Jefferson Award: Ilana Strubel, vet for pets of homeless

Bay Area Jefferson Award winner: Ilana Strubel, founder of VET
SOS, a nonprofit veterinary service for San Francisco’s homeless
pet owners.

How she started: In 2000, Strubel was asked by a former homeless
client she had met while working as a vet for the San Francisco
SPCA if she would consider helping homeless people who were
unable or unwilling to provide health care for their pets. “Most
of the animals I had seen at the SPCA were emergency cases,”
says Strubel. “The idea of doing outreach and preventative
medicine to help cut back on those kinds of cases was exciting
to me.” Strubel launched the mobile service in June 2001, with
volunteers and supplies from the San Francisco Veterinary
Medical Association and a van from the nonprofit Street Outreach
Services. Her group tended to 14 animals on its first trip. “It
was humbling — seeing a homeless vehicle encampment and
realizing that even getting water for their pets is a
challenge,” Strubel says.

And now: The VET SOS van hits the streets the second Friday of
every month. Staffed by a vet, a vet tech and two outreach
workers, the team tends to an average of 30 animals per outing.
They provide medication, pet food, flea collars and leashes, as
well as referrals and transportation to area animal clinics that
have agreed to provide care to Vet-SOS clients. The van is
stocked with donated supplies, and the majority of the
organization’s operational expenses are paid by the San
Francisco Community Clinic Consortium. Once word gets out that
the “pet van” is nearby, Strubel says, “People who wouldn’t come
out for help for themselves will come out for their pets.” VET
SOS also sets up shop at the city’s six annual Project Homeless
Connect events. Strubel’s organization has cared for more than
500 animals since its launch.

Her inspiration: Strubel says that by helping animals, she is
also helping their human caretakers. “I have seen people who
have lost their vehicle, lost every possession they had, but
they will fight tooth and nail to keep their animals,” she says.
“I see it as my responsibility, because trying to take better
care of their pets is often their biggest incentive to get off
the streets.”

Her vitals: Strubel, 37, lives in Bernal Heights with her
partner of five years, Michelle McAnanama, four dogs and two
cats. She received her degree in veterinary medicine in 1995
from the University of Illinois. In addition to Vet SOS, she
runs a private practice in Pacifica.

Who has made the most impact on her: Strubel says Pali Boucher,
the woman who initially approached her about starting the mobile
clinic, opened her eyes to what needed to be done. In the
beginning, Boucher, who had once been homeless for 20 years,
helped build trust between the volunteers and the homeless pet
owners she knew around San Francisco. “Her dog, Leadbelly, was
her best friend and loyal companion,” says Strubel. “She saw how
hard it was on her dog, and it actually motivated her to get
into housing.”

In her own words: “As a vet, I understand the human-animal bond.
These animals are emotional support and a catalyst for human
interaction, especially for those who might avoid interacting
with anyone. With all the drugs, violence and stress of being
homeless, we’ve seen that people living on the streets with pet
companions fare better. With the social isolation of homeless,
pets provide nonjudgmental companionship, a steady source of
unconditional love. I don’t feel that they deserve the love of
their animal companion any less because they don’t have a roof
over their head. For people on the street, they aren’t just pets
– they really are their companions.”

What others say about her: “Ilana and the people she works with
have been a godsend for me,” said Elizabeth Drury, who has been
homeless for four years and has three dogs — Hero, Fudge and
Kissy. “They have made it possible for me to keep a remnant of
the dignity of my former life, given me the privilege of keeping
my dogs and keeping them healthy. When you are homeless, a lot
falls by the wayside, and the respect and equality of peers
disappears. But (Strubel and her coworkers) treat everyone
fairly and openly and have big hearts. They’ve given a lot of
people who teeter on the edge of sanity a stepping stone to
build their lives again. If it wasn’t for them, there would be
very little hope in this community. They nurture hope by helping
our animals.”To find out more: Call (415) 355-2248 or visit
www.vetsos.org or www.sfccc.org