OT/Animal: Florida Vet Channels St Francis

[elizabeth]

There are good people in the world after all.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-asecveterinarian-homeless-pet-05051909may19,0,5941972.story
The SUV pulls off the road before a narrow opening into dense woods,
seemingly in the middle of nowhere. But within minutes a half-dozen
people start to file out, each with a dog or cat. In front is a small,
thin-framed woman, her graying hair tucked in a bun. She is cradling a
tiny poodle.

"There's that baby-cakes!" says a woman in a lab coat, stepping from
the car. She hugs the woman gingerly and strokes the dog. "How are we
doing?"

For veterinarian Anne Scholl Mealey, this is what constitutes a house
call, though there's no house. Her clients on this day are the four-
legged companions of a group of homeless people who live in a camp off
Mercy Drive.

"It's my fun thing I do in my off time," Mealey, 48, insists. That
would be the time left between running the Chickasaw Trail Animal
Hospital, practicing full time and raising two sons.

For five years, she has been on a one-woman mission to keep these pets
healthy. Though some medicine and supplies are donated, much of the
expense comes from her own pocket.

"She is a godsend," said Sherri Phillips, 41, who has a cat named
Fancy with a hurt paw. "That somebody wants to come out here and take
care of our animals — it means a lot to us. These are our babies."

The National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that one in every 10
homeless people has a pet — a number that may grow as more families
lose their housing in the recession. For many, giving up an animal so
the humans can stay in a homeless shelter is not an option.

That bond with their pet may be the one thing that keeps them going.

"They know, 'Somebody needs me. I have to get food and water,'" said
Genevieve Frederick, founder of Feeding Pets of the Homeless, a
national charity. "Their pet is often their best friend."

Therapeutic mission

But Mealey's mission didn't start as a noble gesture. It started as a
sort of therapy.

Five years ago, on a late-night trip to a Walgreens to buy medicine
for a feverish child, Mealey was heading down the snack-food aisle
when she encountered a lumbering homeless man. As she passed, he
grabbed her and tried to pull her close.

"I screamed, ducked to the floor and ran," Mealey said. "Some men who
were stocking things came out and chased him out the door."

One caught the guy, and police arrived to take him away.

"I think he was drunk," she said. "He probably just saw a girl and
decided to give her a hug. He didn't hurt me."

But afterward, she suffered a sort of post-traumatic shock. Whenever
she saw a homeless person, her heart would pound. If she were in her
car, she'd roll up her windows and lock her doors.

This continued for months, until one day she saw a homeless person
with a dog — and felt no panic. In fact, she felt no reaction beyond
the thought, "That dog probably isn't vaccinated."

It was an epiphany.

"I really wanted to get over this fear," she said. "And I knew because
of how much I love animals, that this was the right trick for me."

She began by going out with the H.O.P.E. Team — an outreach effort
that helps the homeless sign up for government aid and tries to
reunite them with estranged family. On her first day, she ventured
into the woods off John Young Parkway with the team, one of her
veterinarian technicians and a load of food, vaccines and medicine.
She introduced herself to each homeless pet owner.

"We gave away flea prevention. We treated skin disease. We vaccinated,
and the people were all so thankful," she said. "I'll never forget it.
It was my first time really being with them one on one, shaking hands,
and I saw that they really take better care of their pets than they do
of themselves most of the time."
previous12
'Above and beyond'

Veterinarians, as a whole, tend to be an altruistic bunch. Many have a
favorite rescue group they'll help at little or no charge.

But Dr. Rick Marrinson of Longwood Veterinary Clinic, a former radio
host for an animal-topics talk show, said Mealey's work is
extraordinary. "What she's doing really goes above and beyond," he
said.

Though vets from the Central Florida SPCA and Orange County Animal
Control sometimes pitch in for big homeless events — offering spay/
neuter clinics and vaccinations — officials who work with the homeless
say Mealey is the only vet they know of who goes to the camps
regularly. She'll even transport the animals to her clinic for
spaying, neutering, dental care and other surgery.

Among her regular clients are a husband and wife who live in their car
with three Rottweilers.

"They're a lovely couple," she says of the people.

She arranges follow-up visits by phone, sometimes with such directions
as "Meet me at 2 o'clock at the intersection of Alafaya and Colonial."

They always show up.

These days, she no longer goes with the H.O.P.E. Team — it's too hard
to synchronize her schedule — but she does take her muscular
technician, Josean Velez, not that there's ever been any trouble.

'All God's creatures'

Within an hour at the Mercy Drive stop, she and Velez treat three dogs
and two cats.

Buddy, the poodle, needs follow-up after an altercation with a pit
bull over food.

Owner Laura Aschendorf, 52, kisses the pooch on the head. "I thought I
was going to lose him," she said, "but he's a trouper. Now we just
need to get his teeth cleaned."

Mealey will make arrangements for that.

Then there's Fancy, the cat with the wounded paw, and a 4-month-old
kitten named Brownie, who also belongs to Phillips. Brownie needs her
second round of vaccines. Next is Phillips' dog Duke, a pit-bull mix,
who needs deworming, and Duke's daughter, Snickers, nearly 6 months
old.

"We need to get you to the hospital and get you spayed, don't we
girl?" Mealey says to the puppy, giving her a distemper booster. "Oh,
look at you — you're so brave you didn't even cry."

Velez leaves behind enormous bags of food and treats.

At the end of the day, the vaccines will help keep the animals healthy
and stem the spread of rabies, which can run high in the woods. In so
doing, it will help keep the people and their pets together, happy.

"You know, you can't take it with you," Mealey says as she and Velez
drive off. "And we are all God's creatures."

Kate Santich can be reached at 407-420-5503 or
ksan...@orlandosentinel.com.

Feel the love

Follow Dr. Anne Scholl Mealey as she makes her ro

[Sharx35]

"elizabeth" <efra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:751032b8-e9ec-41e9...@j32g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...

> There are good people in the world after all.
>
> http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-asecveterinarian-homeless-pet-05051909may19,0,5941972.story
> The SUV pulls off the road before a narrow opening into dense woods,
> seemingly in the middle of nowhere. But within minutes a half-dozen
> people start to file out, each with a dog or cat. In front is a small,
> thin-framed woman, her graying hair tucked in a bun. She is cradling a
> tiny poodle.
>
> "There's that baby-cakes!" says a woman in a lab coat, stepping from
> the car. She hugs the woman gingerly and strokes the dog. "How are we
> doing?"
>
> For veterinarian Anne Scholl Mealey, this is what constitutes a house
> call, though there's no house. Her clients on this day are the four-
> legged companions of a group of homeless people who live in a camp off
> Mercy Drive.
>
> "It's my fun thing I do in my off time," Mealey, 48, insists. That
> would be the time left between running the Chickasaw Trail Animal
> Hospital, practicing full time and raising two sons.
>
>
>
> For five years, she has been on a one-woman mission to keep these pets
> healthy. Though some medicine and supplies are donated, much of the
> expense comes from her own pocket.
>
> "She is a godsend," said Sherri Phillips, 41, who has a cat named
> Fancy with a hurt paw. "That somebody wants to come out here and take

> care of our animals � it means a lot to us. These are our babies."

>
> The National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that one in every 10

> homeless people has a pet � a number that may grow as more families

> lose their housing in the recession. For many, giving up an animal so
> the humans can stay in a homeless shelter is not an option.
>
> That bond with their pet may be the one thing that keeps them going.
>
> "They know, 'Somebody needs me. I have to get food and water,'" said
> Genevieve Frederick, founder of Feeding Pets of the Homeless, a
> national charity. "Their pet is often their best friend."
>
> Therapeutic mission
>
> But Mealey's mission didn't start as a noble gesture. It started as a
> sort of therapy.
>
> Five years ago, on a late-night trip to a Walgreens to buy medicine
> for a feverish child, Mealey was heading down the snack-food aisle
> when she encountered a lumbering homeless man. As she passed, he
> grabbed her and tried to pull her close.
>
> "I screamed, ducked to the floor and ran," Mealey said. "Some men who
> were stocking things came out and chased him out the door."
>
> One caught the guy, and police arrived to take him away.
>
> "I think he was drunk," she said. "He probably just saw a girl and
> decided to give her a hug. He didn't hurt me."
>
> But afterward, she suffered a sort of post-traumatic shock. Whenever
> she saw a homeless person, her heart would pound. If she were in her
> car, she'd roll up her windows and lock her doors.
>
> This continued for months, until one day she saw a homeless person

> with a dog � and felt no panic. In fact, she felt no reaction beyond

> the thought, "That dog probably isn't vaccinated."
>
> It was an epiphany.
>
> "I really wanted to get over this fear," she said. "And I knew because
> of how much I love animals, that this was the right trick for me."
>

> She began by going out with the H.O.P.E. Team � an outreach effort

> that helps the homeless sign up for government aid and tries to
> reunite them with estranged family. On her first day, she ventured
> into the woods off John Young Parkway with the team, one of her
> veterinarian technicians and a load of food, vaccines and medicine.
> She introduced herself to each homeless pet owner.
>
> "We gave away flea prevention. We treated skin disease. We vaccinated,
> and the people were all so thankful," she said. "I'll never forget it.
> It was my first time really being with them one on one, shaking hands,
> and I saw that they really take better care of their pets than they do
> of themselves most of the time."
> previous12
> 'Above and beyond'
>
> Veterinarians, as a whole, tend to be an altruistic bunch. Many have a
> favorite rescue group they'll help at little or no charge.
>
> But Dr. Rick Marrinson of Longwood Veterinary Clinic, a former radio
> host for an animal-topics talk show, said Mealey's work is
> extraordinary. "What she's doing really goes above and beyond," he
> said.
>
> Though vets from the Central Florida SPCA and Orange County Animal

> Control sometimes pitch in for big homeless events � offering spay/
> neuter clinics and vaccinations � officials who work with the homeless

> say Mealey is the only vet they know of who goes to the camps
> regularly. She'll even transport the animals to her clinic for
> spaying, neutering, dental care and other surgery.
>
> Among her regular clients are a husband and wife who live in their car
> with three Rottweilers.
>
>
> "They're a lovely couple," she says of the people.
>
> She arranges follow-up visits by phone, sometimes with such directions
> as "Meet me at 2 o'clock at the intersection of Alafaya and Colonial."
>
> They always show up.
>

> These days, she no longer goes with the H.O.P.E. Team � it's too hard
> to synchronize her schedule � but she does take her muscular

> technician, Josean Velez, not that there's ever been any trouble.
>
> 'All God's creatures'
>
> Within an hour at the Mercy Drive stop, she and Velez treat three dogs
> and two cats.
>
> Buddy, the poodle, needs follow-up after an altercation with a pit
> bull over food.
>
> Owner Laura Aschendorf, 52, kisses the pooch on the head. "I thought I
> was going to lose him," she said, "but he's a trouper. Now we just
> need to get his teeth cleaned."
>
> Mealey will make arrangements for that.
>
> Then there's Fancy, the cat with the wounded paw, and a 4-month-old
> kitten named Brownie, who also belongs to Phillips. Brownie needs her
> second round of vaccines. Next is Phillips' dog Duke, a pit-bull mix,
> who needs deworming, and Duke's daughter, Snickers, nearly 6 months
> old.
>
> "We need to get you to the hospital and get you spayed, don't we
> girl?" Mealey says to the puppy, giving her a distemper booster. "Oh,

> look at you � you're so brave you didn't even cry."

>
> Velez leaves behind enormous bags of food and treats.
>
> At the end of the day, the vaccines will help keep the animals healthy
> and stem the spread of rabies, which can run high in the woods. In so
> doing, it will help keep the people and their pets together, happy.
>
> "You know, you can't take it with you," Mealey says as she and Velez
> drive off. "And we are all God's creatures."
>
> Kate Santich can be reached at 407-420-5503 or
> ksan...@orlandosentinel.com.
>
> Feel the love
>
> Follow Dr. Anne Scholl Mealey as she makes her ro
>

I'm for anyone who helps dogs and cats rather than whining over spoiled
crotchfuit which the world is already overpopulated with.