A unique partnership to train future veterinarians in holistic care

Spring means porcupine season for Rick Haaland, the Pets for Life Community Outreach Manager for Leech Lake Tribal Police. He receives lots of calls from animal caregivers who need help removing quills from curious dogs. And in Cass Lake and the surrounding communities within Leech Lake Reservation, spring also means the Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services (SIRVS) will arrive soon for one of its annual free clinics.

For nearly sixteen years, the University of Minnesota’s (U of M’s) College of Veterinary Medicine and Native American communities in the region have partnered to make SIRVS an annual mainstay for animal caregivers. SIRVS holds six to eight weekend-long clinics a year, and between 200-250 students participate each year.

Clinic days, Rick says, are packed with energy. Students arrive with a busload of equipment, and within an hour-and-a-half, they have set up a fully operating, MASH-style clinic. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) supported SIRVS clinics in Mille Lacs, White Earth, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Lake Traverse, Little Earth of United Tribes, and Fond du Lac through a grant from its Animal Welfare domain. MACP’s funding helped at a time of transition for the student volunteer-led initiative, to be supported by Community Medicine faculty members at the time the program launched. 

“Leech Lake was our first partner back in 2009, followed by Mille Lacs,” said Dr. Lauren Bernstein, an Assistant Professor in Community Medicine at the University of Minnesota. “It has grown from one or two communities, to working with seven [Tribal] communities. Some of the clinics are wellness only, which means vaccines for rabies, distemper/parvo and feline distemper, preventative heartworm testing, and basic outpatient treatment in places where access to care is relatively absent.”

Currently, there are no veterinary clinics within reservation boundaries on any reservation in Minnesota. That will soon change, when Leech Lake opens its first-ever veterinary clinic, a project supported by MACP. Until the clinic opens, Rick often travels 50 to 60 miles or more to access veterinary services for companion animals. 

Native American representation in the veterinary profession is also needed. 

“You realize veterinary schools can be very selective about who gets in,” said Monte Fronk, an Emergency Manager with Mille Lacs Tribal Police who co-created SIRVS with Dr. Larissa Minicucci. Monte recently met two Indigenous veterinary students from Minnesota attending school in Colorado. The students were not accepted to schools in Minnesota because of their grade point averages. “For Indian Country, we like to see those vet techs and those vets represent our Native communities.” 

For now, Monte says, SIRVS clinics help meet a need for Mille Lacs. Known as a “checkerboard reservation,” Mille Lacs is made up of swaths of land in three east central Minnesota counties, covering an 85 square-mile area, with additional Tribal members who live within Minneapolis’ urban Native corridor. 

“When you know one tribe, you know one tribe,” says Monte, noting that each district within Mille Lacs holds its own clinic through partnerships with SIRVS and other nonprofit organizations. “Even in our district, there are differences within our own Tribal communities.” 

“When you come to any of the Tribal nations, or visit our urban relatives, say to them, ‘We are honored to be of service,’” he tells students. “We hate hearing, ‘We are here to help.’”

For Jena Hauch, the opportunity to be one of the 200-250 students who work with SIRVS each year drew her to apply to the U of M’s College of Veterinary Medicine. 

“I think something that my experience with SIRVS and the [U of M’s] Community Medicine Program have really solidified is just never assuming what anyone can do or is willing to do for their pets,” said Jena, who is now the outgoing student president of SIRVS. For Jena, each interaction is about empowering animal caregivers to make a decision that is right for their family.

That approach is known as the spectrum of care, and it has become a hallmark of the U of M’s curriculum. Developed with support from a MACP grant, the curriculum trains students to offer a menu of evidence-based options.

Dr. Ponder has supported the adoption of spectrum of care throughout her career, noting that it empowers animal caregivers and even helps prevent burnout in the field of veterinary medicine. 

“I think [being a veterinarian] is mentally and emotionally rewarding,” said Dr. Ponder, noting that the profession is experiencing a shortage of veterinarians. “However, it’s also offset by the mental challenges. It’s often also offset by the financial burdens, the long hours, and the hard work.” 

As more households across the country become pet owners, the veterinarian shortage is expected to increase, leaving a workforce shortfall of up to 18% by 2030 according to a study by Animal Health Economics. Training veterinary students to utilize the spectrum of care could help alleviate some of the mental strain and pressure many cite as their primary reason for leaving the field.

Rick Haaland, in his community outreach role with the Pets for Life program from Humane World for Animals, has seen the SIRVS process and spectrum of care approach help empower animal caregivers in his community.

“When you bring your animal in, you follow your animal through the whole clinic,” said Rick. “They explain everything to you, what’s going on, how things are happening. And people come out of it feeling so much better. They feel empowered because they understand what is actually going on, and they can help. That makes such a big, big difference.”

Both Rick and Monte hope to see more opportunities for animal caregivers to access veterinary care within their own communities. Within 24 hours of announcing SIRVS’ spay and neuter clinic, Rick received more than 300 text messages – with only 22 available spots. In Mille Lacs, Monte says slots filled within 15 minutes. Caregivers sometimes wait two or three hours for wellness checks during SIRVS clinics, but Monte says people are happy to catch up with friends and neighbors while caring for their animals. 

“Spiritually we’re connected to everything around us, including our four-legged relatives,” said Monte. “So you look at Tribal community risk reduction, and to me, taking care of our four-legged relatives is just as important as taking care of our two legged relatives.”

SIRVS has received requests from other Native American communities hoping to build relationships and start discussions about clinics on additional reservations. 

“I’m just kind of excited to see where they take that,” said outgoing SIRVS president Jena of potential future partnerships, “and for all the people and pets and students that get to continue to be a part of SIRVS.”