Beyond the Clinic: Texas A&M Provides Veterinary Care To Community Members Through Outreach Events

As Bryan-College Station resident Amanda Becerra waits in line outside of the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH), she can’t help but reflect on how grateful she is that her pets are getting the care they need. 

Like the 25 additional Texas A&M University custodial staff, maintenance crew members, and other employees waiting in line that day, Becerra was worried that her pets wouldn’t receive proper veterinary care. However, as the line continued to move forward, that worry began to ease.

As part of its mission to improve lives, the SATH engages in various outreach events to provide veterinary care to groups in the community. This includes a longstanding partnership with The REACH Project, a program designed to connect working individuals who support campus life with healthcare and resources they need. 

Twice per year, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) veterinary students and staff provide free veterinary care for pets that belong to custodial staff, maintenance crews, and people who work behind the scenes at the university through this partnership.

In the 2024-2025 academic year, SATH outreach events provided care to more than 500 pets, and that number will only continue to grow, according to Dr. Lori Teller, a VMBS clinical professor who has helped coordinate and execute several recent outreach events alongside her team in the primary care service. 

A Larger Purpose

During the most recent REACH event in April, the SATH served 26 clients and cared for 42 patients, including 30 dogs and 12 cats. 

During these events, students, under the supervision of faculty veterinarians, test dogs for heartworm and provide rabies, distemper, and parvo vaccinations. Cats are tested for feline leukemia and FIV and receive rabies and feline distemper vaccines.

“It’s very helpful for that community of people who do so much for A&M and a way for us to help support them,” Teller said. “The REACH program also provides human healthcare options for these owners, so it’s really great that the whole family can receive care. Dr. Kristina Paradowski (clinical assistant professor) has done a tremendous job coordinating this event with the REACH Project leadership.”

For Becerra, who has attended REACH twice, it has been a valuable experience for her and her family.

“REACH has always been good to my pets,” Becerra said. “It’s very helpful for people who can’t afford the medicine they need for their pets. Our pets are our loved ones, so we certainly want to take care of them.”

Beyond Bryan-College Station

The SATH also partners with the Rotary Club to host a drive-through rabies vaccination event in Caldwell to support veterinary care in rural areas. 

During this event, owners bring their pets to the location, fill out paperwork, have their pet examined, and then healthy pets receive their rabies vaccine. This year, the SATH vaccinated 127 dogs and 44 cats.

“It’s great because we can see a couple hundred animals in a short time period,” Teller said. “And the owners never even have to get out of their car.”

The SATH’s Bastrop outreach event, funded by Petco Love, targets senior citizens who cannot access or afford regular veterinary care. This event occurs monthly, allowing veterinarians to provide wellness care, as well as care for non-urgent conditions, such as allergies, ear infections, or other chronic and acute illnesses.

“Particularly with this program, since we are there on such a regular basis, we do have a relationship with one of their service organizations — Bastrop County Cares,” Teller said. “So, if we identify owners who may have food security issues or are struggling to pay bills on a regular basis, we can connect them with another organization to get the help they need.”

Through support from companies like Boehringer Ingelheim, Virbac, and Merck, the SATH can continue supporting the needs of these communities.

Learning That Lasts

While serving the community, these outreach events also allow students to gain real-world experiences in working with people from a variety of backgrounds. They also practice providing care with the limited resources available at the events. 

“The students are seeing a different segment of the population than what we normally see in the hospital,” Teller said. “Sometimes, that’s having conversations with different cultures and, certainly, with people of different financial means.”

Teller said that while licensed Doctors of Veterinary Medicine are present at all events to supervise, the students act as the doctor for all essential purposes. This helps them develop quick decision-making and critical-thinking skills, which will be vital in their careers.

“I love being able to do events like this,” said third-year veterinary student Grace Broom. “Not only does it enhance our skills, but it also allows us to give back to the community in a really positive way. As Aggies, we’re not just there for specialty care but also to promote health and wellness for everybody.”

Staying True

All of these outreach events connect back to the mission of the VMTH —  to improve lives through great patient care and veterinary education. 

“We work really hard to provide access to veterinary care to anybody who needs it in some form or another,” Teller said. “Veterinarians truly care about people and their pets and supporting the human piece of that as well.”

These efforts have a strong focus on supporting the human-animal bond and ensuring both the families and pets can obtain adequate care.

“We see a wide variety of salt-of-the-earth people during these events,” Teller said. “It’s very rewarding to get out there and help all of these people get appropriate healthcare for their pets.”

For more information on supporting these programs, visit https://vetmed.tamu.edu/giving/contact-us/.