Banfield Foundation Donates Six Mobile Veterinary Units to Nonprofit Partners
Banfield Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the charitable arm of Banfield Pet Hospital, has announced the donation of six mobile veterinary units to nonprofit partners across the United States.
In 2023 alone, the Banfield Foundation has committed nearly $2.2 million in grants focused on enabling preventive care, including vaccines, medical supplies, resources and veterinary teams to deliver critical veterinary care as well as spay and neuter surgeries in underserved communities.
“We are on a mission to bring more care to more pets in more places—these mobile units help us deliver that care in new and meaningful ways,” said Kim Van Syoc, Executive Director, Banfield Foundation. “We’re improving lives by removing barriers to care and providing new tools and resources for partners who share the same commitment to free and low-cost care that we do. But most importantly, we are bringing care directly to neighborhoods and communities—we are meeting pets and pet owners where they live!”
The mobile vans were originally part of Banfield Pet Hospital’s test and learn innovation strategy; in late 2022 it was determined the best use of the vans was to support the Banfield Foundation and its nonprofit partners in bringing care to pets and people in underserved communities.
“The vans were designed to bring veterinary care into local communities and make care more accessible,” said Jeff Ellison, Chief Operating Officer for Banfield Pet Hospital. “The innovation work taught us a lot about the value of mobile units, and it also uncovered opportunities to make mobile care possible in under resourced communities where transportation is a limiting factor. Partnering with the Banfield Foundation to solve these challenges has been a real honor—we’re incredibly proud to collectively deliver on our shared purpose: A Better World for Pets.”
In addition to the vehicles, the Banfield Foundation is also funding vaccines and medical supplies in support of community-based clinics utilizing the new vans; grant recipients and initiatives include:
Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) (Baltimore, MD)
BARCS seeks to prevent surrender by providing critical supplies and resources to underserved people and pets. The new mobile veterinary clinic will allow teams to serve neighborhoods more effectively in and around Baltimore, a city with a staggeringly high poverty rates and a lack of affordable and accessible veterinary care. Through nearly 20 annual pop-up clinics held in parking lots, community parks, public housing and community centers the unit will enable BARCS to deliver more reliable and consistent care.
LifeLine Animal Project (Atlanta, GA)
Founded in 2002, LifeLine Animal Project was established to end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable dogs and cats in Atlanta shelters, managing the operations of both Fulton and DeKalb County animal shelters since 2013. In 2019, the LifeLine Community Animal Center opened to provide additional sheltering and adoption space as well as access to low-cost veterinary care through its full-service clinic. The new mobile clinic will be used weekly to provide care to Pets for Life clients who lack access to transportation; the mobile unit will also be used at large scale events to better serve cats. In Fulton County, where LifeLine is responsible for animal control functions, the vehicle will also assist onsite in larger-scale cruelty investigations and neglect situations where animals will need immediate triage and examination.
Maui Humane Society (Maui, HI)
Serving the community for 69 years, Maui Humane is the only open-admission shelter on the island of Maui. In addition to providing animal management services for the County of Maui, the shelter also offers low-cost veterinary care to disadvantaged families. The van will expand care to communities in need through five clinics each week, enabling care for 4,600 pets annually. Two days each week the van will travel six hours roundtrip to Hana, part of the island with no veterinarian but many deserving pets in need.
Michigan Humane Society (Detroit, MI)
Michigan Humane launched their Community Vet Program just one year ago bringing in-home care to pets in need. A team consisting of a veterinarian, a veterinary technician and a social worker visit homes in underserved communities up to twice a week, providing preventive and sick care services and transporting pets to its Detroit clinic for surgical procedures. With the addition of the mobile unit, the team will be able to visit more households and increase days on the road up to four a week, with a goal of serving more than 1,000 additional pets in the community in 2023 in addition to its 16 annual One Health Vaccine Clinics.
Parker Project (Navajo Nation, AZ)
Spanning more than 27,000 square miles spanning four states, there are only three veterinarians who serve Navajo Nation. With an estimated 500,000 dogs and cats that call these desert lands home, many free roaming, the work in population control and surrender prevention is never ending. Every week, a veterinary team along with The Parker Project’s mobile surgical unit visits Navajo Nation communities to provide donation based veterinary services. The vehicle will enable preventive and sick pet care to be brought to isolated parts of Navajo Nation—areas without internet or reliable transportation—and will be used alongside the surgical unit to deliver wellness care during spay/neuter clinics for an estimated 7,500 pets each year.
PAWS Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Founded in 1997, PAWS Chicago is a leader in the No-Kill movement and its robust programs have led to the reduction of homeless pet euthanasia in Chicago by 92.5 percent. Its industry-leading adoption center, medical center and high-volume spay/neuter clinic work in tandem to address the needs of homeless and at-risk pets citywide. To serve the needs of at-risk pets in under resourced neighborhoods, PAWS Chicago will use the new mobile clinic to offer community medicine days.
To learn more, visit Banfield Foundation.