What started as a one-man mission in the streets of Central California has transformed into a nationwide operation involving volunteers in several U.S. cities, including San Diego.
It all goes back to 2011. Kwane Stewart was working as a veterinarian at a Modesto animal shelter.
“I came this close to just quitting the veterinary profession altogether,” said Stewart. “That's what the shelter had done to me with the euthanasias and a lot going on.”
But a coffee stop at a local 7-Eleven would change it all.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
“I found this unhoused veteran outside a 7-Eleven with his dog and I offered help,” said Stewart. “The dog recovered remarkably and the man was just so grateful. With tears in his eyes, he just said, ‘Thank you, thank you for not ignoring me.”
That’s when he realized he couldn’t quit.
“At that moment, I said, 'I'm going to help more people like this and more people like this dog,” said Stewart.
Local
For years, he’s spent his free time walking the poorest parts of California, treating the pets of the unhoused.
“In clinics, paying clients, the whole system makes sense,” said Stewart. “But when I'm walking the streets and I spontaneously find a dog that hasn't seen a vet in years and an owner that is desperate for care, it's that spark, that moment that keeps me going.”
In 2015, he moved to San Diego and continued his mission on the streets of the East Village.
Then in 2020, he founded the noprofit Project Street Vet. Now he has a group of volunteer vets and nurses who share his mission and help him provide care all across the U.S.
“At the end of it all, I am a veterinarian and I am a care provider, and when I can treat an animal that is suffering or requires some care, I see that reversal,” said Stewart. “Weeks later I see them better, it's hard to describe what you get out of those moments but those are the motivators.”
And it's that heartfelt work that has him nominated for CNN Hero of the Year.
“I was short on words, which is rare for me,” said Stewart, reminiscing on the moment he was notified about the nomination. “I was excited. It comes with $100,000 for the winner so that would just help the mission so much.”
Stewart is one of 10 finalists. The winner will be announced on Sunday. Voting is still open.
