ESTHER: And when I saw the announcement about that clinic, I decided this was the ideal moment to circle back to Flatbush Cats to find out what you’ve got planned.
WILL: We look at the problem from both sides. Shelters are overcrowded. At the same time we've got tens of thousands of cats fighting to survive on the streets. Those cats are not even counted.
ESTHER: On that note, I must interject my longtime objection to the relatively recent adoption of the “Community Cat” program. Municipal shelters – including ACC -- have chosen to refuse entry for “stray” cats – both friendly and feral based on that program. The public’s told to just leave them on the street. The cat will be fine. Well, certainly the friendly cats won’t. Okay, I’ve gotten that off my chest.
Back to Flatbush Cats. Does your group know how many cats are on the streets in New York City?
WILL: No one can tell you that number. Some estimate as many as 500,000, but the City has not invested any resources into calculating how many cats are outdoors. And for several years, they haven't asked residents questions about whether their animals are spayed/neutered or not.
ESTHER: Meaning, the City hasn’t a clue about the extent of the problem.
WILL: We know from firsthand knowledge the problem is getting even worse.
That’s why we developed a sustainable business model for a clinic. We have already signed a 10-year lease for a 2,800 square foot medical facility. We’ll use every inch of space to deliver thousands of high quality spay/neuter and other preventative wellness services every year.
ESTHER: A 10-year lease? That’s ambitious.
WILL: It was necessary for several reasons. First, it’s incredibly expensive to build out a brand new veterinary facility. We’re starting with a so-called “white box” construction. We start with four walls. The design and construction will fit our exact specifications, including a large surgical suite designed to perform high volume surgery, and top of the line HVAC. Most commercial spaces are not designed for a veterinary clinic. That's a very niche project.
And in fact, there are no veterinary clinics like this in our central Brooklyn area. Flatbush is a veterinary “desert.”
ESTHER: Where is the clinic located?
WILL: Great question. We didn't go for the cheapest real estate on the edge of town. We are building a brand new veterinary facility in the heart of central Brooklyn - because accessibility is essential.
ESTHER: Will the clinic be convenient to bus and subway lines?
WILL: Yes, that was a critical consideration. We’re right on Flatbush Avenue, our namesake, which runs pretty much through the entire borough. We chose a location based on population density and access to mass transit. We are near the subway. We are near several key bus lines. You can even take a dollar van (a popular form of transportation) to get to us.
We’re centrally located because transportation is a key issue for many of our clients. We have to be close. We have to be convenient. Many clients can’t afford to take a day off from work to travel across town. You know, if you have to take an Uber somewhere, that is not affordable for everyone.
ESTHER: How about those lucky few pet owners who have access to a car?
WILL: If you're a car owner in New York, you’re parking savvy. You’ll find a spot nearby. There’s street parking; there's meter parking. And for better or worse, Flatbush Avenue is very conducive to double parking. So, you can pop into the clinic. It will be very seamless.
There will be a quick drop off experience because clients will have already signed up their pets. They’ve already got a scheduled appointment. It's designed to be a convenient in and out.
ESTHER: So, location, location, location was Flatbush Cats’ mantra in picking a site. Just how expensive was the location?
WILL: Expensive for us as a small nonprofit, but a good deal when compared to other parts of Brooklyn or even Manhattan. But you have to measure that cost against the clinic’s impact over a decade. We’re in the middle of a capital campaign right now to make a huge change for the next decade in New York City - and that's worth fighting for.
Our fundraising kickoff was the quiet phase, led by institutional and foundation donors, which is typical for any capital campaign. We’ve been fortunate to receive multi-year grant support from several partners who believe in our mission and understand this real estate market.
They also understand that this absolutely has to happen. We’ve received very strong initial funding to kick this off. But the price tag has increased significantly because of inflationary pressures and supply chain issues and real estate costs.
Now we're in the public phase. We're really gonna need support from everyone at every level in order to make this happen.
