WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine Street Dog Clinic is becoming a University-wide effort
Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine’s Street Dog Coalition clinics are fast becoming a University-wide project.
The clinics, which provide care to the pets of unhoused owners, attracted assistance from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), College of Dental Medicine (CDM), and the College of Pharmacy (COP) at the most recent event on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.
“I love collaborations. I like collaborating with all of the health sciences,” said first-year COMP student Cindy Tong. “Events like these really showcase what you can do when you work together. It is so cool … so fun to work with the vet students.”
The Pomona Street Dog Coalition began offering the clinics in 2022 as part of a national effort to provide free veterinary care and related services to pets of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Street Dog Coalition uses a One Health approach to street medicine and pop-up street clinics, emphasizing the health of both animals and humans and the importance of the human-animal bond. While dogs and cats were tended to by a number of veterinarians and student assistants, other health care teams were providing care to their owners.
For example, COMP students on Saturday, along with COMP Vice Chair of Family Medicine Seth Politano, DO, provided free blood pressure and fasting blood sugar level screenings, while WesternU Director of Pharmacy Services and Operations Preeti Kotha, PharmD, provided flu vaccines. Elsewhere, there were opportunities for pet owners to receive relevant health information, hygiene supplies, meals and snacks, and access to other community resources.
CVM Assistant Professor Rhea Hanselmann, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Pomona Street Dog Coalition team lead and faculty advisor, said the evolution of the clinics to being truly interdisciplinary is something of a dream come true.
“When we started these clinics, we hoped to one day involve multiple if not all WesternU colleges. Having students and faculty from COMP, CDM, and COP work with us is a huge step forward,” Hanselmann said. “WesternU has so much to offer our community. Events like these clinics allow us to interact with and give back to our neighbors and, in the process, we all learn from each other.”
For second-year CVM student Lyssabeth “Abby” Lorico, working with unhoused pet owners in Pomona is an extension of volunteer work she began as an undergraduate student. She was one of the student organizers of the event.
“I just love helping people and animals that don’t normally get the chance to get the help that they need,” she said. “They also deserve care.”
Lorico was not alone in her feelings. The event attracted so many volunteers that organizers began turning away additional assistance a week before the clinic took place. Saturday’s Street Dog Coalition clinic drew 51 veterinary students, two dental students, and 18 COMP students, as well as five veterinarians. Together, they treated three dozen dogs and cats and provided care to their owners.
“I think clinics like this are so important for every single community, and I love that we can do it here, since (the WesternU campus) is very close to the community,” said second-year CVM student Lilly Okada, another student organizer of the event. “Everyone deserves to have that animal bond. It is so fulfilling. And it is fulfilling for us to be able to help foster that.”
For second-year COMP student Amelie Young, volunteering at the event brought with it an added bonus. Prior to coming to WesternU, she was torn between her love of both animal and human medicine before opting for medical school.
“It is nice for us to get out in the community and help people who are less fortunate,” she said. “And also, I just love dogs.”
