PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Beth Powers, Board Member of Positive Tails
4:51:08
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136 sec
Beth Powers, a board member of Positive Tails, testified about the urgent need for affordable veterinary care and spay/neuter services in New York City. She shared experiences from their nonprofit organization, which provides emergency veterinary care and hosts affordable clinics, highlighting the high demand and positive impact of these services.
- Provided examples of preventable diseases like Parvo and pyometra, which can be costly to treat but are easily preventable with routine care and spay/neuter procedures
- Emphasized that investing in preventive care and spay/neuter services is more cost-effective and prevents families from making difficult decisions about their pets
- Urged the city council to support families by funding spay/neuter and wellness services to relieve the burden on overtaxed shelters
Beth Powers
4:51:08
Yes.
4:51:09
Okay.
4:51:10
Hi.
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Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak.
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Thank you for having this hearing.
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My name is Bethhew Powers.
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I'm a board member with Positive tails.
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Positive tails is a nonprofit organization founded to improve both animal and community welfare.
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In New York City.
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We fund emergency veterinary care for those who can afford treatment.
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We host veterinary clinics for people who don't have access to veterinary care, and we provide follow ups, spanned neuter services.
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Through our clinics, we've seen firsthand the incredible demand for affordable veterinary services, the desire for spanned neuter services, and the lengths people will go in order to obtain affordable care.
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They will travel all over the city.
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They will arrive at 5 AM.
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They'll do whatever it takes.
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If they have access us to this care.
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Many common diseases and emergencies that we see could be prevented with routine care and low cost spanned neuter.
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And I want to give you just a few examples from clinics that we've had.
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We recently met a family who brought their puppy to a clinic who was extremely lethargic and was immediately flagged as a pretty in pretty serious condition was sent to a veterinary partner where she was diagnosed with Parvo, which is likely to result in death if untreated Parvo can be vaccinated against.
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A vaccine can cost $40 at a private clinic, treating it can cost thousands, but we were able to help this family out and happy to say the puppy survived.
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Another common preventable life threatening condition that we see as biometra, which is an infected uterus, which is also likely to result in death if untreated.
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We had a client recently who was lethargic and had no appetite and her family rushed her to the vet.
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We were able to help them cover the cost of the emergency service.
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But pyometres are 100% avoidable.
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If your pet is spayed and 20 to 25 percent of intact females will suffer a pyometre before they're 10.
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Unfortunately, the cost of spay, as you've heard today, is is out of reach.
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For many, and the cost of an emergency biometra is significantly more than the cost of a space.
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And I mean, as a small volunteer run nonprofit, we have a limited reach compared to the outsized need in the city as you've heard investing in veterinary care, like Spann Nuder is significantly more cost effective, prevents families from making heartbreaking decisions and relieves the city's over taxed shelters.
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So thank you, and we urge you to support families by funding Spann Nuder and wellness services.