Novel animal overpopulation control solutions
The Tarshis Foundation is actively advancing therapeutics for disease control and reproductive management in wildlife and stray animal populations.
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Developing single dose, non-surgical sterilization methods for wild animal populations
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Aerial shooting, poisoning, and trapping of pigs, wolves, camels, and other wild animal populations are costly, inhumane, and largely ineffective.
Targeted, species-specific viral delivery of reproductive-suppressing proteins represents a humane, cost-effective, and scalable alternative.
While the underlying technological platforms to achieve these goals exist today, species-specific vaccines must still be developed—requiring investment and adoption by government and wildlife management agencies.
Creating new, low cost options for stray and wild animal sterilization
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Disarmed species specific viral vectors, like those used for targeted human cancer therapeutics can be used to deliver safe, permanent, non-surgical sterilization to female (and possibly male) dogs and cats at a fraction of the cost of spaying or neutering animals.
These low cost technologies would save tens of millions of dollars in state and county shelter system budgets, and reduce the burden of compliance with city and state ordinances for private pet owners.
Building gene therapeutics for wild and domesticated animal populations
Species-specific vaccines engineered to deliver therapeutics and beneficial proteins to wild animal and pet populations offer immense potential to address severe disease in animal populations including African Swine Fever (ASF), Swine Influenza Virus (SIV), and Avian Influenza Virus (AIV).
Humane, Scalable Solutions to Animal Overpopulation
The Tarshis Foundation s pioneering a new frontier in animal population control with the development of scalable, humane, and effective contraceptive vaccines for wild and stray animals.
Driven by a mission to replace outdated methods like culling and surgical sterilization, The Foundation is working to answer a long-standing challenge: how can we control animal overpopulation ethically, at scale, and with lasting impact?
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Improving on Current Immunocontraceptives
Our work began with efforts to improve the performance of existing immunocontraceptives such as GonaCon and porcine zona pellucida (PZP), which have shown promise in suppressing reproduction in species like feral pigs, wild horses, and stray dogs. However, these tools are limited by the need for multiple doses and variable duration of effectiveness across species.
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In some animals, contraceptive effects last just over a year—far too short for meaningful population impact. The Tarshis Foundaiton is working to overcome these limitations by developing delivery platforms that require only a single dose and provide longer-lasting effects across a broader range of species. We are building the tools needed to deliver durable, single-shot fertility control for wild animal populations, safely and at scale.
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Protecting Livestock Through Disease Prevention
Beyond managing overpopulation, The Tarshis Foundaiton is also focused on reducing the spread of infectious diseases from wild animals to domestic livestock. Wild boar, for example, present a growing threat to the U.S. swine herd, acting as carriers for viruses that could devastate agriculture.
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Our dual-purpose vaccines are being designed to not only induce sterility but also to protect against key pathogens by including antigens that trigger immunity. This includes antigens for viruses that affect pigs and chickens, as well as rabies, which remains a serious concern in many wild and stray animal populations.
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Transforming Companion Animal Sterilization
Our third area of focus is on addressing the overpopulation crisis in stray and companion animals—especially dogs and cats—through an alternative to surgical spay and neuter procedures.
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These procedures, while effective, are costly, resource-intensive, and difficult to scale in underserved areas. The Tarshis Foundation is working to create a safe, single-dose contraceptive vaccine for companion animals that could revolutionize how municipalities, rescue groups, and communities around the world manage stray populations humanely and affordably.
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A Science-Driven Path Forward
At the Tarshis Foundation we believe in a future where animal population control is smarter, kinder, and more effective—and we’re building the tools to make that future real.
Where we're at today.
The Tarshis Foundation is currently working to develop the skills and techniques required to engineer viral vectors for the delivery of therapeutics.
Current work involves the use of disarmed Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) to transfect fluorescent proteins (GFP) into select cell lines. Optimization of GFP production in infected cells will help inform the proper delivery mechanism for future therapeutics.
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Subsequent efforts will involve the identification of targeted species-specific viral vectors that could be used to distribute future therapeutics throughout wild animal populations in a safe and controlled manner.