Veterinary enterprises and organizations are essential for maintaining pets' well-being, relying on a careful blend of medical proficiency, compassionate treatment, and efficient administration. Strong leadership in this field influences the standard of pet care and supports the professional growth of teams. Industry leaders also cultivate an environment conducive to innovation while staying abreast of the latest advancements in veterinary medicine.

Various veterinary businesses and organizations recently announced new promotions and appointments. The following 5 individuals are among those making career advancements:

Linda Rhodes, VMD, PhD, board of directors member at Akston Biosciences

Linda Rhodes, VMD, PhD, board of directors member at Akston Biosciences. (Photo courtesy of Akston Biosciences and Business Wire)

Akston Biosciences’—a developer and manufacturer of protein therapeutics for veterinary use—recently appointed Linda Rhodes to its board of directors. With 30 years of experience, Rhodes has founded several organizations, including AlcheraBio, Feather in Her Cap, and Aratana Therapeutics. She also developed and obtained FDA approval for 3 drugs in a span of 5 years, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Michelson Prize and Grants, where she has has worked to advance the discovery of a single injection treatment for permanent sterilization of male and female felines and canines. Moreover, Rhodes has been honored by the Animal Health Corridor with the Iron Paw Award for her lifetime achievement in animal health.

“Akston is dedicated to accelerating the pace of innovation in animal health, building on our ultra-long acting dog and cat insulins that we licensed to Dechra Pharmaceuticals,” Todd Zion, PhD, president and CEO of Akston Biosciences said in a news release.

“Linda’s experience in how to accelerate high quality drug development in a small company environment will be valuable as we develop our crop of new candidates.”

“I enjoy working with early-stage companies that have innovative solutions for animal health unmet needs. Akston combines a track record of inventing pioneering new therapies with the in-house capabilities critical to successful development to commercial manufacturing. I look forward to helping Akston leverage cutting-edge science to bring its products rapidly to market,” expressed Rhodes in the release.

Yvonne Hsu, MBA, president and general manager at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, United States

Yvonne Hsu began her new position as the new president and general manager of Hill’s Pet Nutrition US division, a science-led dog and cat nutrition company, in May 2024. With 25 years of tenure at Hill’s parent company and an MBA from the Samuel Curtis (SC) Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, Hsu takes on the new role as a strategic business leader with a track record of achieving substantial portfolio growth for multiple brands, according to a news release.

Hsu last served as the executive vice president of global innovation and growth at Hill’s, where she led the strategy for the company’s brands, innovation, digital transformation, and analytics. With her leadership, Hill’s 2025 strategic plan and efforts to fulfill the plan were formed.

Additionally, Hsu played a fundamental role in the company’s implementation of a new Brand Promise Framework, comprehensive 3-year innovation grids, continued expansion of its digital ecosystem, and the construction of Hill’s data foundation. This creation of digital and analytics capabilities has driven growth for Hill’s and positively influenced the broader parent enterprise—Colgate-Palmolive.

Douglas Gladue, PhD, vice president of veterinary pharmaceutical development at Seek Labs

Seek Labs, a healthcare innovation firm specializing in advanced point-of-care molecular diagnostic systems and new CRISPR-based pharmaceutical technology, recently welcomed Douglas Gladue as its new vice president of veterinary pharmaceutical development. As a globally renowned virologist and specialist in African Swine Fever (ASF) research and development, Gladue will leverage his expertise in ASF vaccine research to lead Seek Labs' efforts in advancing CRISPR-based veterinary pharmaceutical projects.

“I am excited to join Seek Labs and lead veterinary pharmaceutical development,” Gladue said in a news release.

 “Seek Labs is trailblazing new solutions for complex viral diseases like African Swine Fever with their CRISPR technology approach. Seek Labs’ unique approach shows great promise to develop a targeted and effective solution for ASF as well as other agricultural diseases.”

Before joining Seek Labs, Gladue spearheaded the development and commercialization of vaccines for foreign animal diseases at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center within the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in pioneering and successfully launching the first and second live-attenuated vaccines for African Swine Fever (ASF). For his accomplishments in his ASF vaccine, Gladue received the Arthur S. Flemming award—an achievement attained by few ARS recipients in history.

Robin Bennett, CPDT-KA, Blue-9 Pet Products

Robin Bennett, CPDT-KA, Blue-9 Pet Products (Photo courtesy of Blue-9 Pet Products)

Blue-9 Pet Products, a developer of dog training products, expressed its excitement in announcing the arrival of Robin Bennett, speaker, author, educator, and Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), to its team. With extensive experience in dog training and behavior, as well as a background in education, Bennett will concentrate on strategic planning, crafting compelling and informative content, devising innovative marketing campaigns, broadening Blue-9 Pet Product’s outreach to new customers, and delivering practical advice based on effective training methods to customers.

"I am delighted to join Blue-9 Pet Products and contribute to their mission of supporting dog owners with reliable and effective training resources," said Bennett, in an organizational release.

 "I look forward to sharing my passion for dog training and helping pet owners achieve their training goals."

"We are thrilled to have Robin on board," said David Blake, CEO of Blue-9 Pet Products. "Her knowledge and experience align perfectly with our commitment to promoting the well-being of dogs and enhancing the bond between pets and their owners."

Janis Shinkawa, DVM, CPA (HI), chair of the 2024-2025 NAWBO board of directors

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) has instituted Janis Shinkawa as chair of the 2024-2025 NAWBO board of directors. NAWBO represents 13 million women business owners nationwide, with its membership encompassing their business size, stage of business development, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, geographic business locations, political perspectives influencing policy views, and sectors and communities served.

Currently, Shinkawa is the medical director and founding partner of Ohana Pet Hospital, as well as the founder of the Lokahi Foundation, a 501c(3) organization that focuses on training and providing wellness education to veterinarians and support staff. She also owns VETLevelUP, a startup software company that provides a digital development tool for the veterinary industry.

"NAWBO stays strong through our commitment to our three pillars: advocacy, leadership, and education," Shinkawa said in a news release.

“As an organization, we know when women do well, economies do well, and it takes a community of people dedicated to ensuring a vibrant ecosystem for women business owners.”

“As I lead this organization, we focus our advocacy efforts on the microbusiness owner. More than 90% of NAWBO's women-owned businesses are micro-businesses, and by giving these businesses the resources to grow, we will see an opportunity to increase wealth in our most underserved populations," she continued.

Dr Linda Rhodes joins Akston Biosciences’ Board of Directors. News release. Akston Biosciences. June 17, 2024. Accessed June 27, 2024. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240617672000/en/Dr.-Linda-Rhodes-Joins-Akston-Biosciences’-Board-of-Directors

Hill’s Pet Nutrition announces promotion of Yvonne Hsu as U.S. president and general manager. News release. Hill’s Pet Nutrition. June 27, 2024.

Renowned African Swine Fever researcher, Douglas Gladue, PhD, joins Seek Labs as vice president of veterinary pharmaceutical development. News release. Seek Labs. June 3, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240603139557/en/Renowned-African-Swine-Fever-Researcher-Douglas-Gladue-PhD-joins-Seek-Labs-as-Vice-President-of-Veterinary-Pharmaceutical-Development

Robin Bennett, CPDT-KA, joins Blue-9 Pet Products Team. News release. Blue-9 Pet Products. June 25, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robin-bennett-cpdt-ka-joins-blue-9-pet-products-team-302180693.html

NAWBO Installs Dr. Janis Shinkawa to the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. News release. National Association of Women Business Owners. June 4, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/content/prnj-sso/prnj-login-page.html?fromURI=https%3A%2F%2Fidm.cision.com%2Fapp%2Fcisionn0151c_prnewswiremediaforjournalists_1%2Fexk2vqyy7ypaAdkm42p7%2Fsso%2Fsaml

Articles

Check out the latest news in the veterinary industry with these 5 recent position promotions

Paws and profits: Highlighting new business achievements in the veterinary industry 

Photo illustration: TensorSpark/Adobe Stock

If you surveyed practice managers handling the human resources duties of their practice, you would likely find that employee engagement, retention, and turnover are top issues of concern. A recent survey by Joblist supports these concerns, finding that 40% of baby boomers, 27% of Gen X, 40% of millennials, and 44% of Gen Z employees were considering leaving their current employer for a new one.

 What can stop the exodus and improve engagement? 

The exodus of workers quitting—often referred to as the Great Resignation—can be stemmed with various strategies aimed at addressing the underlying reasons why employees are choosing to leave their jobs. Implementing a rewards and recognition (R&R) program can address some of the issues causing team members to quit. However, it must be done correctly to be effective. 

To create an effective R&R program, you must follow a few guidelines. Namely, the program must be tied to your practice’s mission and strategic plans, be based on shared goals and realtime observations of desired behaviors, offer choices for your team’s diverse interests, and utilize data and measurable goals. It sounds like a tall order to fill, but more than just the team will benefit if done correctly. A well-orchestrated R&R program can achieve the following: 

Build up your brand and employee loyalty 

Demonstrate what the practice culture is to all employees 

Enhance the learning and development of personnel 

Increase employee engagement • Improve productivity and profitability 

Improve the business’s ability to attract and retain employees 

Drive behavioral change and facilitate implementation of change management projects 

Reduce stress, absenteeism, and turnover 

Given all these benefits, what stops you from developing your R&R program? The process can be simplified by looking at common R&R programs in other industries, such as formal, informal, and day-to-day approaches. Formal R&R programs include traditional career achievement awards or the milestones people are recognized for, such as length of service, retirement, public service, and attendance. Informal R&R is casual and spontaneous but still sincere. Examples of informal R&R are a handwritten letter of appreciation, a paid day off for a job well done, a special parking space, or tickets to a local event. Day-to-day R&R is what transpires between coworkers; for example, a sincere “thank you” or a peer-to-peer recognition system, such as posting a gold star when someone goes above and beyond their daily job duties. 

The list of potential R&R ideas is endless. A Google search will produce more ideas than you can imagine. This is a great resource when working within a budget, which any R&R program needs. Typically, 0.5% to 1.0% of payroll is set aside for these programs. R&R programs must be designed to keep things fair and measurable and be linked to business goals. One would not want to set up a budget that is blown within the first quarter due to a lack of program design or mismanagement. 

Poor design of the program can lead to negative consequences, such as an employee’s ability to game the system, as well as demotivation, loss of support from the top, and “foul” or “unfair” claims from the team. On the other hand, the design may be strong, but the presentation is weak, resulting in another type of failure—a form of “no bang for the buck” syndrome. Consider a person who has achieved a goal worthy of an R&R, then consider the result if the R&R is quietly slipped in their mailbox unbeknownst to anyone else. Do you think there will be a ripple effect throughout the team? Hardly. 

Consider the presentation in the design of your programs. You want to achieve a “wow” moment, whereby the team knows who is getting the reward, why they are getting it, and why the contribution is vital to patient care, client service, and business growth. R&R presentations are conducted for a return on the investment in the program. Keeping it under wraps only snuffs out the flame, whereas announcing with a little panache can fan the flame for more high achievers. 

Every coin has a flip side. The flip side of R&R is consequences, which should be established for when goals are not met. Team members can be held accountable when goals are clearly defined and performance metrics are monitored. 

Consequences are a form of recognition for poor performance or behavior. Consequences may be in the form of discipline, such as negative reinforcement or punishment, to reduce undesired behavior. A word of caution is needed here. Consequences can be overapplied in the form of public criticism and threats. Avoid stating any consequences you do not intend to follow through with, such as threatening termination when you both know you won’t carry through with it. 

Most consequences are in the form of reprimands, warnings, or performance improvement plans. Starting with your standard operating procedures and policies, you inform the employee of the policy, document the behavior that is not up to policy standards, arrange for coaching or learning the skills required, establish a time line, and follow up on the progress. 

Holding your team members accountable requires their knowledge of what is expected of them. Written policies, job descriptions, regulations, ongoing feedback, rewarding outstanding work, establishing performance standards, and penalizing poor performance are all necessary for accountability. Failure to hold people accountable places patient care, client service, and business goals at risk.

The 3 rules for a R&R program include the following: 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to rewards and recognition. 

R&R should be valued and desired by the employee. 

There is an inherent complexity in generalizing any group. 

For example, consider the baby boomer group; numerous ideas exist about how this group functions because of loyalty and sticking with 1 employer for their entire work career. Suggested R&R programs focus on health care, retirement benefits, and promotions with titles. However, refer to rule No. 1, and you will quickly find that some baby boomers have no plans to retire, whereas others will retire as soon as possible. Now, what do you do for R&R? 

Gen Xers may be dealing with sending their children off to college while moving their aging parents into a retirement home or their own residence. They are concerned with financial planning and retirement savings, and they not only want opportunities to grow professionally but also flexibility to tend to personal obligations. 

Millenials also may be dealing with mortgages, student debt, and having children. They value mentorship, flexibility, and skill development. 

Gen-Z, the youngest in the workforce, value workplace diversity, inclusion, and authenticity. They are deciding between college vs vocational training and navigating what adulting will cost them when payments start on their student debt, along with other cost-of-living expenses. 

Generational differences are not the only dominating factor when determining what rewards to offer or how to deliver recognition—life stages also come into play. These would be stages such as expectant parents, raising young children, and being responsible for the care of older adults. You can probably think of a millennial who is involved in providing care for an older parent or grandparent, or a baby boomer who is now raising their young grandchild. The rules would apply to these 2 examples. 

To develop your R&R program, you should analyze your workforce and understand individual behaviors, generational group tendencies, and life stages to create a program that satisfies everyone. The wide array of choices can make it easy to become discouraged. Incentives may include cash, gift cards, paid time off, travel, flexible work options, entertainment, dining, merchandise, and education opportunities.

Different people desire and value different rewards, and things can get complicated when you generalize your team into a single group with 1 or 2 rewards. For example, say a cash bonus for scheduling more dentals appointments is announced. Perhaps this is popular for the first month but is all but forgotten a few months later, and some employees did not even realize that the bonus was included in their paychecks. This program is lacking a complete R&R strategy. 

Understanding that your business must have some control over the R&R offerings, start by surveying your team to get ideas for your unique program. Online survey services offer templates for easy use, or to use as a starting point in developing survey questions. 

You may be surprised to find that everyone on your team wants flexible work hours—but for different reasons. Some are interested in time off for volunteering. Sabbaticals are rated important with baby boomers and millennials, whereas mentorship time is higher on Gen X’s list.

 You can create your own plan or tap into the services of an outside source to help you set up and manage a program. 

With proper setup and management, the R&R program for your veterinary practice should positively affect your workforce. There should be positive changes in behavior across all generations on the team—most notably, reduced turnover, increased engagement, and higher morale. This change in the team cascades to other areas of the business, such as patient care, client service and satisfaction, and business profits. Therefore, creating a R&R program based on a strategic plan is important to ensure success when so many other areas of the business are affected.

1. Grensing-Pophal L. Is your employee recognition program falling flat? Society for Human Resource Management. November 30, 2022. Accessed May 3, 2024. https://www.shrm. org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/employee-recognition-program-falling-flat 

2. Schweyer A, Presslee A, Atefi Y. General expectations of incentives. Incentive Research Foundation. Accessed May 3, 2024. https://theirf.org/research_post/generational-expecIBEX.Media - stock.adobe.com tations-of-incentives-effective-rewards-for-a-rapidly-changing-workforce/

Employee recognitions can be used to help improve productivity, morale, and a practice’s bottom line

How to find balance between rewards and consequences

Robin A Saar, RVT, VTS (Nutrition), describes the GI barrier and signs of its dysfunction, during an interview at the 2024 AVMA Convention

GI barrier and its dysfunction

Robin A Saar, RVT, VTS (Nutrition) recently coauthored the 

textbook with Sarah Dodd, BVSc, MSc, PhD, DECVCN. A senior scientific communication technician for Royal Canin, she also presented several continuing education sessions at the 2024 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Austin, Texas.

at the AVMA convention, Saar described the GI barrier and its function. She also discussed signs of GI barrier dysfunction such as an imbalance in the gut microbiome.

The following is a transcript of the video:

: The GI (gastrointestinal) barrier is the components of the intestinal tract that are helping to protect the pet from the contents that are going through the lumen. So that includes food, but it also includes pathogens, bacteria, the pH, all those different things, and they are also allowing different components of that luminal content to get through to help nourish the pet.

Some of the signs that we have, what I call GI barrier dysbiosis or dysfunction, can be starting off for a lot of different reasons. One reason we know is that there's an imbalance in that gut microbiome in the pet so, we'll see an imbalance in the different bacteria and different microbes. That can lead to the mucosal barrier breaking the mucus down to the epithelial cells and allowing a lot of different components to get through. So people may have heard that as 

. Everyone usually calls that leaky gut, and that's where we're getting not just the solutes that we want to get through, like our sodium and our water, we're starting to get whole bacteria that can lead to bacterial translocation. So sometimes we can see what inflammation or infection in other areas of the body actually do to this barrier dysfunction.

Robin A Saar, RVT, VTS (Nutrition), describes an imbalance in the gut microbiome, during an interview at the 2024 AVMA Convention

Identifying GI barrier dysfunction

Happy Friday dvm360 readers! Now that we are just a few days away from July, we are also less than 2 months away from our Fetch Kansas City Conference. Join the dvm360 team, our amazing faculty, and hundreds of your fellow veterinary professionals for a weekend of learning, networking, and fun. This is not the conference to miss so be sure to make your travel plans and secure your spot here 

Here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com:

 the news earlier this week that NOBIVAC NXT Canine Flu H3N2, has received approval from the US Department of Agriculture, making it the first RNA-vaccination to protect pets against the highly contagious canine influenza.

 more about his journey into veterinary medicine, what inspired him to found The Street Dog Coalition, and all the work he does to ensure both ends of the leash get the care they need.

 of The Vet Blast Podcast, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, sat down with the team at PetPath to learn more about how digital communication can help improve patient outcomes, streamline communication, and provide an overall great experience for clients.

 of the Veterinary scene down under is now available! Phil Tucak, BSc, BVMS, shares updates on the device making urinary catheter placement in female dogs easier for veterinary teams, and Australia’s first mobile CT scanner.

2024 American Veterinary Medical Association Convention

 attendees on standing flank laparotomies in cattle as well as alternative surgical options professionals can use.

Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) Initiative 

 it has released its first major update to its CPR guidelines with hopes these updated guidelines will create a new life-saving standard.

Wrap up: Canine influenza RNA-particle vaccination receives USDA approval, and other veterinary news  

 to the Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) delegates also passed a policy on the humane transportation of animals.

The new policy will supplant the current AVMA “Transport, Sale Yard Practices, and Humane Slaughter of Hoofstock and Poultry” document, which consists of 11 bullet points detailing measures to be followed for the wellbeing, proper handling, and humane transport and slaughter of hoofstock and poultry, as well as for limiting disease transmission.

The following is the new “Transport of Animals” policy

The AVMA supports the humane transport of animals. It is recommended that best practices be evidence-based and address the following at a minimum:

Animals must be evaluated and determined to be fit for transportation.

Handling methods, equipment, facilities, and transport vehicles must provide for the safety of animals and personnel, minimize stress and injury, and limit the transmission of disease.

The type of transport, transit time, age, and species of the animals being transported, climatic concerns, and the goal of optimizing animal welfare should be considered together to determine routes, rest stops, and whether the animals should be unloaded, fed, and watered.

“We support guidance that has been developed in collaboration with experienced veterinarians, animal ethologists, animal welfare scientists, and species-specific transport experts. The AVMA also supports research focused on improving transport practices that consider the physical and affective states of animals,” read a statement by the AVMA.

According to a news release by the AVMA, the AVMA Welfare Committee suggested the revision to the policy, with the AVMA House Advisory Committee (HAC) supporting the resolution endorsed by the Board of Directors (BOD).

The resolution’s background indicated that the AVMA House requested the committee to evaluate all AVMA policies related to animal transportation, as well as explore the creation of a comprehensive policy, and produce resource documents that offered species-specific and situation-specific information, according to the AVMA.

Inhumane animal transport and law violations

 investigation revealed that tens of millions of farm animals in the United States die before they are slaughtered, with approximately 20 million chickens, 330,000 pigs, and 166,000 cattle dying on arrival at abattoirs or soon after each year.

 According to the report, there is an increased number of deaths that is likely attributed to the extended distances animals are frequently being forced to travel and the rising frequency of transportation. “The main causes [of death] were likely to be heat stress, especially during the summer months, and freezing temperatures and trauma,” wrote the 

The “Twenty-Eight Hour Law,” instituted in 1873, repealed and reenacted in 1906 and once again 1994, requires that livestock be offloaded for at least 5 consecutive hours to eat, drink water, and rest if they are being transported for more than 28 consecutive hours.

 Yet, there have been reports of animals being transported for up to 2 days nonstop with no water, food, or rest.

Still, violations of the law are not rare occurrences. Dena Jones, director at Animal Welfare Institute and animal advocate said violations “perhaps affect[ed] 10% of more of farm animals transported between states,” according to a report.

Nolen RS. House passes updated ethics document, new transport policy. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. June 23, 2024. Accessed June 26, 2024. 

https://www.avma.org/news/house-passes-updated-ethics-document-new-transport-policy?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=todays-headlines-news

Transport, sale yard practices, and humane slaughter of hoofstock and poultry. American Veterinary Medical Association. Accessed June 26, 2024. 

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/transport-sale-yard-practices-and-humane-slaughter-hoofstock-and-poultry

Delegates to vote on policies on humane transport, veterinary ethics. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. June 14, 2024. Accessed June 26, 2024. 

https://www.avma.org/news/delegates-vote-policies-humane-transport-veterinary-ethics#:~:text=“The%20AVMA%20supports%20the%20humane,to%20be%20fit%20for%20transportation

Kevany S. More than 20 million farm animals die on way to abattoir in US every year. 

. June 15, 2022. Accessed June 26, 2024. 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/15/more-than-20-million-farm-animals-die-on-way-to-abattoir-in-us-every-year

Twenty-Eight Hour Law. United States Department of Agriculture. Accessed June 27, 2024. 

https://www.nal.usda.gov/animal-health-and-welfare/twenty-eight-hour-law

The new policy was passed in support of humane animal transport amid an increase in animal transportation distance

AVMA House votes to pass new policy on animal transport 

Pet owners waiting to receive care for the pet at a Street Dog Coalition event (Image courtesy of Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP Emeritus) 

Unlike many veterinary professionals, Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP, emeritus, from Fort Collins, Colorado, and founder of The Street Dog Coalition, did not want to pursue a veterinary career at an early age. He became a building contractor in his early 20s, but by his late 30s, he had realized that was not what he wanted to do in life. To Geller, that is the time in life when people have the chance at a second career, and he began to look into veterinary medicine.

"I loved everything about the idea of veterinary medicine: the compassion, the hands-on aspect of getting to work with so many kinds of animals, and the latitude that was in the profession. You can do so many things as a veterinarian, for example, that you can’t do as a physician,” Geller explained.

After graduating from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in Fort Collins, Geller provided care for large animals and had plans to return to southern Colorado. He was working on mixed animal house and farm calls, but it was not working for him financially, he said. To earn extra money, Geller began working as a relief veterinarian at emergency hospitals, where he realized that was what he wanted to do with his degree. His love for emergency medicine eventually inspired him to open his own clinic. During his time in emergency medicine, he had noticed that although the clinic was providing excellent care, it came at a high price— and for some, the price was too high for them to afford the care their pet needed.

The reason I got into street medicine is that it’s in stark contrast to emergency medicine, where we have all the bells and whistles, we get paid quite well, and clients pay very high prices for our services. I felt the pain of so many clients who were facing economic euthanasia because they couldn’t afford treatment. Of course, we tried to work with them. I started a fund called the Ladybug Fund, which helped people pay for care and emergency hospitals. But then…a very specific thing happened,” Geller said.

In 2014, he was in Nashville, Tennessee, walking across a bridge, when he came across an unhoused man who was sitting with all his belongings and a pit bull. Geller locked eyes with the man and had a silent conversation, leading him to wonder whether he could find a way to help this man and his pet. A few months later, Geller founded The Street Dog Coalition.

Now, 10 years later, The Street Dog Coalition has expanded from its first team in Fort Collins to 61 teams across the United States. Each team offers street clinics in different scenarios in a wide variety of locations, such as near homeless and animal shelters, under bridges, in churches, and even in parking lots. Each clinic’s goal is to operate in a location where anyone who needs it can access to it. Geller explained that based on his studies, two-thirds of those experiencing homelessness stay in a shelter, leaving one-third of the population unsheltered— including people with pets because not many shelters allow animals other than service pets.

"Street medicine is providing care in a low-resource setting. We don’t bring x-ray machines, and we don’t bring laboratories with us. We use the tools that we have to use: our head, our senses, and then finally our heart because it’s all about taking care of both ends of the leash. The bigger challenge is on people’s end of the leash. And that’s where, we were surprised to realize, pet care is pretty straightforward, but people in that situation have so many challenges. And we can help them even if it’s just having a nice conversation with them. That’s the highlight of their day, but now we know we have resources…to help other people,” said Geller.

The Street Dog Coalition is also moving in a similar but new direction with its One Health Outreach. At its popup clinics, the organization will sometimes partner with human health providers to perform health screenings and dental exams. It also partners with social work teams, addiction and mental health counseling services, and more. For longer events, the coalition will provide food, clothing, haircuts, and other necessities. Geller said they will even invite bicycle repair workers to fix anyone’s bicycle to make sure they can get around easier, as most larger cities do not allow nonservice pets on public transport, making it hard for owners to get their pets access to care.

After being in “the trenches” for the past 20 years, Geller said, he knows what he likes best about the work he does with The Street Dog Coalition: Everything is free, which takes stress off the owners because they can get their pet the care they need. For the veterinarian volunteering their time, it’s an opportunity to give back and help their community.

"When you take money out of the equation of veterinary medicine, it is liberating. Veterinarians love it because [money] never comes up, and I enjoy hearing the stories of people I know nothing about and hearing the stories of their lives with their pets.… They’re so appreciative of what we can do, even if it’s really basic stuff. It might just be vaccines and some parasite protection,” Geller said.

Lastly, Geller teased that besides the Street Dog Coalition, he has other projects in the works to help even more people get much-needed care for their pets. He plans to discuss more about these projects on an upcoming episode of 

Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP, Emeritus, is working to help ensure pets from all walks
of life can get the care they need while helping their owner along the way