To the Editor:

Sometimes things that seem unimportant at the time grow into something of enormous significance a little later. I think of this when I think of the late Van Robinson and his desire to help even with situations that would seem unimportant to many people.

In the early 2000s, Robinson brought together representatives from several local cat-related organizations to address the growing stray and homeless cat problem in Syracuse. This initiative marked the beginning of the Syracuse-Onondaga Cat Council, organized by him. After studying the issue, it was determined that much of the overpopulation was due to pet owners lacking the resources to spay or neuter their pets. A nonprofit, low-cost spay/neuter clinic was established to serve this population, aiming to bring the pet population under better control.

Nobody remembers the Syracuse-Onondaga Cat Council today, but many may be familiar with Spay and Neuter Syracuse (SANS), which originated from those early meetings with Van Robinson. To date, nearly 61,000 animals, including cats and dogs, have been sterilized, preventing the births of countless unwanted animals. And the SANS clinic is still almost always booked to capacity.

Many thanks, Mr. Robinson, for caring about a problem that few even thought about until it came, unwanted, into their lives.

Linda Young

Liverpool