The 6th annual World Spay Day event took place at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) on February 22, 2025. Check out the stats below:

50 cats: 30 spays, 20 neuters – to prevent unwanted litters of kittens.

42 rabies vaccines; 37 FVRCPs – to protect against infectious diseases: some important to cats, some important to people!

42 doses of flea/tick preventative – to prevent flea/tick infestations for the next 3 months.

42 microchips – to improve their chances of returning home should they be lost.

2025 Spay Day Student Coordinators — Left to right: Alexa Kolakoski, Gaby Shpilksy, Kelly Maffei, Rebecca Jaramillo, Xin Rou “Natalie” Tan, Steven Hinkle, Rimsha Malik, Kelly Toribio Varela—Class of 2026

This event was orchestrated by eight third year student coordinators, who wrote grants, placed inventory orders, recruited student, DVM and LVT volunteers, hosted a training session and completed client registrations and paperwork. Overall, ensuring the event ran smoothly.

There were:

10 4^th year surgeons
Students performing a physical exam on a cat before surgery.
13 3^rd year anesthetists
10 2^nd year recovery volunteers
6 first year intake/discharge/operations support volunteers
11 volunteer DVMs from MSMP, Shelter Outreach Services, CUHA (ECC and Surgery) supervising 4^th year surgeons
2 MSMP intern DVMs and an MSMP Gig Worker Volunteer supervising recovery
7 LVTs

The third year anesthetists induced patients, prepared their surgical sites and monitored their patients throughout the duration of surgery. The second year recovery volunteers received the patients after surgery, administered the requested preventative care (vaccines, flea/tick), and made sure their patients recovered successfully.

The first year students conducted intake and discharge with clients, cleaned and wrapped surgical packs and were able to shadow upperclassman to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) clinic operates.

Finally, our LVT volunteers supervised and instructed the third year anesthetists during induction, patient prep and helped the overall monitoring of patients in surgery.

Gaby Shpilsky, DVM Candidate ’26 and one of several Spay Day Directors said, “Spay Day filled me with so much excitement for just how much good we can do for the community in a single day! I was so happy to see all our volunteers walking around with big smiles on their faces, and the gratitude from the families as they came to pick up their pets.”

While another Spay Day Director and DVM Candidate ’26, Steven Hinkle said, “being a Spay Day Director for 2025 was an experience I will never forget. There was a ton of logistics, from client registration to student and veterinary volunteers, that needed to be arranged. I am so grateful for the other student directors, as we relied on each other and were able to make the day memorable despite all of this planning. It was very rewarding to give back to the surrounding community and help others afford veterinary care for their beloved cats.”

Dr. Erin Henry leading the Spay Day event.

The students do an incredible job but without the club’s faculty advisor and Spay Day lead DVM, Dr. Erin Henry, Assistant Clinical Professor with Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program (MSMP) and MSMP’s LVT Section Supervisor, Kelsey Arrison, this event would not be possible.

Arrison was invaluable, as she placed all of the orders for students, guided all of the volunteer LVTs and prepared numerous surgical packs for this event.

Kudos to everyone for another successful year in the books!

More photos can be found by visiting our Facebook page @CUMSMP.

*Information provided by Dr. Erin Henry
Photos by Carol Jennings, Multimedia Producer, CVM