1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

As you know, the New York City animal shelter and rescue system is under a tremendous amount of strain. Every organization is over capacity in animals and bills while dangerously under resourced - including the largest city-supported system the NYCACC. The cost of medical care for basic and necessary procedures like spay/neuter deter potential adopters due to their unpredictable costs. We are in need of large scale, low-cost spay/neuter and affordable veterinary care for any New Yorker in need, including rescuers and pet parents. In addition to fulfilling this funding need, we need the city and state to help spread awareness of pet insurance, its availability, and the importance of insuring pets as early as possibly to help you save on out of pocket care for emergencies (and even routine wellness visits). I have personally undertaken nearly $10k in vet bills this year, a significant portion of which are for preexisting conditions that they won’t cover. Without insurance I could have been in an even tougher place than I already was. All pets deserve a chance at a happy life in a society that can support them. Shelters are being forced into debt or choosing euthanasia because they cannot keep up with the demand. It’s an unfortunate but necessary fact. These programs need immediate funding in order to curb population growth and provide relief to shelters and rescues across the city.