PEOPLE

Street Vet

Dr. Kwane Stewart provides free care for homeless pets

By Kamala Kirk

Dr. Kwane Stewart has loved animals since he was a child. In Albuquerque, he grew up around dogs, cats, chickens, cattle and horses. “My mother was a huge animal person and for a while she had a ranch, so we always had animals around the house and they were just part of my life,” Stewart said. “At a young age, I developed this connection with animals. There’s nothing more organic than that bond with another living creature.” Stewart recalled deciding to become a veterinarian when he was 7. “My mom took me to see ‘The Black Stallion,’ and I was glued to the screen the entire time,” Stewart said. “When we walked out, I looked up at her and said that when I grew up, I wanted to be an animal doctor.” After graduating from the renowned Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Stewart moved to San Diego, where he began his career as a veterinarian. After a decade, he relocated to Modesto and worked at the municipal animal shelter in Stanislaus County, which was eye-opening for him. “It was during the recession, and I was working in a really depressed part of California,” Stewart said. “Modesto was ground zero for homelessness. I took the job because I wanted the challenge and they needed a vet. I had never done shelter work before, and it was a wakeup call.” Pets were regularly surrendered to the shelter, and Stewart became burnt out in his role, hating the fact that he had to euthanize as many as 60 healthy animals per day. But during his time at the shelter, Stewart also brought a lot of positive change, which included building a brand-new, state-of-the-art shelter. “My vision was that a shelter shouldn’t be a pound. I see it as part of the community like a library, park or place where you can go and get your next family member,” Stewart said. “I started working with city council members and the community. I educated on the importance of spaying and neutering and dramatically improved our adoption rate. I took our euthanasia rate from one of the worst in the country to one of the best.” In 2011, Stewart saw a homeless man with his dog outside of a 7-Eleven. The dog appeared to have a bad skin condition, so he introduced himself and offered to help. That ended up being a life-changing moment for Stewart, the dog and its owner. “He looked so surprised and said that he didn’t know what to do, his dog was suffering, and it was the most important thing in his life,” Stewart said. “It was a simple flea condition, but when a dog has that for a long time, it completely tears the skin apart. I promised him that I would return the next day with my medical kit. The following day I came back and treated the dog in a few minutes, then went to work. I saw them a week and a half later and the dog was completely transformed with healthy skin and wagging its tail. The owner was crying and thanked me for helping. But I was also saved in that moment because it inspired me to get back to saving animals and doing it on my terms. From that day forward, I walked the streets to find others like him to help.” After five years at the shelter, in 2012 Stewart relocated to Los Angeles when he became the chief veterinary officer for American Humane and national director of the No Animals Harmed program, which oversees the treatment of animals on film sets. “They were looking for a veterinarian for the first time in 75 years to run the program after there had been some highly publicized incidents and deaths that occurred on film sets,” Stewart said. “They held a nationwide search, and I beat out 150 qualified vets across the country. There could not have been a more dramatic contrast between what I was doing one day versus the next. I went from doing spays and neuters and euthanizing animals to being on set with Tommy Lee Jones and seeing how movies are made.” For the next seven years, Stewart continued his work as a street vet on weekends and evenings, providing free medical care to homeless people and their pets on Skid Row. But one day while talking about his secret mission on set, Stewart caught the attention of a producer. “People always asked me why I didn’t share what I was doing with anyone, but I wasn’t looking for attention,” Stewart said. “I just wanted to do it to help others. There’s a lot of down time on sets, so I was chatting with a producer and sharing stories of the people I met on Skid Row. He found it riveting, and next thing I knew, I had the green light for my own reality TV show.”

PHOTOS BY CHRIS MORTENSON

Dr. Kwane Stewart is a veterinarian of 25 years who has spent the last decade providing free medical care to homeless pets on Skid Row and other parts of Los Angeles.

The first episode of “The Street Vet” debuted in July 2019 and aired in 28 countries around the world. The series followed Stewart as he helped homeless people and their pets, highlighting some of the heartwarming stories and turning his private mission into a public one. “I’m happy that my work is inspiring to a lot of people,” Stewart said. “I’ve had people from all around the world reach out to me asking how they can help and replicate what I’m doing. For the first time recently, I had two vets shadow me while I worked. In an ideal world, I would like to find more people like me who can start doing this work in different places.” Stewart admitted that his work as a street vet has also changed his views of homeless people. “Regrettably I used to judge them, but after getting to know many of them on a personal level and learn their stories, I’ve completely walked that back,” Stewart said. “Many of them are disabled, mentally ill, or can’t get back on track because of substance abuse or economic issues. A lot of these people were normal just like you and me. They lost their job, their home, then slept in their car while thinking their situation was temporary. Then they lost their car, are on the street corner and it’s been over a year. For a lot of these people, their dog is their reason and purpose. These dogs provide protection, companionship, and keep them grounded.” According to Stewart, approximately 20% of the homeless population (1 out of every 5 unhoused people) owns a pet. The 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count by the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority states that the homeless population of Skid Row is estimated at almost 5,000 individuals within 0.4 square miles (50 square blocks) of DTLA. “I’ve come across hundreds of animals on Skid Row,” Stewart said. “A lot of the unhoused are hassled, so naturally when a stranger goes up to them, they’re cautious, but as soon as I announce who I am and my intentions, they light up. I kneel down and give immediate attention to the animal. Within minutes, the person’s comfort grows, this door opens and we start to connect. They see I’m there for a good reason and I’m helping the thing that is most important to them in their world. They’ll start sharing personal stories with me, and I give them the same respect that I would to a paying client at a clinic. When I walk away, there’s often an exchange of hugs and tears, and I’ve made a new friend.” While Stewart mostly treats dogs and cats, some of the other unusual pets he’s treated include rats and a Python. The most common medical issues he sees and treats among homeless pets are skin and ear conditions. In his medical kit he carries an arsenal of antibiotics, antiinflammatories and vaccines. When Stewart encounters a more serious issue that he isn’t equipped to handle on the street, he will refer the person to a nearby veterinary hospital so they can get their pet the treatment that it needs. “Some of these dogs may need surgery for something like a tumor removal,” Stewart said. “I’ll call a colleague and ask if they can do it pro bono or reduce the cost. A lot of vets are really good about it. For the better part of eight years, I did this out of pocket until I started a GoFundMe two years ago.” Stewart has cared for more than 1,000 pets through volunteer work prior to 2020, when he

founded his nonprofit, Project Street Vet. Now a resident of San Diego, Stewart still drives up regularly to continue his work on Skid Row. He also provides medical care to homeless pets around San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Monica and Venice Beach. In addition to developing United Airlines’ Pet Safe Program after traveling in a pet crate through its system to experience what pets had to endure, Stewart also consults for Netflix, where he reads scripts and creates risk assessments along with necessary precautions for each project to ensure animal safety and comfort. Some of the films Stewart has consulted on include “The Power of the Dog” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Stewart’s latest venture is as chief medical officer and head veterinarian for Papaya Pet Care, a series of full-service veterinary clinics for cats and dogs that provide a fear-free pet experience alongside general wellness care, specialized dental care and vaccinations. They recently opened their first clinic in Carmel Valley, San Diego, and plan to roll out more than 50 locations in California including Culver City. They offer transparent pricing, a membership model for all budgets, and are tech-enabled, including telehealth visits. “We make the office visit experience for the pet and pet parent as comfortable and stress free as possible,” Stewart said. “All of the clinics are beautifully designed with state-of-theart equipment. We’re also incorporating ways to help people experiencing financial hardship to make sure their pet can get the care they need. We’re looking for more good veterinarians to join us who want to make a difference and help save animals.” Looking back on his 25 years as a vet, Stewart has made a difference in the lives of many people and animals. While it hasn’t always been easy, it continues to provide him with a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and he hopes that others will do the same in their own way. “I feel like we’re at a time in society where there is a shortage of tolerance and kindness,” Stewart said. “Little things that used to be built into our society like holding the door for someone seem to be on their way out, and it’s sad. I think intolerance holds people back from doing kind gestures, and I hope to demonstrate through my work that we need to start looking out for each other. We’re all human beings. I’m a vet, and although a lot of my attention goes to the animals, I try to help people whenever I can. One guy on the street was missing a skateboard wheel, so I showed up the next day with a brand-new skateboard for him. It’s amazing what those small gestures will do for someone.”

Papaya Pet

papayapet.com

Project Street Vet

projectstreetvet.org GoFundMe gofundme.com/f/projectstreetvet Instagram: @drkwane, @papayapet, @thestreetvet

Dr. Kwane Stewart is also chief medical officer and head veterinarian of Papaya Pet Care, a series of full-service veterinary clinics for cats and dogs that provides a fear-free pet experience.