
me that well, if you go to a shelter, you know,
I don't really want to damaged dog a cat, Like
I know you shook your head. Yeah, but you've heard it, right,
We've all heard it. Do you feel like it's gotten
a little bit better?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
I mean I do think, you know. I mean, I
think the awareness has really increased. I mean, especially for cats,
maybe more than dogs. I feel like sometimes people have
this notion of like a kid a dog that they
had as a children as a child, and the Dailey
one again. But I definitely think the word is getting
out there. But you know, also the pet stores, unfortunately
(19:32):
make it really easy.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, and so like the worst like we just had.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
We just met somebody recently. He was fourteen years old
and just went to a pet store near his house
and just bought a dog. And then he's obviously he
ran into us one of our mobile vans somewhere and
was begging us for help because his parents didn't want
the dog, and they said, if you could figure everything out,
But how did that pet store sell a fourteen Yeah exactly?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
How did that happen.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
He had money.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
He had money, right exactly, And that's a sad part
of it. Yeah, yeah, he had money.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Business.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Yeah, that's terrible.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
But there are also people breeding in their homes.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
There are people.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Breeding in their homes and you know that same factor.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
They may not have a criteria.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
So someone comes in and they have the cash, so
they'll sell them a puppy. Sure, and who knows it's
so layered if to walk into a shelter is not
necessarily all you know cuteness, right, roses right, you know
it's not the puppy just up a little.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Bow, right, like it is online. Right, and people are like, oh, yeah,
which is fake anyway?
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Interact with the dog or cat, sure, to the extent
to get to know this animal who's probably freaked out
anyway in a cage. But there is, like Eric is saying,
there is more awareness.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
A lot of.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
Rescue groups go to these shelters, these kill shelters, and they.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Pull and they pull them out exactly as.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
Many cats as they can to their capacity, but their
organizations can't afford what they take on either. Sure, and
we've helped them also with spe and neuter because it's
this whole cycle of how do you stop the madness?
I think the spae nooter thing.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Is how Yeah, I think so aareness of.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
You know, the shelters bringing out dogs and cats to
show people they're not damaged. They just didn't get a chance, right,
And maybe their chances were many because they were adopted
by the same type of person that didn't have the commitment.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Sure.
Speaker 6 (21:34):
Sure, and it just keeps getting worse. It's like the
child in foster care right now. It doesn't mean the
child is bad, right, It.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Just it could just be bad circumstances that happened to
the child. Yeah. And it's the same thing with the animals.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Yeah, which is why this is so important. And the
awareness of spe nooter being like just kind of a
household term. If we can really promote that more and more,
how great would that be a regular event and people
start to maybe become accountable. Maybe veterinarians will be accountable
for how much they can price gouge people for spe
(22:10):
and neuter, Like, there's so many things that could come
from this.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Sure, sure, it's good.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Yeah, No, definitely, I think just from a veterinary perspective,
then a business owner, Yes, veterinary hospitals are businesses.
Speaker 4 (22:25):
Sure that doesn't make them evil or bad.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
No, no, no, it's a business like everything else.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
Yeah, you have to give back, You absolutely have to
give back. And if if it were somehow required to
get a license in New York City to practice a
veterinary medicine that you have to do one day doing
space and neuters per year, we would we would empty
(22:50):
the sheltered, we would we would have no problems doing
all of these low cost space of neuters.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
And that that would what would it be for.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
One, right, that's very interesting for like for all the
animal hospitals say in the in the metropolitan area right
to do that.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Whereas now you have instead of everyone doing a little,
you have a smaller amount of people doing a lot,
and that caused them to become overwhelmed.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Sure, how could we get that started? That's very interesting
you say that like I mean that, not that it's
a requirement, but maybe to make it like a requirement that.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
I'll tell you this, this whole spaeterrath On is Erica's brainchild.
It really has been wonderful kind of just riding in
the wake and helping whoever I can. But this, if
we had her contact every animal clinic in the New York.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
City area, everybody would be doing it.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
Or maybe go to our city association and say it
needs to be mandatory.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Ultimately, they can't say no to.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Her, right, has that charm? Right? No, you're not annoying?
They go, okay, we'll do it. No, it's true.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
No, I mean, I do you know, from what Brett's saying,
I like, I do wish this city was paying a
little more attention to it, you know, Yeah, I don't,
you know, because of Vendarians. A lot of them are
small businesses, so I necessarily think it should be on them,
of course, but of course, you know, but I think,
like our city, as amazing as it is, and I
think we have really high padwing population. I think fifty
(24:24):
percent of households in New York City own pets, right.
I think we spend of all the major cities, spend
the least money per like the city spends the least
money per animal.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Interesting, yeah, and so like.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
What would it, Yeah, like what if this city made
deals with these clinics for like a certain stipend or
something like that to like get people in. Because what
I found when I contacted these clinics. I thought it
was going to be a really hard part to miss them.
But the ones who said yes not only said yes,
they were so excited to say yes. Oh wow, just
and I was just so you know, I couldn't believe.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
It, right, You were probably surprised by the reaction, like yeah, yeah, yeah,
like well we would but right, right, So are there
any do you know if there are any other cities
like around the country that have that that they it's
not like an enforcement, but maybe like a requirement.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
I mean, I don't know, I have not heard of that, No, neither,
just something I always wondered if.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Right, if Eric is doing it right?
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Right?
Speaker 3 (25:25):
And yeah, I'm just going to be the mayor.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
I'm a single issue mayor.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Right, I think I think we can make you mayor
and then in a few years are going to make
you president and then you can get it in every
city around the country will be your staff. All right, Well,
that's I think it's very good. Well I'm excited for
Spain neuter month. Yes, and and what's coming calling it?
Speaker 1 (25:50):
We're calling it New York City's Fix.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Oh, I love it. That's very clever. Did you come
up with that? I mean, maybe I think you did,
think you did? Yeah, yeah, Okay, come up with the
clever clever Okay, and then I know in December you
have a fundraiser happening. Yes, so let's tell me all
about that.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Well, they're so exciting. How many fundraisers have we had
so far?
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You know, they've we've probably, I mean, honestly, they're since
they are the hardest thing of all the things we do.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Of course, it's a lot of planning, and it's a lot. Yes,
it's a once a year, it's a lot. Okay. So
do you have the date for this one? It is
December fifteenth, Okay, Sunday, it's a Sunday. And what's the time,
six o'clock? And where is it?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's at Little Field.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Okay, in Brooklyn. Okay, Guanis uh huh. Ganis is the
hot neighborhood now Brooklyn. Look at that right around the
black front. Oh, look at that. Okay, we're cool. You
are cool. You are cool. That's why Gowanas is cool
because that's.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Where ViRGE is.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
So okay, So tell me about the fundraiser.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
So it's a little both, you know, it's to celebrate
what we hope will be a really exciting. It's going
to be posts Spain uonrath On, So we're going to celebrate,
celebrate that. We're going to obviously inviting everyone who participated
in it just to celebrate that. And of course we're
always trying to make the next funds because Spain uterrath
On twenty twenty five is only eleven months.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Later, right, okay, okay, So and it's open to the public.
It's open to public.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
We will be selling tickets on our website.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
And so when people are listening to this, they can
get tickets at Positive Tales dot org.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Yeah, okay, probably find out more details on our social media.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
You're on Instagram, okay, So we update the most.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
And we do welcome corporate sponsorships. Oh good, kind of mine.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
That's a very good segue.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
We have partners at verg that that are very supportive
of Positive Tales over the years, but we're always looking
for other corporate sponsors and they can absolutely reach out
to us, and especially if you're local in the neighborhood.
We've had TD Bank, we have our lab antech or
even our crematory. M scared of that final sure peaceful
(28:03):
transition of our of our pets.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
They contribute.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
But but if you're in the neighborhood, who loves to
see that you're supporting local issues?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Yeah and pete Yeah yeah, local, that's big. That's very big. Well,
our city could agree.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
One thing we probably all could agree on is well
most of us that cats and dogs are very important.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
They are very important. A lot of people they are,
weren't they just talking with the city is going to
pass a thing that you can take a sick day
for your pet, for your pet if you're pet sick. Yes,
that's great. I think it's great.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Yeah, that's very good.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I mean, I like yours if your pet's ill, Like
if your dog is sick, you take a sick day
from work, but it doesn't get it's like it's an
allowed pet sick day as opposed to your personal day.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
That's great.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
I just want to tell all the vergu employees, you
work at an animal hospital, so you don't get off.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
You can just bring your pet to work.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
To clarify, I knew he was going to say that.
I just had a feeling that's great. Well, I guess
it would make sense if you work an animal hospital
and you're a vent or venech go off with.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Apartment.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You bring your sick pet to work, but you can't
take off that. That's great, that's great. All right, So
let's start with Kathy. Any closing comment or remark for
someone who's listening right now about anything your dog and cat? Okay,
very good. I knew Positive Tails Okay, that's perfect. Oh yes,
(29:27):
that's a big thing. By the way, I'm sorry to
interrupt you. So yeah, so you do obviously, you guys
run everything on donations. So yeah, so if someone's listening
right now and they have an extra few bucks, they
can make a donation at positive tails dot org.
Speaker 6 (29:40):
Correct correct, okay, and think about adopting.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Yes, yes, adopt, don't shop.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
The shelters in the organizations are overflowing, yes, and need support.
And if you can't adopt, you can volunteer. You can
foster m hmm, you can donate. There's so many things
to do to support sed animals in inco city or
in your local city wherever.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Okay, Erica, you.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Know, my advice would be, you know, like maybe you
to talk to your neighbors and if you think of that,
somebody's relinquishing an animal and you think you could help them,
figure out a way judgment free, like maybe they maybe
they were linguishing their cat because their cat is spraying, right,
why don't you try to help them find instead of
being upset with them, why don't you try to find
help the solution, Yeah, a new door appointment or something
(30:27):
like that, or teach them about organizations like ours, because
there are there are a lot of organizations doing this
work right, and there are there are resources if you
educate people on.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Them right to make other alternatives to giving your animal away. Yeah,
and doctor.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Brett for me, really, it's just a big thank you
to everyone who's ever donated the Positive Tales, whether it's
financially or donated their time or services. You know, one
of our one of our missions is to help families
with pets with emergency is that have a good prognosis
that they couldn't otherwise afford care. As an emergency doctor,
(31:06):
I speak for myself and for my emergency team, there's
nothing more heartbreaking than a pet coming in. You know,
you can help them, and were it not for Positive Tales,
we would have to put them to sleep, sure, and
that takes a toll on the family. Obviously, the pet
has to be put to sleep, and then for the veterinarians,
(31:30):
it's it's devastating.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Of course it is.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
You know, we care about all of the all of
your pets.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
So just a really big thank you. All of the
previous donors have just allowed us to do so much
for for helping these pets that we know we can help,
right and they've allowed us to do that.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Okay, Well, thank you all for being here and coming.
So doctor Brett Levitsky, Erica Kuberski, and Kathy Golotti, you
will come back again. We're not going to wait six years, right, Okay,
thank you for being here in the studio and talking
and taking the time. Thank you, thank you. Good luck
with your spae Nooter month. What New York City fix?
(32:08):
You said? Fix at New York City? What did you say?
Speaker 6 (32:10):
It was?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
The fix in?
Speaker 3 (32:11):
The fix is in? Well, that's it's good. What coming up?
One slogans, so yes, tell me what you think? Okay,
and positive tales, Yes, that would be a great idea
and we can sell those oh good, good good good good.
And so listeners can also go to your Instagram to
see if you have those bandanas when you decide yes,
but they can go to Positive tales dot org to
(32:33):
get more information and to if they want to donate,
if they want to volunteer, or if they want to
come to the fundraiser on December fifteenth. Yes, so good
luck with that. Yes you can. I'm going to try
to come. I will, okay, thank you so much, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 6 (32:48):
Maria U
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