Loading ...Earlier this week, To Neuter or Not to Neuter was published on Feathers Fins and Fur. In this article, Jacob wrote about the importance of having your pet spayed or neutered. He mentioned that there are free and reduced-cost clinics available in some areas. The Toby Project is one of those programs.
Recently, I spoke with Dr. Andrew Kaplan, founder of The Toby Project, which is located in New York City. This program is named for his dog, Toby, who is a mixed-breed dog, mislabeled as “unadoptable” and hours away from euthanasia. Dr. Kaplan noted that adopting animals from shelters won’t stop the problem of overpopulation. As he stated, “But the misconception is that you’re actually making a difference in the big picture, but you’re not. Shelters are always full of animals and killing animals.” Spaying and neutering are the only solutions that will lessen the number of animals that are euthanized.
Dr. Kaplan shared many interesting statistics about the animal overpopulation issues in New York City. In order to eliminate that city’s problem, approximately 50,000 animals would need to be spayed each year. Currently other organizations are performing 22,000 spayings/neuterings each year. When the Toby Project reaches its goal of operating five surgical vans, Dr. Kaplan anticipates that they will be able to spay or neuter an additional 25,000 animals each year.
One of Dr. Kaplan’s objectives is to make this service as accessible as possible. This program not only offers free spaying and neutering but also eliminates travel for the owner and pets by being a mobile service. Additionally, a small bag of food is provided for the pet. In the future, Dr. Kaplan also plans to provide free rabies vaccines. As he stated, their surgical vans will be “a one-stop shop that is all free.”
Currently, the program has one van that performs these surgeries four days per week with one of those days being dedicated to spaying and neutering feral cats and strays. The Toby Project is able to provide these services through donations and a grant from Maddie’s Fund.
The Toby Project keeps a busy schedule, completing eighteen to twenty-two surgeries each day. However, this program offers more than a reduction in animals euthanized. As Dr. Kaplan said, “When you’re out doing something for free and you can sense the appreciation of the people, it is a feel good sort of day.”
To learn more about the Toby Project, visit their website.
