New York’s cat crisis didn’t appear out of nowhere. It was built through decades of underinvestment and policy decisions that left no agency truly responsible for animal welfare. In this episode, we examine why the city has been so slow to act and how bureaucratic gaps and fragmented authority make progress nearly impossible.

We explore what a prevention-first model could look like — citywide spay/neuter programs, nonprofit veterinary clinics in every neighborhood, and a system designed to stop cat math before it starts.

Featured Voices:

List the main people (and sometimes cats!) heard in the episode:

* Justin Brannan — New York City Councilmember, 47th district

Learn More / Related Links

* Watch the full September 2024 hearing on the state of animal rescue in New York City here, or you can jump to DOHMH questioning on spaying and neutering outdoor cats here.

* News clips at the top of the episode came from a 2023 NBC New York segment.

* To learn more about Flatbush Cats, visit our website: flatbushcats.org

* Full episode transcript here.

Underfoot is hosted by Will Zweigart and Virginia Marshall. Field reporting by Sarah Gabrielli, with additional reporting by Priscilla Alabi. Episodes were recorded at Good Studio in Brooklyn, and mixed and mastered by Will Whatley. Podcast art was created by Lazy Chief and the series was Executive Produced by None Other.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flatbushcats.substack.com