A brand new meals pantry will launch on Skid Row on Monday, however this one is totally different — this one is devoted completely to offering free meals for the dogs and cats of unhoused pet house owners.
It’s the brainchild of Dr. Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian who over some 12 years of offering free medical companies to the animals of the unhoused on Skid Row and all through California has develop into generally known as “The Street Vet.”
For that work, Stewart is a Top 10 finalist for the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year Award, to be introduced Dec. 10.
Located on the Skid Row Community Refresh Spot at 544 Towne Ave., “The Dog Food Pantry” will allow pet house owners who’re unhoused or struggling financially to take the meals they want for his or her animal companions — offering “satisfactory, constant vitamin” for pets’ whole well being, in response to Stewart.
While it is formally known as The Dog Food Pantry, it’ll additionally present meals to assist feed the cats of Skid Row.
“The Dog Food Pantry was conceived out the easy, years-long statement that unhoused pets wanted to eat higher and extra constantly,” mentioned the 53-year-old Stewart, who is predicated in San Diego however has offered free veterinary companies all through California — and is planning an enlargement subsequent month into New York City.
“I’ve offered free medical companies for therefore lengthy however had uncared for the truth that vitamin is vital to whole well being,” he informed City News Service. “Richard, as soon as an unhoused veteran that I’ve fashioned a friendship with, helped me build out the primary pantry in my storage.”
According to Stewart, whereas there are companies that can come by way of Skid Row with pet meals, it is normally on a haphazard schedule — and in the meantime, “in between, the dogs are consuming their house owners’ meals or scrounging from the streets. Consistency is vital.”
Since January 2022, Stewart’s nonprofit, Project Street Vet, has been aided by Fetch Pet Insurance by way of a program known as “101 Donations.” Through the tip of this 12 months, Fetch Pet will match each donation as much as $101,000 to assist fund Project Street Vet endeavors.
“The 101 Donations Campaign has been a monumental success,” mentioned Stewart. “Our progress the previous two years due to this effort has exploded. With the extra assets we have been capable of practically triple the pets we have cared for. Since myself and all of my proficient veterinarians and nurses in different cities volunteer their time, we are able to stretch a greenback.”
Stewart’s mission to assist the pets of these in want started in 2011, because the U.S. was nonetheless rising from the good recession of 2008-2009.
He’d been the County Veterinarian in Stanislaus County in northern California and was seeing increasingly surrendered pets filling his overcrowded shelter. Many wanted to be euthanized — anathema to why he turned a vet.
“I’m seeing hordes of undesirable pets dropped off, individuals who haven’t got the money to feed them or look after them medically,” Stewart mentioned. “It began to steal part of my soul. I considered leaving the veterinary occupation altogether.”
From these emotions, Project Street Vet was born.
While the brand new Los Angeles Dog Food Pantry is Stewart’s latest reachout to assist the animal companions of these in want, it is hardly his first effort within the Southland.
Last December, he teamed with the HolistaPet firm for one in every of his Skid Row pet clinics. It drew the eye of quite a few native media shops, and ultimately, he appeared on the “Today” present and acquired a nomination for the CNN 2023 Hero of the Year award.
Stewart even acquired a name from a Hollywood producer seeking to make a film about “The Street Vet’s” life.
“The CNN (Hero) nomination, adopted by the ‘Top 10 Hero’ announcement a couple of weeks in the past has been the one most vital profit to my mission since beginning this work 12 years in the past,” Stewart mentioned. “The visibility and heat outpouring of assist has been superb. I am unable to even think about if I win the highest award. It’s been some trip and a profession honor to serve these pets and their particular house owners.”
Those seeking to contribute to Project Street Vet by way of the Fetch Pet 101 Donations effort can achieve this on-line.
