(Picture Credit: K Neville)

‘Street Vet’ Helping Unhoused People and Pets

(Picture Credit: Sebastian Condrea / Getty Images)

For many people, a dog is more than a pet; they’re a best friend and a light in the darkest of days. So, it makes sense that even those without a home would do anything to keep their beloved furry friend by their side. A California veterinarian, Dr. Kwane Stewart, is helping them do so. For a decade, Dr. Stewart has provided essential veterinary services for unhoused people’s pets, transforming — and sometimes saving — lives.

How the ‘Street Vet’ Got Started

Stewart, who has over 20 years of veterinary experience, started offering free veterinary services to underserved populations while working as a shelter veterinarian in an impoverished area of California. It wasn’t long before he established a mobile pop-up clinic.

In 2019, Netflix commissioned a TV show, “Project Street Vet,” starring Dr. Stewart. The series showcases his work as a traveling, not-for-profit doctor visiting various sites and providing essential services to pets in need, free of charge or judgment.

In 2020, Stewart founded a non-profit organization of the same name.

“During my time volunteering, I’ve experienced some of the most genuine stories of love, compassion, struggle, and hope, and learned a lot along the way,” he said on the Street Vet organization website.

Helping Pets & Encouraging Others To Do the Same

Stewart said estimates indicate about 10 to 25% of unhoused people have a pet.

Veterinary care can be expensive even for financially stable individuals. Even basic services, like flea treatment, can be inaccessible for those with insufficient resources.

“This work has been life-changing and truly inspiring but has also come with many challenges. Some of the pets I come across need treatment, sometimes life-saving treatment, that can be very costly, and it’s hard to say ‘no’ to a pet that’s truly in need,” Dr. Stewart said on the website. “That is why we started Project Street Vet — to shine a light on these stories and encourage others to give back a little, too.”

In addition to Project Street Vet and working as a veterinary consultant for Netflix, Dr. Stewart owns and operates his private practice, Papaya Pet Care.

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