April 07, 2021 | Glendale, AZ
Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is partnering with Hunkapi Farms in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the city of Phoenix to provide veterinary care for the pets of people experiencing homelessness.
Sit Stay Heal is a unique program at Hunkapi Farms’ 10-acre facility at 96th Street and Cactus Road, which utilizes redesigned horse stables to house dogs owned by people who are in need of housing and other rehabilitative services.
CVM’s Mobile Clinic and shelter medicine programs will provide veterinary care for the dogs who are being housed at Sit Stay Heal. Veterinary faculty and student volunteers are able to provide a wide range of services, including well checks, disease diagnoses and treatments, spays, neuters, and more. The services and Mobile Clinic are supported by grants from PetSmart Charities, Inc.
Midwestern’s part in the initiative fulfills two pillars of its mission – to be a vital healthcare resource for communities in need, and to provide significant, hands-on experiential training for future healthcare professionals through real-world interactions.
“Whenever I see a homeless person with their dog, it occurs to me that that relationship might be the most valuable in that person’s life,” says Thomas Graves, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVIM, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “We constantly reinforce with our students the idea that they are not only caring for the animal’s well-being, but also that of their human family. In this case, we feel our responsibility especially strongly because of the special circumstances involving these dogs and their owners.”
For more information on Sit Stay Heal or to make a donation, visit Hunkapi Farms on the web at hunkapi.org. Click here for more information about Midwestern University’s Shelter Medicine Program.