People from across East Tennessee descended Saturday on the Community Church at Tellico Village for the chance to hear and meet one of the top veterinarians in the world, as well as donate to a worthy cause.
Dr. Jeff Young from Animal Planet’s top-rated TV series, “Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet,” delivered a presentation on his practice and advocated for spay/neuter clinics. The event was a fundraiser for the People Promoting Animal Welfare clinic in Greenback.
“I would say that this is our biggest fundraiser to date,” Debby Searfoss, PPAW executive director, said. “We hold several fundraisers every year, but this one has definitely been the biggest we’ve had. We’ve been doing this for 20 years now. We really think that the money that we’ve raised here from this event will go to help about 500 pets in the area.”
The event drew hundreds because of Young’s presentation. The connection was made possible thanks to Searfoss, who lives in the Village.
“Debby is actually my cousin and she works with PPAW down here in Greenback,” Young said. “This year will be their 20th anniversary and the last time I was down here was when they first opened up. It was really great because I got to work with about 50 animals down there the day before. Even though we had a film crew here for me and everything, tonight was all about fundraising for PPAW and the work that they do in this community.”
Young owns Planned Pethood Plus in Wheat Ridge, Colo., where he lives by a “low-cost animal care for all” motto. Working more than 100 hours a week, he built his Denver clinic and started traveling across the country with his mobile clinic, which offers animal care to those who struggle to access it or can’t afford it.
“We’re the first for-profit veterinary hospital in the U.S. that made it mandatory where any animal that passes through our door has to be spayed or neutered before leaving,” Young said. “I’ve been doing international lecturing and training on spaying and neutering for over 25 years. In the end, we definitely need more veterinarians doing low-cost, high-volume type of work because as a profession, we’ve pressured ourselves out of the market to some degree.”
Young estimates that more than 6 million animals die every year due to overpopulation, which is why he is advocating for more spay/neuter clinics like PPAW.
“Because of everything that’s happened in this profession, the biggest threat to companion animals is economic euthanasia,” he said. “Nowadays, it can cost up to $5,000 to fix a broken leg. I mean, who can afford that? I try to find that middle ground and our most expensive surgery is $1,500, which is still a lot of money for some people, but we’re working a lot with people that are on low incomes or may be single moms. There needs to be more public awareness about overpopulation and that’s where these clinics come into play.”
For years, PPAW has held the same standards for people in Loudon and Blount counties.
“We really try to help people in need around this area,” Searfoss said. “There are a lot of families that may not have the resources to afford care for their pets, so that’s what we try to do. We typically help around 6,000 animals every year. That wouldn’t be possible without donations and these fundraisers. We depend a lot on our communities because this really is becoming a big issue, especially around here.”
To make a donation or learn more about PPAW, visit online at www.ppawspayneuterclinic.com or call 865-856-7729. The clinic is located at 6869 Morganton Road, Greenback.
“PPAW does a lot of great work, but they also need help from others,” Young said. “The bottom line is they subsidize and do a lot of free stuff. They do a sliding scale-type of deal for people, so that costs money. In the end, someone has to pay for stuff. I know in the last 20 years, Debby and PPAW has helped over 85,000 animals. That makes a difference in this area and people notice that.”
