This veterinarian examines stray animals on the streets of California for free to help them.
Sometimes we lose hope in humanity, thinking that there are no more people who care and help others. But we always find beautiful stories of heroes, who strive to prove the contrary.
A clear example is Dr. Kwane Stewart, a 49-year-old veterinarian who spends his free time driving in California looking for homeless animals.
When the doctor sees a dog on the street, accompanied by a homeless person, he knows that it is time to act.
But its goal is not to remove pets from these homeless people, but to examine them and offer them treatment at no cost.
The veterinarian is ready to help, is aware that this person wishes to offer the best to his best friend, but his economic situation does not allow it.
Dr. Kwane Stewart grew up in New Mexico, where he spent his entire childhood saving homeless animals and dreaming of changing their lives.
It was precisely this dream that led him to study veterinary medicine in California, and when he finished his studies, he became a Stanislaus County veterinarian in Modesto, California.
Although he did not foresee this, it was in 2007, when the great recession hit the United States, that he realized that he had to do something else for animals. He saw how, in the middle of the financial crisis, animals were thrown into shelters or onto the streets, because we couldn’t keep them.
Kwane told CNN:
Modesto has been particularly affected by the loss of jobs and the loss of homes, and people have simply left their pets in shelters.
It was the moment of my career that was revealing. Until then, I practiced high-end medicine for clients who could pay everything. But suddenly I was immersed in this economic war and people couldn’t even afford their pets.
In this way, he understood that, although some people are going through economic difficulties, they have a great intention of keeping their animals healthy.
In 2011, Kwane set up a table with his girlfriend and son when he saw someone passing by with his pet, called him and offered him a free check.
Kwane said:
Before I knew it, I had a full range. There was something about it that I liked. I did it one more time before I decided to take him out on the street and walk towards the homeless instead of waiting for them to approach me.
Since then, he has spent hours visiting areas like Skid Row in Los Angeles and downtown San Diego, looking for homeless animals. He is always prepared with his veterinary team, he stops whenever he finds a homeless man and his four-legged friend.
Some diseases he treats are: allergies, infections of the skin and ears, flea infestation, defective teeth and even arthritis. Many animals need treatment, medicine and food that their owners do not have, but the veterinarian pays for everything out of his pocket.
Sometimes he encounters serious cases, which have to be treated in veterinary hospitals and are too expensive, so he uses GoFundMe.
In this way, it raises funds to cover invasive surgeries and procedures that can cost these people thousands of dollars.
Kwane told Today:
I love the job. I do it because it is very rewarding for me, spiritually. I am lucky to live my dream of being a veterinarian in the first place.
So far, the doctor has treated more than 400 animals, in 9 years he worked as a street veterinarian. He has gone so far that many of his stories are documented in his own television series called “Dr. Kwane: The Street Vet”.
This series is broadcast in more than 30 countries and attempts to change the public view of the homeless and their animals.
Many people assume prejudice against the homeless and even have the misconception that they are unable to care for an animal.
The vet also considered this at first, but when working with the locals, he completely changed his mind.
Kwane said:
I had my own prejudices, like many people, about homeless people before I started doing this job. You just make assumptions about their story without even knowing anything about them. These homeless people take better care of their animals than we do. When you own a pet, this generosity is generated. They always make sure that their animal is fed. Medically, this is where they need help.
On several occasions, he witnessed the various abuses that people have with the inhabitants of the street, their pets being their only emotional support.
Many people believe that the veterinarian is rich because he appears on television, but the reality is that he offers the little that he has to help.
Although it is difficult to eradicate the housing problem, for the moment, California has a veterinarian on the streets, who ensures the health of the animals.
Images: Facebook / Dr. Kwane Stewart