After a tornado, AVMF helps a small veterinary clinic help victims

On March 31, 2023, the Cantrell Animal Clinic in Little Rock, Arkansas, found itself in the path of a dangerous tornado. Veterinarian/owner Dr. Stacey Greathouse, her veterinary team, and a client sheltered in the clinic’s lower level. When the funnel spared the clinic, the team packed emergency supplies into a cardboard box and headed out to see how they could help. They found devastation everywhere—buildings destroyed or badly damaged all around them.

The veterinary team went to work immediately, treating injured animals at an apartment building where an entire wall had been ripped off, and checking a nearby housing community for other injuries. Back at the clinic, they performed surgery on a cat that had been brought to a local rescue center with a broken jaw. Even though the clinic lost power for three days, Dr. Greathouse and her team took in more than a dozen animals for people whose homes had been damaged or destroyed, and they worked with the rescue center to rehome animals that needed it. They also visited Red Cross shelters to see if people had come in with pets needing care.

The American Veterinary Medical Foundation was there to support Dr Greathouse and her team’s efforts with a reimbursement grant for the expenses of caring for injured animals.

AVMF Disaster Relief Reimbursement Grants help AVMA members help others
“Helping our community was the most wonderful feeling,” said Dr. Greathouse. “And knowing that the American Veterinary Medical Foundation offers resources for small veterinary clinic owners allowed us to confidently donate our time and materials.”

AVMF Disaster Relief Reimbursement Grants support AVMA members who provide essential veterinary medical care during disasters big and small. The grants also help veterinarians impacted by disaster themselves. The ongoing gifts of AVMF supporters make it possible. Please give now so caregivers won’t face the next crisis alone.