November is Spay Neuter A Thon at Positive Tails!!

It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.

What a great idea on iHeartRadio.

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?

Correct, that's correct?

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?

Personally?

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.

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 team of veterinarians veninary technicians and set up and we'll probably see about one hundred and fifty families and do

I think that's sure. I guess that's huge. How often do you do the pop up clinics.

I would probably we probably do them. I would say sixty eight times a year.

Oh that's a lot. And of course you have volunteers that come with you.

Yeah, we're really lucky. We are still one hundred percent volunteers.

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.

I'm an emergency veterinarian at Verge and that's where we see all of the emergency.

Cases that we deal with with positive tails.

But I will say it's very exciting these the more pop up clinics we have, we do more preventive care there.

So the thought being is it.

Keeps them from coming in right to have to see me sure in the emergency.

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.

All pet owners know that their dogs and their cats can get very curious and eat things.

They're not supposed to do.

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.

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.

It absolutely is.

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.

The dog or cabin under there, and they find it.

Swallowed it and then they're back to see us.

Yeah yeah, I mean I would have agreed with you until I got my most recent dog.

Uh huh. Yeah.

Luckily he's a tank, so everything eventually passes.

But right, so what is he eat?

I mean, I don't want to embarrass myself, but it's not your fault.

You're busy.

He ate a peanut butter glass jar and all.

What the glass jar? Oh yeah, I never heard of that, And I.

Will say her husband is a veterinarian also.

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?

He's about eighty pounds.

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.

Butter, but okay, he's he's I don't understand him a lot.

Okay, Well, you're still getting to like how old.

You see he's probably about eight or nine. Now, okay, no, he means he's awesome, but.

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.

You're in that honeymoon p right and.

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. I'm sorry.

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.

Just let it pass.

Don't point at me. I know it's justin you.

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.

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 g I tract is pretty resilient and can pass.

Think that because I would think as it passed it would cut, it'd make cuts. It doesn't.

Surprisingly, if a cat or a dog swallows a piece of thread, uh huh, that's usually more devastating on the g I track.

Because it's the stomach.

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.

I would never think that. That's why I'm not a vet.

My cat ate a needle and thread.

Well, the needle I can understand, but I mean, but the thread tongue and oh boy.

Passid and it was coming out of both ends and thankfully surgery at a MCD.

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 I'm talking about.

Yeah, growing tinsel for us?

Yes, yes, yes, I've heard of that.

Oh it's Christmas ye stars poop and tinsel.

But that's not as bad as like a thread or because it's grass, because it's natural.

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.

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.

Are smarter than others?

Yes, that's true, and we can't say it, but is it true that well, it's probably just more of an opinion.

I knew it.

You heard it here.

And I'm voting it's the mixed breeds.

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.

I mean you know sort of your parents aren't related, it's got to be better.

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

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 spain neuter is going to change the dog or cat's personality.

Oh my god, I've heard that a million times and that's not true, not true at all.

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.

I've heard that too.

Yes, Yeah, so there's a lot of things that I think make people.

Some of it is cost. It's expensive sometimes, yeah.

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?

Right, But then they don't.

Think about the health concerns. Sure, they don't think about if their dog or cat gets.

Out right, right, right? Sure?

That so a lot of it is education and making people wear the importance of it.

Right.

It's so multi layered, and in the end, your dog or cat is going to be better for it.

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.

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. 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.

Yes, they could.

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.

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?

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

Dollars, which is very expensive.

Yeah, you know, because a lot of our clients make forty thousand dollars a year.

Right, No, that's expensive, that's like their rent, that's you know, groceries and everything else. Yeah.

So we at any given time probably have one hundred and fifty people on a waiting list to find a.

Spot, right. That's a lot. Yeah, yeah, so, and.

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.

Sure, No, that makes sense.

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?

And you're like, yeah, I have to kind.

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?

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 have prevented it if you did something that was so simple. And I know many you know, there's you can find

Agree with that.

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 tell me what is positive tails doing for spee and neuter month?

I don't even know if November is spay or newt or not. But we're making it.

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.

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 that do need homes.

Correct.

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.

That's very nice record. Wow, that's nice.

So what we're partingering with all these private clinics who aren't giving us spots so either for free are extremely low costs.

Right, so, which is very important. Yeah, I mean that's all.

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.

That's awesome.

So and hopefully maybe we'll make it to three.

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.

Yeah, we would, and we have an application where Okay, because we are targeting people who financially need.

Us, how would they contact you or get in touch?

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.

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 a fact, and people, I think don't think about.

It, well I don't. I think they don't want to.

They don't want to.

They want to.

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

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 do with them? Well, why didn't you know, why didn't you spay your kid your cat?

Right?

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.

And that's not always the case.

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 about that, want to think about it, but it's really

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 make it really easy.

Yeah, and so like the worst like we just had.

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?

How did that happen.

He had money.

He had money, right exactly, And that's a sad part of it. Yeah, yeah, he had money.

Business.

Yeah, that's terrible.

But there are also people breeding in their homes.

There are people.

Breeding in their homes and you know that same factor.

They may not have a criteria.

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.

Bow, right, like it is online. Right, and people are like, oh, yeah, which is fake anyway?

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.

A lot of.

Rescue groups go to these shelters, these kill shelters, and they.

Pull and they pull them out exactly as.

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.

Is how Yeah, I think so aareness of.

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.

Sure.

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.

Just it could just be bad circumstances that happened to the child. Yeah. And it's the same thing with the animals.

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 and neuter, Like, there's so many things that could come from this.

Sure, sure, it's good.

Yeah, No, definitely, I think just from a veterinary perspective, then a business owner, Yes, veterinary hospitals are businesses.

Sure that doesn't make them evil or bad.

No, no, no, it's a business like everything else.

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 the sheltered, we would we would have no problems doing all of these low cost space of neuters.

And that that would what would it be for.

One, right, that's very interesting for like for all the animal hospitals say in the in the metropolitan area right to do that.

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.

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.

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.

City area, everybody would be doing it.

Or maybe go to our city association and say it needs to be mandatory.

Ultimately, they can't say no to.

Her, right, has that charm? Right? No, you're not annoying? They go, okay, we'll do it. No, it's true.

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 percent of households in New York City own pets, right.

Interesting, yeah, and so like.

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.

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.

I mean, I don't know, I have not heard of that, No, neither, just something I always wondered if.

Right, if Eric is doing it right?

Right?

And yeah, I'm just going to be the mayor.

I'm a single issue mayor.

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?

We're calling it New York City's Fix.

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.

Well, they're so exciting. How many fundraisers have we had so far?

You know, they've we've probably, I mean, honestly, they're since they are the hardest thing of all the things we do.

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?

It's at Little Field.

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.

Where ViRGE is.

So okay, So tell me about the fundraiser.

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.

Later, right, okay, okay, So and it's open to the public. It's open to public.

Yeah.

We will be selling tickets on our website.

And so when people are listening to this, they can get tickets at Positive Tales dot org.

Yeah, okay, probably find out more details on our social media.

You're on Instagram, okay, So we update the most.

And we do welcome corporate sponsorships. Oh good, kind of mine.

That's a very good segue.

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 transition of our of our pets.

They contribute.

But but if you're in the neighborhood, who loves to see that you're supporting local issues?

Yeah and pete Yeah yeah, local, that's big. That's very big. Well, our city could agree.

One thing we probably all could agree on is well most of us that cats and dogs are very important.

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.

Yeah, that's very good.

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.

That's great.

I just want to tell all the vergu employees, you work at an animal hospital, so you don't get off.

You can just bring your pet to work.

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.

Apartment.

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, that's a big thing. By the way, I'm sorry to interrupt you. So yeah, so you do obviously, you guys

Correct correct, okay, and think about adopting.

Yes, yes, adopt, don't shop.

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.

Okay, Erica, you.

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

Them right to make other alternatives to giving your animal away. Yeah, and doctor.

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, I speak for myself and for my emergency team, there's

Of course it is.

You know, we care about all of the all of your pets.

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.

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? You said? Fix at New York City? What did you say?

It was?

The fix in?

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 get more information and to if they want to donate, if they want to volunteer, or if they want to

Maria U