Spring/Summer 2012 Aesculapian Magazine - University of Georgia ...

UGA veterinary students establish
Athens Pet Food Bank
By Alexandra Lanier
27
Students at the University of Georgia College
of Veterinary Medicine have partnered with
faculty and community organizations to provide
food for dogs and cats in need.
The number of pets whose owners are
homeless is growing at an astounding rate. Many
pet owners cannot afford to feed and care for their
pets and end up relinquishing them to shelters.
CVM rising third-year student Alan Power
participated in the Leadership UGA program in
fall 2011, and was shocked to learn just how poor
Athens is — 33.5 percent of Athens residents live
below the poverty level. In response, he decided
to create a program to aid the pets of the homeless
population and others in the community who
struggle to care for their companion animals.
After working with a mobile veterinarian
who understood the responsibility of servicing the
homeless population in Savannah, Ga., Power saw
the need to make a positive change in the Athens
area.
Power says that the rigors of the academic
program at the veterinary school often mean being
The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine
Volunteers place dog food
into bags to distribute to
pet owners in need.
Photo by Sue Myers Smith
cut off from the community beyond the campus.
He wanted to have a personal connection with
members of the Athens community, so he put out
feelers for the idea of providing pet food to pet
owners in need and got a positive response within
the vet college from faculty, staff and students.
Drs. Mary Hondalus and Janet Martin, both CVM
faculty members, approached Power and were
willing to help.
Hondalus, an associate professor at the CVM
who also directs the College’s dual DVM/MPH
degree program, wants her students to assist the
public as well as animals. “We serve animals, yes,
but we serve people as well,” says Hondalus.
Hondalus has been in Athens for seven years
and, like Power, realizes the extent of poverty in
the area. She wants her students to serve even
those not actively seeking veterinary care; students
in her program are encouraged to work with
underprivileged communities to help individuals
keep their pets healthy.
Janet Martin, adviser for the CVM’s Shelter
Medicine club, was eager to be involved. Martin