Former Stanislaus County veterinarian, known as Street Vet, wins CNN 2023 Hero of the Year
A former Stanislaus County veterinarian who provides care to the pets of the unhoused population is CNN’s 2023 Hero of the Year.
Dr. Kwane Stewart was chosen by online voters, and the announcement was made during a live broadcast on CNN from New York on Sunday evening.
“If I as a child could dream of doing something impactful, then I found it, or I think it found me,” Stewart said in his acceptance speech.
The award includes a $100,000 donation to Stewart’s Project Street Vet. In his address, Stewart said he plans to evenly share this $100,000 with the other nine honorees.
Stewart was the county veterinarian with Stanislaus Animal Services from April 2008 to April 2013. In 2020, he founded Project Street Vet, an initiative that focuses on providing veterinary care to the pets of homeless people. His experiences at the county shelter in Modesto exposed Stewart to a unique kind of care, distinct from what he had been accustomed to in Southern California.
Project Street Vet, which Stewart established after years of volunteering his time helping the pets of the homeless, today includes veterinarians offering their services in Orlando, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
During his speech, Stewart reminisced about a moment in which he brought lunch to an unhoused man after providing care to his dog. The man, who mentioned he had not eaten in two days, broke off a small piece of the sandwich for himself, before giving the rest to his pet.
“They’ve taught me a lot too,” Stewart said.
Project Street Vet originates from a 2011 incident when Stewart, outside a 7-Eleven in the Central Valley, noticed an unhoused man with a dog that was suffering from a severe flea infection. After examining the dog, Stewart returned with medication.
In that moment, Stewart resolved to persist in aiding the pets of homeless individuals.
In the following years, Stewart dedicated much of his time to offering care to pets, covering medical expenses and hospital stays from his own funds, all the while managing the financial burden of student loans.
Stewart first came to Modesto because it was home to his then-wife, whom he met in San Diego.
Working at the county shelter for five years broadened Stewart’s perspective on care, introducing him to a different approach than he had previously employed in Southern California. There, he encountered homeless or near-homeless individuals along with their animal companions who required veterinary assistance but lacked access to it.
At Stanislaus Animal Services, he and his team were tasked with investigating reports of animal abuse and neglect, whether they occurred on farming operations or involved family pets. This responsibility extended to conducting euthanizations every morning.
In May 2009, The Bee reported that the county had an annual euthanasia average of over 13,000 dogs and cats. Since July 2021, there have been 2,138 euthanizations at the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency.
Stewart also has his own show, “Dr. Kwane: The Street Vet,” which documents his work with animal companions of the unhoused. His LinkedIn page says the TV program airs in Canada and Europe.
In 2021, Stewart launched the Modesto Family Pet veterinary office and hospital in the College Center business plaza at College and Bowen avenues. “I know this area, I know there’s need and I feel like I already have some clients built in to get this thing going,” Stewart said to The Bee at the time. It’s unclear if Stewart still has a stake in the Modesto practice, but he is not listed on its website as part of the care team.
A GoFundMe campaign was established to support Stewart’s nonprofit, in collaboration with CNN Heroes, Elevate Prize Foundation and GoFundMe. Elevate committed to matching donations for all the 2023 Top 10 CNN Heroes, providing up to $50,000 per hero. As of Tuesday afternoon, contributions to Stewart’s nonprofit had surpassed $117,000.
This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
