Oct 20, 2009 6:13 am US/Eastern
Local Non-Profit Taking On Pet Overpopulation
'Toby Project' Travels To Low Income Areas To Take Care Of Animals That Breed Uncontrollably Free Of Charge
By ROB MORRISON, CBS 2 HD News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
In the Jewish faith a bat mitzvah is a girl's "coming of age" ceremony.
Traditionally, it translates into money and gifts for the lucky young lady. However, one local girl recently showed wisdom beyond her years when she generously decided to donate everything she got to charity.
"It's not about me; it's about the animals," Emily Orchant said.
Orchant's passion for animals begins at home with a lovable pair of flat coated retrievers. The female, Ruby, is the smart one she says; Marley, the boy, not so bright.
So it didn't surprise Emily's friends and family when she decided to give all her bat mitzvah money to a local non-profit organization dedicated to animals.
"It's something that's important to me that they don't get hurt and they don't get killed because you see all those scary commercials where the animals suffer because there's no one there to help them," Orchant said.
In this case Emily's generosity, which started at home, only had to travel around the corner to her veterinarian's office. Dr. Andy Kaplan started the "Toby Project" eight months ago, providing spaying and neutering procedures for free.
"The largest killer of dogs and cats in our country is pet overpopulation," Dr. Andrew Kaplan said.
In surgical vans the Toby Project travels to low income communities where pets often breed uncontrollably. Emily's donation paid for 36 separate procedures. According to Dr. Kaplan, the offspring of 36 unspayed or neutered dogs and cats over five years would yield more than 450,000 puppies and kittens.
Many of them ending up here in the city's already overcrowded shelters where they face euthanasia after 72 hours.
"The motivation being if we stop them from breeding the shelters see less and the shelters kill less," Dr. Kaplan said.
In that light, Emily's compassion speaks volumes.
"They don't ask for much except for food and for you to love them," Orchant said.
And love them she does.
The procedures the Toby fund provides for free typically cost about $90 apiece.
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