Pets are not like family, they are family. Anyone who has ever had a pet knows that.

Caring for Our Pets

Whether it’s a cat, a dog, a guinea pig, or even a potbelly pig, playing with and caring for a pet counts in more ways than one. Your time together forms a bond and that bond grows into companionship. That companionship decreases loneliness and stress. Both you and your pet get a boost in well-being.

As if that weren’t enough, science shows that having a pet is good for your heart. Literally! Researchers have found that having a dog not only decreases blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels, it also increases your chance for survival if you have a heart attack. Your risk for dying prematurely for any reason (not just heart disease) decreases by 24% when compared to people who do not have a dog.

Is it any wonder we keep our pets so near and dear to our hearts?

Vets for the Homeless

That’s why it can be so distressing when we do not have the means to pay for pet care. Let’s face it. Veterinarians are not cheap and few people can afford health insurance for themselves, never mind for their pets. Thankfully, there are vets out there who have compassion and empathy, vets who recognize the heartfelt connection between people and their pets.

Meet Dr. Kwane Stewart, also known as “The Street Vet”. When volunteering with his son at a California soup kitchen, he noticed how many homeless people had pets. He set up a table to offer free vet care and it didn’t take long for people to line up with their pets. He treated them for allergies, fleas infestations, skin and ear infections, and more.

Seeing how many animals benefited from his services, the Street Vet became even more proactive. Now he drives around Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco looking for homeless pets in need. He offers free vet care, meaning he pays out of his own pocket, turning to GoFundMe for more expensive surgeries and treatments. Hundreds of pets have been treated and their owners are ever grateful.

Vets for Veterans

The homeless are not the only people to benefit from compassionate veterinarians, though vets, i.e., veterans, account for a large number of homeless cases. Data from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that more than 37,000 veterans are homeless on any given night.

A large number of veterans suffer from traumatic brain injuries and/or mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many may be lonely. Having a trained service pet can help in those situations. The California-based Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) has a program called Pets and Vets. It trains rescue dogs to be service animals and offers them free to vets. The program is looking to be a model for non-profit organizations nationwide.

ARF also offers free care for pets of veterans through its VA Mobile Veterinary Services program. Their vehicles are custom-fit as full-service clinics, providing everything from physicals to medications (flea/tick/heartworm prevention) to surgery (spay/neutering) to vaccinations. You do not have to be a veteran to receive low-cost care either. Low-income pet owners may qualify for discount care and even free pet food.

People love their pets and for good reason. Thank you to the veterinarians who go out of their way to keep those ties healthy and strong.

 

Animal Rescue Foundation – A Second Chance for Pets. (2023). Animal Rescue Foundation. https://arflife.org/

Kramer, C. K., Mehmood, S., & Suen, R. S. (2019). Dog Ownership and Survival. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.1161/circoutcomes.119.005554

Project Street Vet. (2023). Project Street Vet. https://www.projectstreetvet.org/about-us

Veterans. (2021). National Alliance to End Homelessness. https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/who-experiences-homelessness/veterans/