Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Young.
Jeffrey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Graduated from CSU in 1989 as a veterinarian… got into some animal welfare/rights activism for a few years and ended up forming PLANNED PETHOOD PLUS INC. A for-profit veterinary service specializing in overpopulation issues as of January 2119 we became 100% non-profit with mush the same emphasis but, due to the fact that many animals are now being killed due to economic euthanasia we now do about any kind of surgery you can have done. We are not specialist but are not afraid to try our best to help anyone in need. I have personally done over 175000 surgeries and feel very comfortable with about any soft tissue surgery and most fractures. We still have kept with our roots requiring all animals we treat to be fixed before they leave. Overpopulation is still a big issue in America and all over the world. I have taught surgery and lectured in over 36 countries at this point. I have also been involved in the formation of four different hospitals outside of America. We also have a TV documentary series on animal planet call Dr. Jeff rocky mountain vet. The show does reveal what we do day in and day out.
I think my biggest claim to fame if there is one is the spay/neuter I have supported and been involved in around the world and on American native reservation in the states. My biggest concern for the future is the fact that we are shifting human medicine over to the animal field and while it is great if you have money, many people do not… as a profession I feel we are pricing ourselves out of the market and we see a small percentage of animals each decade in this country. I believe all companion animals deserve good quality treatment at reasonable prices. I fear that in the near future, only the rich will be able to have pets or many pets will suffer and go untreated… I take real issue with the large humane groups setting on hundreds of millions of dollars and not offer low cost to free services to the many people and their pets that are in need.
I also feel there is a real disconnect between what we as Americans think the law provides in terms of protection and what really happens in our curt system for the animals in our society… very few people understand that we use 80 plus percent of antibiotics in food animals and we are creating very resistant bugs that cause thousands of needless deaths each year. As an activist veterinarian I have always felt we need to do a far better job of balancing how we treat our domesticated animals. We currently have over 120000 clients and operate seven days a week, with our biggest problem being we cant keep up with demand… clearly showing the need for low cost full service hospitals… I never entered vet school thinking I would be an activist veterinarian, in fact when I entered vet school I was a hunter and trapper and my idea of a vegetable was a tomato on a hamburger. The problem with real knowledge and education is once you learn it, it is hard to close your eyes to the truth. I work very hard at trying to be a vegetarian and I eat vegan a lot also in the end I do not push any agenda on anyone but will offer information and education on many animal issues in the end I believe in the goodness of people and I feel most of our problems do come back to a lack of education and understanding.
I am lucky to have a great group of caring vets and techs and front staff around me that truly care about people and the animals they bring in. I am the first to admit that low cost high volume hospitals are not for everyone. We do not have a lot of extra time to call and update clients and work on the premise that no news is good news. This can be hard but in the end a lot of my staff work very long hard hours and we want to spend out time taking care of the animals in our care. My goal for as long as I can remember as a veterinarian is to reduce the most suffering that I can. Over population was horrible when I first graduated with us killing around 24 million dogs and cats a year. Now we only kill about four million a year, far to many but far better than not that long ago. Our new concern is economic euthanasia and the cost of rising vet bills. We also as a society really need to address factory farming and the harm it does to animals and people. I believe in global warming and fear the future is very dark for my grandkids, but in the end I believe in the ability of humans to learn and move forward in a better way.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As an activist veterinarian I have always had pushback from the status quo. The sad part is I see malpractice and unethical behavior every day in my practice as animals come tome from all over. I also see the greed and the lack of understanding of how much animals mean to many people, even though they might not have a lot of money. I started with a small mobile bus and did a lot of spay/neuter and vaccines and I was shocked at my profession for not liking what I did. In the end it was about money and nothing else and now what I started but in the late 80’s is done all over the state of Colorado to some degree.
The TV show had made me another target for the specialists that think I should be doing what I do, but once again they are willing to kill an animal if you cannot pay their very high prices. I have never had a hard time with paying the bills and moving forward because we have had a real loyal following and I have always tried to be up front and honest. No one is perfect and in have made my mistakes but I have also come clean about them. No matter what you cant be doing 15,000 surgeries a year and seeing another 40,000 clients and not have a few dissatisfied people as a non-profit now we do have to beg for money and that does not come easy to me. I have always been a hard worker and willing to do what it takes to move forward.
Please tell us about Planned Pethood International.
Most proud of having been a major influence and leader in the spay/neuter and overpopulation issues of companion animals. We as a company and my wife in particular (Dr. Petra) has become incredibly good at complicated bone surgeries. We will try our best to save a leg or a life and keep in a financial range that people can afford. We now do heart surgeries and hybrid fixations, the kind of surgeries costing thousands and we never exceed 2000 for anything we do, no matter how long it takes. I feel what sets us apart is that we really do care and we want your pet back in your arms and while money is a necessary part of life it is not our driving force.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Simple… Honesty and a true desire to help you and your pet.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4595 Harlan Street Wheat Ridge Colorado, 80033
- Website: plannedpethoodinternational.org
- Phone: 303-433-3253
- Instagram: under drneuter
- Facebook: under jeffrey young and planned pethood international
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