What if the best veterinarians in the city actually came to your door with all their medical equipment, ready to provide care for your pet—for free? That’s the idea behind the Toby Project. Created by Dr. Andy Kaplan, (twice voted Best Veterinarian by New York Magazine) and named in honor of his own adopted mutt, the Toby Project is the only New York City-based organization committed solely to ending the overpopulation of unwanted animals.

With its mobile spay/neuter vans, licensed veterinarians are able to provide free spay/neuter services to pets in low-income neighborhoods. The vans also provide education on animal health and the benefits of spaying or neutering your pet. All that the Toby Project requires is a good parking space…everything else comes from Dr. Kaplan and the compassionate volunteers working with him.

This ambitious program, inspired by the successful STOP program in New Hampshire, will reduce the amount of unwanted pets dumped at shelters, the excess of strays, and, most importantly, the number of animals euthanized every year. Dedicated to making New York a true “no-kill” city, the Toby Project would ideally like to perform 30,000 beneficial operations a year. But with each van costing over half a million dollars a year to purchase and operate, the Toby Project is always grateful for donations and volunteers.

To get involved, please visit www.tobyproject.org.