By Brittany Hosea-Small, KQED News Fix/The California Report
The saying “dogs are a man’s best friend” is just a phrase, but to those living on the streets and battling housing insecurity, it can be the honest truth. For people who are contending with homelessness, their companion animals are the world to them. They are their family, their children and their sense of security. But getting proper medical care for their animals can often be even harder than getting it for themselves.
This is where Veterinary Street Outreach Services comes in. Vet SOS is a veterinary pop-up clinic run through the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium’s Street Outreach Services and provides free veterinary care to the companion animals of San Francisco’s homeless community. Founded 10 years ago by local veterinarian Ilana Strubel, the clinics happen 12 times a year. Each clinic is staffed entirely by volunteers, from the intake staff all the way to the veterinarians themselves.
Read the complete story at KQED News Fix/The California Report.
