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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sarah Sears, Volunteer Cat Rescuer, on Funding for Low-Cost Spay/Neuter and Pet Food Pantry
5:26:29
·
130 sec
Sarah Sears, a volunteer cat rescuer from The Bronx, testifies in support of funding for low-cost spay/neuter services and a pet food pantry. She describes the financial and emotional challenges of caring for street cats, emphasizing the high costs of veterinary care and the overwhelming need for assistance.
- Sears spends about $600 monthly on cat food alone, not including veterinary bills
- She highlights that many people want to spay/neuter their pets but can't afford the typical $600+ cost
- The testimony underscores the physical dangers and health issues faced by street cats, and the guilt rescuers feel about not being able to help all animals in need
Sarah Sears
5:26:29
My name is Sarah Sears and I'm here to advocate for the funding for the low cost spay and neuter and the food pantry.
5:26:36
I rescue cats in The Bronx where I've lived since 2021.
5:26:42
I used to think that there were so many cats on the street because people just couldn't be bothered to spay or neuter their animals, and it took me a long time to realize that most people want to do the right thing, but when a spay typically costs $600 or more for a cat, people can't afford it.
5:26:56
When they're pushed, people will put their animals outside and hope that someone else will care for them.
5:27:02
When you take on the care of outdoor feral cats yourself, it's about much more than just feeding them.
5:27:08
Cats do not do well on the street.
5:27:10
They get injured, they catch diseases, their teeth break off, and their gums get infected.
5:27:15
Cat rescuers buy cat food with their own money.
5:27:18
When the cats they care for are sick, they trap them and take them to the vet, also with their own money.
5:27:23
Even though a few vets give substantial discounts to rescuers, the bills can become overwhelming.
5:27:29
Between the cats I've taken in and the outdoor cats I feed, I spend about $600 a month.
5:27:34
That's not including vet bills.
5:27:36
I lose sleep over this.
5:27:38
I'm not working anymore.
5:27:39
Recently, learned that I'm going through my savings twice as fast as I should be, so I'm planning to get a roommate, but I can't do that until I figure out what to do with the three cats that are now in the bedroom I plan to rent.
Gale A. Brewer
5:27:51
I took one of them
Sarah Sears
5:27:52
to the vet yesterday.
5:27:53
He may need extensive dental work that could cost around $1,000 even with a rescuer discount.
5:27:58
My friends always tell me I should quit doing this, but I can't.
5:28:02
Once you see the suffering, you just can't unsee it.
5:28:05
And this is what you feel.
5:28:06
You feel like you never do enough, and I really don't.
5:28:09
I know people up here do a lot more than I do.
5:28:11
And instead of being proud of yourself for the cat you trapped last week and took to the vet, you feel guilty about the pregnant female you didn't catch in time and she had her kittens, or the badly injured cat you only saw for a second and it got away.
5:28:24
I moved to New York in 1980 planning to stay three weeks and I never left because I love this city so much.
5:28:30
But how could this wonderful city let it happen that all these citizens that don't get paid have to care for its animals?
5:28:36
We need the funding that the council is considering.
5:28:39
Thank you.