Animal Posse Breaking the Cycle: Rachel Goyette with the Jefferson SPCA on Spay and Neuter - Animal Posse

Episode 11

Breaking the Cycle: Rachel Goyette with the Jefferson SPCA on Spay and Neuter

Published on: 11th April, 2025
Tune in as we welcome Rachel Goyette from the Jefferson SPCA to shed light on vital animal welfare issues in our area. We'll be focusing on the significance of spay and neuter programs in preventing pet overpopulation, reducing animal suffering, and improving the overall health and well-being of our beloved companions. Discover resources available in Jefferson Parish and how you can get involved to support a more humane community for all animals.

Transcript
Dixie:

Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the

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people and rescues making a

difference in the lives of animals.

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Today we are joined with Rachel

from the Jefferson, SPCA.

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And I'm glad to have you here.

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I wanted to have you on the show 'cause

I specifically wanted to discuss spay

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and neuter and the Jefferson SPCA does

have some really good programs for that.

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And also because you have had

some concerns about the overall

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state of animal welfare in

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Rachel: the community.

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. Definitely.

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I can say when I first started

volunteering for Jefferson Parish

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Animal Shelter 13 years ago now,

so February of:

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thinking, like I became a volunteer.

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I became addicted.

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I was going every single day to

photograph the adoptable animals.

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And it became like a passion.

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Fast forward a couple years, and

then I get married and I remember

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writing in my vows for my husband

that I wanted a French bulldog.

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If a rescue french bulldog came in

it'd be so rare, but I wanted it.

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Now I don't like the breed at all now that

I've really gotten to know them, but they

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come in four or five a week, if not more.

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Dixie: Oh, really?

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I didn't know it was that many

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. Rachel: Yeah.

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I never thought that would be a problem.

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I thought that I don't know, it was

just the things that I thought would

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never be a problem are a problem.

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Golden doodles.

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People always wanted a goldendoodle.

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They're in the shelter now, but

even rescues don't want 'em.

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So the things that I thought

wouldn't be a problem in:

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2015, that's when I got married.

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They now are,

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We're getting worse.

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Dixie: Same thing with Persian cats.

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Rachel: Yes.

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Dixie: Bengals.

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What is your role at the

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Jefferson SPCA?

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Rachel: So I'm the program's director.

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I was originally hired five

years ago for the spay and neuter

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program and the rabies part of it.

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In Jefferson Parish you

pay a rabies license.

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So when you bring your pet

to get vaccinated at the

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vet, you pay a license fee.

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That license fee comes to us.

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It's voted on in the ordinances

and it's split half for spay

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neuter, half goes to the shelter.

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So that's how we have the

spay neuter, program.

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And people from like other

states, Michigan contact me and

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email me like, how do we do this?

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So we always share our information

'cause we want other people to do it.

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And then a couple years ago,

maybe two years ago, I took on

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being the accountant as well.

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I love doing that because it's

actually a task I can start and finish.

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So mentally it helps me feel like I

do some kind of like completion of

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something because I don't know that

spay neuter will ever not be needed.

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Not that I don't want it to not be

needed, but it's just, it's so hard

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to convince people if it now having

like people to support you with laws.

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It's just, it's so hard.

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I also handle adoptions.

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I do it all fundraising, I do everything.

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I love it.

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But some days are really hard.

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Dixie: That's how it

is in rescue for sure.

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What is the mission of the Jefferson SPCA?

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Rachel: Our mission, even though it's

not up to date is the spay neuter.

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Definitely.

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Our mission is actually something

that our board president came up with

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on a whim maybe 15, 20 years ago.

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And he's I just wanna

help pets be in homes.

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But it's more than that.

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For me, I think the front runner,

and we have to talk about it, is

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that it needs to be spay neuter.

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It needs to be reducing the pet population

in our or homeless pet population in

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Jefferson Parish through spay neuter.

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Dixie: Now, can you give us a

sense of the scale of animal

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overpopulation in Jefferson Parish?

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Rachel: I don't know specific

numbers we're partners with J Paws

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in the shelter, but I don't have

the specific numbers from them.

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Like sometimes I ask for the data but

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I can't think, like back in the day,

I know there was probably 12,000

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animals entering the shelter each year.

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Whenever I first started volunteering

and the number has come down, I

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think it's only, 4000-5000 animals

that come in the shelter each year.

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But I think that reason, it's

also skewed because of rescue.

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So that's part of it.

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So I think, like whenever I first

started volunteering, you're thinking

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like 10 to 12,000 animals that

come in the shelter every year.

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That's so crazy.

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And now you see four to 5,000 and

you're like, okay, then we're improving.

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But that's not counting you, that's

not counting Joan with spay mart.

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That's not counting Amy of a tail in need.

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That's not counting us.

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So we are interfering that

they're not going into the shelter

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because we're stepping in and

they're going into rescue first.

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And so that's why part of me thinks,

I can't say officially, I don't know

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that maybe parish officials think that

we don't need the laws that we do.

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Because the numbers aren't that

bad at the shelter anymore.

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But all the rescues are interfering.

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So

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like we are helping the

load by having a rescue.

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So we're helping.

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The parish talks y ou're not

spending as much in the parish money,

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which I mean it's more expensive.

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So like we're still spending lots

of money on the the five or 6,000

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animals that go in every year.

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But I don't think the parish really

realizes how many numbers like that, the

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true numbers are of the homeless pets that

keep going because of rescues, interfering

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so they don't end up at the shelter.

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Dixie: Yeah.

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'cause

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All the rescues are full.

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Rachel: Yeah.

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Joan, and like with Spay Mart, I

mean they were doing an average

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of 700 kittens a year, right?

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Yeah.

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I think a

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tail in need

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broke 500 last year.

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I think we did maybe 210.

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So that's like a thousand.

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But there's other people like

the, whenever they try to do

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surrender prevention so people

don't bring 'em to the shelter.

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So other rescues breed

specific rescues help too.

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So those are out there.

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I guess shelter animals count, if you were

reporting that, but I wish there was a way

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that rescues, you tell your numbers, you

say out there, you put 'em on public, on

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social media and your emails and stuff.

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What you did.

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But that number is not going into

account with the parish to say,

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Hey, this many homeless animals

are still a problem in our parish.

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Dixie: Yeah.

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That

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makes sense

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You also do cat trapping for the TNR.

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Yes.

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So how many cats are you

seeing being trapped a week?

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Rachel: Not as many as I'd like.

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When I first started in 2020 my

board member she wanted me to

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learn like our vice president was

like, I want you to understand,

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like trapping, just so you know.

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And I was like, okay,

like I'll go with you.

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So I learned maybe like a month

or two after I started and then.

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That was right when the pandemic

happened, everything got shut down.

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All these events I had scheduled to

talk about spay neuter couldn't happen.

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'cause I couldn't go to the events.

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So I started trapping myself and I trapped

with the help my friends Lisa and Sue,

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I trapped maybe 650 cats in six months.

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And it's just crazy.

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So I know like in the program, like

every week maybe a hundred cats or

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so come through, like as I process

that on the accounting side are

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coming, but I wish there was more.

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Like I can help people get more

appointments and we can do the

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mass appointments and spay

Mart does sometimes I'll

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do the clinics on Saturdays.

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Like we can find the appointments.

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It's just not enough people trapping.

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Dixie: Yeah.

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I find a lot of people they'll

ask for help and they're not

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willing to do anything at all.

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Rachel: Oh, that's my favorite.

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Dixie: Not even watching the trap.

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'cause I've had that

situation where I'm close by.

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I'll come get the cat.

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Just keep an eye on the trap.

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Just call me when the

cat goes in the trap.

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And they're not even willing to do that.

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Rachel: Yeah.

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Like I made a Google form.

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I don't advertise as much as I used to

where you could fill out the information,

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you could put like your address,

how many cats if you're the feeder.

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And then one of the questions was

like, if we come out there and set

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the trap, can you at least watch it?

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And then it was like, yes or no, I'm not

able to, I'm disabled or no, I'm scared.

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Or something like that.

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And majority of the time everyone put No

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Dixie: really?

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crazy.

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Rachel: It blows my mind because

like I, when I started, first started

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learning, like Lisa, my friend, she

used to feed a colony of Ron Williams.

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And it was so funny to watch her

feed that colony because whenever new

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kid shows up, she put trapped down.

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She'd put the food in it and then

she'd tell all the other cats they

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would go near and she's get away.

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Don't do it.

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And then they would listen to her

'cause they were like, her cats, they

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were used to her, Hey, this is mom.

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She says, no, get away from it.

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And the new kid's oh hey, what's this?

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And goes right in the trap immediately.

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And it's so much easier

for the feeder to trap 'em.

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And they always think that it's

no, they'll never forgive me.

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And they'll be mad at me and I hurt 'em.

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And it's not even, it's

not that big of a deal.

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Like I'm telling you, cats are forgiving.

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Most animals, you have to think about

the abuse that they've been through.

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And like all the animals that we've

rescued, the dogs like that we've

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rescued, I mean like the beagles

definitely they've all been abused.

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They are so loving and forgiving,

and I think most animals are.

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And if you trap 'em after their

hormones settled and everything gets

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better and they're not so anxious,

they're gonna come back around, give

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them like a couple days at the most.

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And like one feeder, I've

had the hardest time.

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I love her.

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I've helped her so many times, but I'm

like, you go there every single day,

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you're in better physical shape than I am.

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You need to be trapping your cats.

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So now she'll do it.

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She'll be like one a week, but

it makes a huge difference if she

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gets that one before it's pregnant.

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You're saving five to 10 lives,

maybe hundreds if you count

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the ones that it would have.

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Dixie: How many pregnant

cats were spayed last week?

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Rachel: I don't even know.

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Pretty much everyone.

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So whenever I processed the vouchers

to do payments, like pretty much

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every female last week out of, 50 to

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So the one colony I was talking

about that's when I was trapping

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in 2020 and it was a colony.

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Behind Labarre Road, in

that industrial area.

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And I went to trap for a nice couple

and we trapped 15 cats and they were

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letting 'em live like in this warehouse.

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They were totally fine with 'em.

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They were coyotes, so they were

okay with the cats being there.

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They wanted to keep 'em in this

fenced in area, but they just grew,

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the colony grew so fast and they

were just like, I can't believe it.

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And then the wife said, like,

whenever you trap 'em, if they're

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pregnant, please don't tell me.

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So I was like, okay.

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So I trapped the 15 cats.

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We went to that vet, 10 of them are

male, five are female, and every

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single female was pregnant with five.

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Dixie: Yeah that's what I was gonna say.

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At least four or five.

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That's the average.

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Rachel: And whenever I released

them back, the husband said,

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don't tell her, but tell me.

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And I said, yeah, you

would've had 25 more cats.

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Yep.

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So eventually he did tell her, and

like she came in and she cried.

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She was devastated, but she

understood because we are so broke.

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Doing all the things to feed 'em.

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You can't touch 'em all, so then you

can't put flea prevention on 'em.

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So then you need to put flea treatment

in your yard, but you gotta do

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something that's safe or keep 'em

out the yard for, a couple hours

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while the flea prevention dries.

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Or if you're spraying something for

your yard, it just becomes out of hand.

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Dixie: Yeah, definitely.

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Rachel: And they're capable.

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That's the thing that bothers me.

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And the excuses of people not

wanting to trap is oh, I'm in my

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sixties, or I'm in my fifties.

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I'm like, do you know the majority of my

volunteer trappers are in their seventies?

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And Karen Lemoine she's a beast and she

traps with a drop trap every single time.

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Like I use a drop trap for injured cats.

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I rarely bring it out to

like trap, just regular cats.

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She'll pull it out and just go drop

it out at someone's house, set it up,

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feed 'em under there for a week, and

then get all six of 'em in one second,

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and then just pull the drop trap.

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And then she's oh yeah, just

transfer me to individual cages.

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I can't imagine the circus of five or

six cats under a big drop trap, like

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flying around, flopping everywhere.

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And like Karen in her seventies,

got her own health issues

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working like two and three jobs.

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Also a pet sitter out here doing the

Lord's work, so , the excuses drive me

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crazy because you've lived there, like you

said, even if you just set the trap and

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if I can just put it on your porch, you

could watch a video on YouTube easily.

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I could swing back by and pick

it up whenever you trap it.

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I don't mind transporting.

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That's not the problem, but I

can't sit there and watch it.

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And you live there.

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You go there every day.

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If it's a place somewhere else.

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It just doesn't make any sense

to me why people don't trap.

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Dixie: Yeah.

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And even with dealing with the

trap, it's so easy to just, it's.

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It's a no brainer.

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You just learn one time how to

set the trap and then that's it.

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Rachel: I've done it where

I've trapped on the sidewalk.

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I'll have a trap in my back of my

car and I'm like, oh, there's a cat.

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Oh, it looks pregnant.

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And then I'm like let me put this

together real quick, and I'll

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pull over and put it out on the

sidewalk 'cause it's a fair game.

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Trap me a cat and then roll away in 10

minutes and hey, it's just, so easy.

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The hardest part to me is cleaning

the trap after and sanitizing it.

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That is the hardest part to me.

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Trapping a cat, bringing it to the

vet, cover all that stuff, everything.

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Piece of cake.

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Cleaning the trap afterwards,

sanitizing it, getting all the

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tape and the newspaper off.

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That's the hardest part of trapping.

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Dixie: What are some of the

misconceptions that people might

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have about the behavioral changes

with spaying and neutering animals?

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Rachel: A lot of people like, they

use the excuse, they'll get fat and

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lazy, you can't use that excuse.

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You're still overfeeding them.

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So yes, like the hormone and, levels of

change and stuff like that, and, they

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will gain weight, but you can adjust the

food and overall that saves you money.

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Less food, in the long run.

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I'm trying to think of some of the

excuses that people have told us.

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Some people just say they don't believe

in it for religious reasons, but there's

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just, there's too many winning things

to not do it, like the behavior changes.

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It just doesn't make any sense to me

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Dixie: I know that you do have some

of these rabies shot drives, I guess

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that's what you call 'em, where you

will offer spay and neuter to people.

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Rachel: Yeah.

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Dixie: What is some of the feedback

that you hear about that, of why

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they don't wanna get it done?

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Rachel: A lot of them are the

typical men that are just like,

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I'm not doing that to my dog.

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I can't do it.

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No.

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I would never.

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But then there's even this

one husband was like, I want

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to do it and my wife will not.

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That is her baby.

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She loves that dog more than me.

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And then she'll say I want grand puppies.

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I'm like, it's not the same.

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It's so infuriating because if they're

coming to a rabies drive, for the

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most part, they need that low cost.

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They can't afford it.

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So it's already like a financial

strain and that's why they're going

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to the rabies drive for some of 'em.

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Or they're like me and they have 15

dogs and you gotta save where you can.

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But they already need things to

be low cost and it's like already

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frustrating that it's like a lot

of the things that you see skin

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conditions one of my dachshunds,

I got Chloe, she was like bald.

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We were doing all the shampoos,

the antibiotics, everything.

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Spayed, skin is beautiful, like

gorgeous, no more hair issues.

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It was all hormonal,

dermatitis, like issues.

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So some of the people that come

with these animals, they're

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like, oh, he's got all these skin

issues and oh, this has happened.

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If you fixed them, the skin issues

would probably resolve some,

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So like a lot of the things that

they can't afford or or she's in heat

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and this is infected, or just the

different things that come up with.

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And if you spayed them in the long

run, they'd be overall healthy

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and it'd be less money for you,

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Be less veterinary expenses.

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Dixie: Yeah, definitely.

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I hear a lot of people too, like

you said with the grand puppies,

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that people wanna experience the

birth of either kittens or puppies.

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They can foster.

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Yeah.

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There's no, no reason to have 'em when

there's all these rescue groups that need

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fosters.

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Rachel: I mean it's super frustrating.

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I overheard a thing yesterday and just

being where I am, like where our office

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we're located inside Jefferson Feed.

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There was a person in there yesterday

wanting to check the status of his dog.

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It was already artificially inseminated

with a breed of another dog.

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So they're making a mutt.

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Dixie: Okay,

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that's a good one.

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Rachel: And

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it was 70 days, 'cause gestation

periods is about 60, 62, and they were

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at 70 days and nothing had happened.

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They didn't want to do X-rays

because they didn't want the

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radiation to hurt the puppies, but.

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What's so frustrating is one of the

breeds that was in that dog, there's

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probably seven of 'em, that one of

our board members, one of our board

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members helps us with the rescue

dogs, is trying to move up north to

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Kaleidoscope canines, Siberian Huskies.

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They become like the new

pit bull in the shelter.

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And I'm just like, you're breeding more

mutts of this breed that we already have.

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The Huskies, there's so many of 'em in

the shelter that are on at risk of being

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euthanized and you're creating five and

six more because it's cute and we wanna

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have puppies and we wanna have babies.

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And I'm like, what about the ones

that you wanna go hold the veins

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of the ones at the shelter that are

probably end up being euthanized?

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If you really want grand

puppies just rescue some.

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It's the same thing,

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Dixie: yep, exactly.

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. Rachel: It's like you pick all your

friends to be like your family.

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Having all those puppies and dogs,

the ones that are already homeless,

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already born, already needing love,

those can be your grand puppies.

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Dixie: Exactly.

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You said something about all

the Huskies getting surrendered.

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So I know people do surrender

for some strange reasons.

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Sometimes

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Rachel: it's not even that they're

surrendering 'em, I guess they would.

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The thing that we're facing

right now in Jefferson Parish.

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We only have the West Bank shelter.

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They are in the process

of building the East Bank.

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They have the plans working.

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I have seen them on the desk.

388

:

So I know it's coming, but a lot of

people, they won't drive to the West Bank

389

:

and they're just letting 'em go stray.

390

:

And then it falls on us.

391

:

So like you and I are driving by and oh,

there's a dog and we want to go pick it

392

:

up or save it or scan it for microchip.

393

:

Of course it's intact has no

microchip, no one's looking for it.

394

:

Dixie: Exactly.

395

:

Now what are some of the common

situations where the Jefferson SPCA would

396

:

step into actually rescue an animal?

397

:

Rachel: I try not to, if that makes sense.

398

:

Dixie: Okay.

399

:

Rachel: I rather.

400

:

Keep an animal in a home

if the person wants it.

401

:

And I could offer them care.

402

:

If they can't financially afford it.

403

:

Like my ultimate goal is like if we

have the money, the donations to afford

404

:

it, I'd rather keep it in the home.

405

:

And then let me offer to help you fix it.

406

:

I can offer, if it has a skin

condition certain shampoos and there

407

:

are things that we can do to save

money to help you keep that pet.

408

:

I usually try not to get involved.

409

:

Sometimes like we have where somebody's

emailed and they're desperate

410

:

and they can't get an appointment

at the shelter to surrender.

411

:

'cause the appointments owner

surrenders are now scheduled for

412

:

Jefferson Parish animal shelter.

413

:

And so they're scheduled three and

four months out and some people

414

:

can't wait and they're desperate.

415

:

And so we'll say Hey, can you send us

a full bio, full pictures, vet records?

416

:

Like you have to send us

everything to prove that like you

417

:

legitimately cannot keep the animal

and you really need our help.

418

:

Not just, oh, I'm moving.

419

:

Oh, I can't get anymore.

420

:

You shouldn't have got it in the first

place, and we always wanna take any

421

:

of our animals that we've adopted

out, we'll always wanna take 'em back.

422

:

Dixie: Yeah.

423

:

'cause I do see that seems to be a new

trend now, where people have the means to

424

:

take care of an animal, but it's like they

just wanna get out of the responsibility

425

:

of taking care of an animal.

426

:

So they think that's what rescues are for.

427

:

Rachel: Yeah.

428

:

Oh, I wanna donate my animal to you.

429

:

That happens all the time.

430

:

Every week they wanna

donate their rabbits to us.

431

:

It's Easter, I'm gonna

donate my rabbits to you.

432

:

Absolutely not.

433

:

You're not doing me any favors,

you're not donating anything to me.

434

:

Like never ever.

435

:

When you're bringing an animal to any

animal rescue, shelter organization,

436

:

you're not helping them by any means.

437

:

I don't think there's any organization

period across the entire country

438

:

that if you ever gave them an

animal that you thought you were

439

:

donating, you were helping them.

440

:

You're not helping anyone.

441

:

I go to bed every night.

442

:

Dreaming.

443

:

Of a shortage of animals.

444

:

I just think that would

be the coolest thing ever.

445

:

Dixie: So how do you address that

when somebody wants to donate

446

:

their rabbit, cat or dog to you?

447

:

Rachel: Unfortunately, if we

don't have the space sometimes,

448

:

I can post it on our pet finder to

help you, do a courtesy posting.

449

:

I know I offer the

re-homing groups to them.

450

:

I try to, ask 'em why

they're surrendering it.

451

:

Sometimes we'll take the Guinea pigs and

the rabbits if we have the space, just

452

:

because we know they're so delicate and

we don't want 'em get in the wrong hands.

453

:

We're scared that people would

feed small animals to like, snakes

454

:

or dogs or anything like that.

455

:

So sometimes small animals we will

take, because we do have the room.

456

:

Dogs, it's occasionally cats.

457

:

It's just, it's on a case by case basis.

458

:

If we have the means, like we had no

senior cats and so somebody wanted

459

:

to surrender their senior cats.

460

:

So like we took it because.

461

:

We had so many seniors wanting

cats and I was like, I'm not

462

:

gonna adopt a kitten to a senior.

463

:

I can't do it.

464

:

So I had no seniors.

465

:

So it's just on a case by case basis.

466

:

If we can help, if we have the

means, if I think that I can find

467

:

that animal home, then I'll do it.

468

:

Spay neuter is supposed to be

where I'm supposed to stay.

469

:

Even though like I want to rescue because

the same thing about the whole completion.

470

:

Like I can get an animal into

rescue, I can get it healthy

471

:

and I can find it a home.

472

:

It's like a sense of satisfaction

that I completed a task.

473

:

And spay neuter.

474

:

I can't like always 'cause of the

people that have to fight with a grand

475

:

puppies and all the other excuses.

476

:

Dixie: Can you do a quick overview

of all of the spay neuter programs

477

:

that the Jefferson SPCA offers?

478

:

Rachel: Yes.

479

:

So we have the Fix a Fee line program and

the vets that are on that program, they.

480

:

Some do owned cats and feral cats.

481

:

Some of the vets on our program

only do feral cats which we're

482

:

grateful for all of our vets.

483

:

We know that some of 'em our vets are

corporations and so they can only

484

:

have a certain amount and some vets

can't take the hit on the commission.

485

:

So I totally get it.

486

:

Most of our vets are locally owned, but

sometimes some of the corporate ones will

487

:

take the hit if they'll do it for Ferals

and it'll be the vet that truly cares

488

:

and says, Hey I won't take the commission

because I wanna help the community.

489

:

So that's pretty awesome.

490

:

So it's fix a feline and that's

for owned cats and feral cats.

491

:

And then the Fix a canine program.

492

:

I'm trying to expand and get more vets

on the program because they're booked

493

:

out like at least two to three months.

494

:

And I know that's, hard.

495

:

We just added another small vet to our

program and I told her, the way I got her

496

:

to be agree to be in the program, it's

like she was scared to do large dogs.

497

:

And I said, you can agree to be on the

program and just do dogs under 40 pounds.

498

:

I don't want to make a vet do

something they don't wanna do

499

:

or don't feel comfortable doing.

500

:

So that's the fix A canine program.

501

:

We have it it's like by weight category,

but if the vet's not comfortable

502

:

with it, like big dogs put next

to their listing on the website.

503

:

Dogs under 40 pounds only.

504

:

So that's fix a canine oh the fix

a feline, it's a copay of $15.

505

:

If it's an owned cat,

you get no vaccinations.

506

:

That's a cat brought in,

a carrier, a feral cat.

507

:

There's no copay.

508

:

Must be in a trap.

509

:

Must be covered.

510

:

It's in the ordinance.

511

:

You gotta cover your cat's

people and that is free.

512

:

And we vaccin 'em with FVRCP

and rabies . Owned cats get no

513

:

vaccines feral Cats get both.

514

:

Fix a canine, the copay is $60.

515

:

But right now I'm covering

their copay for pit bulls.

516

:

German Shepherds and Siberian

Huskies, because those two are now

517

:

becoming so common in the shelter.

518

:

They're becoming like the

pit bulls of the shelter.

519

:

And then we also have another

program, which there are not many

520

:

vets that are on that program.

521

:

We don't it's not one that we advertise,

I guess it's called the Fixed Me, and

522

:

that is a vet that wants to participate

in some form of the program, but

523

:

they can't give like the discount

as much as like the other vets can.

524

:

So it's where we both agree

on a same amount discount.

525

:

So if they will discount,

$50, then we'll give them $50.

526

:

So then the pet owner only gets a

hundred dollars off, essentially.

527

:

So it's like a discount.

528

:

Chateau Veterinary Hospital is on

that program and Metiaire Small

529

:

Animal Hospital is on that program.

530

:

So that's a way that they can

offer their clients a discount for

531

:

spay neuter, but not have to take

the hit if they can't afford it.

532

:

I don't blame 'em.

533

:

'cause like when you have to be really

good at spay neuter and it's surgery.

534

:

I know that some people are scared of it.

535

:

Like Dr.

536

:

Ridel with furry friends, she's

probably of the 130,000 cats we

537

:

fixed in the program, probably

like 15 or 20,000 of them.

538

:

Dr.

539

:

Ridel is done by herself.

540

:

Dixie: Wow.

541

:

Rachel: She's a beast.

542

:

Dixie: Yeah.

543

:

That's crazy.

544

:

Just to think of that number.

545

:

Rachel: Yeah.

546

:

And the program's only been

around since June of:

547

:

Dixie: and just

548

:

How many cats would that have been?

549

:

Yeah.

550

:

If they weren't spayed or neutered.

551

:

Just thinking about it, that's

552

:

just like crazy.

553

:

Rachel: I'm trying to think, I'm trying

to think of the numbers on the board.

554

:

'cause I just updated them the other day.

555

:

We're at close to 125,000 maybe

total since the program started.

556

:

But like 30,000 of that is.

557

:

Dogs and 70, 80,000 or whatever

cats, but like 15,000 of 'em.

558

:

I wouldn't doubt it if it was Dr.

559

:

Ridel.

560

:

Dixie: Wow.

561

:

Rachel: And then South Shore's a big

powerhouse, but they they have five vets.

562

:

And whenever I look at the

whole month total, half of

563

:

it would be like South Shore.

564

:

'cause they did that many,

565

:

Yeah.

566

:

So they have to be, you have to

be good at surgery and get it.

567

:

So dr.

568

:

Wisdom's fast obviously, because she

was at the shelter for so many years.

569

:

Dixie: Yeah.

570

:

And I know when they do a neuter too, they

can just do that in like a few minutes.

571

:

Rachel: Yeah.

572

:

A cat neuter

573

:

is about seven to eight

minutes . If you're good at it.

574

:

I want more vets to be in

the program, but I want to do

575

:

what they're comfortable with.

576

:

But then I applaud the vets that like,

I know that work for corporate and they

577

:

have these, quotas they have to meet

and they're willing to take the hit.

578

:

Whenever I signed up, vetco

total care on veterans.

579

:

And they said this is

the lowest they could go.

580

:

And I was like, I can't

pay more than this.

581

:

This is what the contract is.

582

:

It's the number we have set.

583

:

I can't change it.

584

:

And she went back to her vets

and they were like, let's do it.

585

:

So I just thought it was just so

empowering to be like, Hey, we just

586

:

wanna help people spay and neuter

their pets, because some really

587

:

understand how important it is.

588

:

So I was like, they're

not gonna be on it.

589

:

And then she called me and

she's no, they don't care.

590

:

They'll take the hit.

591

:

And I was like, what?

592

:

That's amazing.

593

:

Yeah, it just made me really happy.

594

:

You really care,

595

:

I get it.

596

:

Like I a lot of people argue about how

much vet care is and how they don't

597

:

agree with it and how expensive it is.

598

:

But at the same time, like I can

speak from personal experience.

599

:

My friend just finished vet school

not that long ago, and I wanna

600

:

say her student loan debt is,

like 25 or 27,000 in tuition.

601

:

Four years of that.

602

:

So it's like a little

over a hundred thousand.

603

:

Dixie: Yeah.

604

:

Rachel: And then my husband just

finished medical school and he paid

605

:

it was like 32,000 or so per year.

606

:

So it's like 120,000.

607

:

So it's only like a 10 or

$15,000 difference between

608

:

vet school and med school.

609

:

Vets will never make what

medicals like doctors do, and

610

:

they have the same amount of debt.

611

:

So just think about it.

612

:

I know that the suicide rate is very high.

613

:

In doctors too.

614

:

It's very high in vets, but they still

have the same amount of debt, they'll

615

:

never make the same amount of money.

616

:

They'll be struggling to pay that

student loan debt off to be your doctor.

617

:

Dixie: Yeah.

618

:

I remember when I was a teenager, the

vet that we used to go to, he actually

619

:

told us, 'cause I was interested in

going to vet school and he told me,

620

:

look, if you wanna go to vet school,

just don't go in it for the money.

621

:

Cause there's no money in it.

622

:

Rachel: Yep.

623

:

That, and that's what everybody says.

624

:

Shelter medicine, they are paying pretty

high for shelter veterinary medicine.

625

:

But then you don't get to

use all of your skills.

626

:

So that's like the downside of it.

627

:

But it's just some people wanna do it,

but then if you lose your skills my

628

:

husband said he'd never wanna be a vet.

629

:

Think about all the different

anatomies you have to learn.

630

:

You're not just like when you're

a doctor, human doctor, you're

631

:

just learning the human body.

632

:

Yeah.

633

:

But when you're a vet, you're

having to learn so many different

634

:

bodies and all I just can't imagine.

635

:

So it's gotta be so much harder.

636

:

But people get so mad at vets

and they're like, you don't wanna

637

:

help, or you don't want to do that.

638

:

It's not that they don't wanna help.

639

:

Like their livelihood depends on it too.

640

:

Like they have to get paid.

641

:

Dixie: Absolutely.

642

:

Rachel: They go through so much

sadness, just like all of us in

643

:

rescue and like they need to get paid.

644

:

They need, to have that

quality of life as well.

645

:

So I protect my vets.

646

:

I don't like when people are mean to them.

647

:

I'm like a mama bear to my vets.

648

:

I hate that whenever somebody trapping or

a cat or something will come and they'll

649

:

post something on one of our community

group pages and say something very awful

650

:

and mama Bear Rachel will come out.

651

:

Don't talk about our vets

652

:

Dixie: It is a very stressful thing.

653

:

And I can only imagine, 'cause

they're having to, euthanize animals

654

:

that are coming in that are sick.

655

:

Need it.

656

:

But that's still gotta take a toll on you.

657

:

Rachel: Yeah.

658

:

I don't wanna say that it

does get easier because I know

659

:

some people it's a hard time.

660

:

I do love to fospice.

661

:

That's my favorite thing.

662

:

I love old dogs.

663

:

Give me old dachshunds, geriatric

problems all day, every day.

664

:

I love having 15 dogs.

665

:

Is it exhausting?

666

:

Yes.

667

:

But I love it.

668

:

But whenever they pass away,

like I don't usually cry anymore.

669

:

And I feel like my husband had to build

me a shelf and I have more passed away

670

:

deceased pets than I do alive now.

671

:

The only one I really lost it and

cried so hard, but most recently

672

:

was I had to do one for behavioral

reasons and he was barely like, two

673

:

And that one, like Dr.

674

:

Wisdom was like, are you okay?

675

:

You never cry.

676

:

It just sucked.

677

:

'cause he was so young.

678

:

Like he would bite me in his

sleep and drew blood and then

679

:

like you could put him in a

680

:

crate

681

:

and then he would scream

bloody murder all night.

682

:

Then he attacked one of my dogs

in the middle of the night.

683

:

'cause I have a doggy door.

684

:

'cause old dogs, no offense,

you gotta go when you gotta go.

685

:

So I have a doggy door and he

attacked one of my dogs overnight.

686

:

So that wasn't good.

687

:

And then he tried to bite my husband

in the face and that was it because

688

:

he bite my husband in the face.

689

:

He can't read x-rays

and he can't have a job.

690

:

Dixie: Yeah.

691

:

My aunt actually adopted a dog.

692

:

And it was like that the

dog ended up having a tumor.

693

:

And it was the tumor that

was causing her aggression.

694

:

And there was nothing that could be done.

695

:

Rachel: Yeah, that makes sense.

696

:

I've had to do one of those too.

697

:

But he had nothing.

698

:

We checked all those things and

thankfully my vet agreed with it

699

:

and so I was like, that's it.

700

:

I can't, like I tried, like he

went to two different homes.

701

:

He bit a coworker.

702

:

It sounded like I didn't

703

:

try and I couldn't pass

it off on someone else

704

:

So like that one sucked

and I did cry a lot.

705

:

He like, he was so smart and

trained, like maybe he could have

706

:

been like someone's drug dog or

something like a police officer.

707

:

'cause he loved to work,

but it was just difficult.

708

:

But, it was strange.

709

:

And he was a small dog dachsund mix.

710

:

Somebody, something made on the West Bank,

he came from the L-A-S-P-C-A actually.

711

:

That's the thing that bothers me the

most is like the different designer dogs

712

:

they're trying to make and then they're

becoming like all the behavioral problems.

713

:

Dixie: Oh yeah.

714

:

Definitely.

715

:

Same thing like with

the poor Persian cats.

716

:

With the eye issues and the

nasal issues that they have.

717

:

And same thing with some of

the little like what is it?

718

:

The Boston Terriers,

719

:

Rachel: if you're getting down

too far in the line and breeding

720

:

things that you shouldn't be, or,

they don't care or what's the skin

721

:

thing that you get demodex whatever?

722

:

Uhhuh.

723

:

So if they have it, they're like,

don't ever breed that dog again.

724

:

And people still do it.

725

:

It doesn't make sense.

726

:

Like the facts don't matter.

727

:

Like they don't care.

728

:

I don't want dis breeders or

say that I don't like them.

729

:

'cause I do know a very

responsible breeder.

730

:

That breeds dachshunds.

731

:

Like she's obsessed with them,

but they're all in her house.

732

:

This is her master bedroom and right next

to her master bedroom is the puppy room.

733

:

And they really are like her babies.

734

:

But you can't adopt from her

unless you have like another one.

735

:

'cause she doesn't want

single dog syndrome.

736

:

You're not allowed to breed they have to

be spayed, neutered within so many months.

737

:

She has very strict rules.

738

:

She doesn't want you to get one

start your own train of breeding.

739

:

She's no.

740

:

Don't do something if you're not

gonna do the research behind it.

741

:

But she's also still in rescue, so she

still takes old geriatric dachshunds,

742

:

just like I do so I don't love it.

743

:

But I wish more breeders were

like her, like she will always

744

:

make sure hers are okay.

745

:

She will always take them back.

746

:

Like, why can't we have stricter

laws that say if you're breeding,

747

:

you have to microchip it.

748

:

If it ends up at the shelter, it's yours.

749

:

It comes back to you like, I

love that we have the Breeders'

750

:

Permit Law in Jefferson Parish.

751

:

Only one permit's ever been sold.

752

:

Dixie: Really?

753

:

Rachel: One.

754

:

Dixie: I

755

:

did not know that.

756

:

Wow.

757

:

Rachel: One,

758

:

Dixie: wow.

759

:

Rachel: That is it.

760

:

So if you know anyone in

Jefferson Parish that is breeding

761

:

animals, I can tell you 99.9%

762

:

chance they are not doing it legally.

763

:

Dixie: Wow.

764

:

That blows my mind.

765

:

Yeah, I did not know that.

766

:

Rachel: Yeah.

767

:

So that's, like you're allowed, I think

one accidental litter, but if you just

768

:

don't know about what happens, which is

crazy to think I don't know, four month

769

:

old cats at four months can get pregnant.

770

:

Mothers and sons will mate.

771

:

That's all the questions that

people are like, that can't happen.

772

:

They're mother and son,

or they're so young.

773

:

No.

774

:

That, just doesn't matter.

775

:

But in Jefferson Parish, I just,

I wish there could be stricter.

776

:

Because it shouldn't fall

on us to only clean it up.

777

:

It's, it's our parish money that's taking

care of the shelter, but why do we

778

:

have to clean up everyone else's mess?

779

:

Dixie: And I think that is what

I'm hearing consistently across

780

:

the board with everybody that I've

talked to that's involved in rescue.

781

:

They say the same thing.

782

:

There needs to be some kind of laws that

help with the overpopulation problem.

783

:

Rachel: Yeah.

784

:

Even if they have the laws, like they

need help enforcing 'em, like I know

785

:

we have like humane officers, but

if we had a whole JPSO, like humane

786

:

division, I would throw a party.

787

:

I don't know, , I'd probably

be like Betty White, just happy

788

:

endlessly, I just seen all the

suffering and like seeing this stuff.

789

:

Jeff Dorson sees it all

over the whole state.

790

:

He posts those pictures of different

things and like those rural parishes

791

:

like crushes me to think that like anyone

would ever think that the conditions that

792

:

they have that animal in are acceptable.

793

:

But even people that are in

our own backyard are doing it.

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Like I know one of the dogs I have,

whenever it came into the shelter

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in 2021 he was horrible shape.

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He's like a cocker spaniel mix.

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Never want to get one of those again.

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The ears are the worst

things in the world.

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. But he came from a over hoarding breeding

case of 67 dogs and it was in Kenner.

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Dixie: Really?

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Rachel: Kenner.

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67 dogs in one house.

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Dixie: All right, Animal Posse.

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That's it for this segment, but the

chat with Rachel keeps going, so stay

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tuned for part two in our next episode.

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And that's all the time we

have for today's episode.

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If you are in animal rescue, or if

you know someone that has a story that

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should be told, please contact us.

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We would love to have

you or them on the show

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. Thanks for listening, and please

join us next week as we continue to

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explore the world of animal rescue.

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About the Podcast

Animal Posse
A look inside the world of animal rescue
Dive deep into the world of animal rescue with heartwarming stories, expert interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights. From heartwarming adoptions to daring rescues, we'll explore the incredible bond between humans and animals.
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