Veterinarian Kwane Stewart tends to cats and dogs on the streets of Los Angeles.
PHOTOS: © CHRISTOPHER MORTENSON
The ulti-mutt pet provider
A few evenings a month you can find Dr. Kwane Stewart walking the streets of Los Angeles tending to patients—the furry, four-legged kind.
In 2020, the 20-year career veterinarian launched Project Street Vet (projectstreetvet.org) to care for pets of unhoused people. The organization is supported by donations, and the funds allow Stewart to diagnose and treat pets free of charge.
Stewart administers direct vet-to-pet exams for wellness care and prevention and provides vaccines. “I go to skid row two to three times a month just because I have so many pets there and a lot of follow-ups and rechecks,” he says. “I love it. I love the interaction. I love helping a pet that would not otherwise ever receive care.”—Shelley Crenshaw
Pet care with a purpose
Dr. Kwane Stewart, a CNN Hero honoree, created Project Street Vet to care for the pets of homeless people in his area of Los Angeles.
The organization now has sponsorship, which has allowed Project Street Vet to expand into other cities around the country, including Atlanta; New York; Orlando, Florida; San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, California; and Washington D.C.
Stewart says un-housed pet parents automatically qualify for financial assistance.—SC
