Jennifer Hudson is celebrating an amazing animal lover who is being hailed as a hero to unhoused people and their pets.

Veterinarian Dr. Kwane Stewart from San Diego, California, appeared on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” to discuss his nonprofit, Project Street Vet, and being honored as the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year.

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Project Street Vet provides free medical care to the pets of unhoused people or those experiencing housing vulnerability.

Dr. Kwane has been a practicing veterinarian for over 22 years. Thirteen years ago, while working as a shelter veterinarian on Skid Row in Los Angeles, Dr. Kwane recalled stopping to examine the dog of an unhoused individual outside a 7-Eleven where he got his coffee.

He treated the dog’s skin condition, and the next time he saw the man and his dog, the dog was transformed by the medical care he received. The man’s gratitude was a wakeup call.

“Thank you for not ignoring me” were the words that Dr. Kwane says inspired his next chapter.

For more than a decade, Dr. Kwane has quietly volunteered his time traveling the streets to give free veterinary services to the pets of unhoused individuals.

Dr. Kwane founded the nonprofit Project Street Vet to expand his work with the unhoused community and their pets. Since its launch in 2020, Dr. Kwane and his team have treated thousands of animals while giving hope and dignity to their human parents as well.

• Project Street Vet partners with organizations who work with unhoused people to host free pet clinics.
• Project Street Vet offers treatments including antibiotics, vaccines, anti-inflammatories, deworming, and flea and tick medications.
• They also connect animals to clinics for spaying and neutering.
• The organization also shares the stories of unhoused pet owners and their furry or feathery friends in hopes of showing respect to their bond and showcasing the work Project Street Vet can do.
• For example, Justin was living at the Venice boardwalk with his cat, Um, whom he taught how to skateboard! When his beloved kitty was hit by a car, Justin frantically called Project Street Vet, and they raced to his location and transported Um to the hospital where he received a life-saving surgery.

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This inspiring animal lover was just named the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year and was awarded $100,000. During his winning speech, Dr. Kwane surprised everyone by splitting the $100,000 prize with the other nine Top 10 CNN Heroes nominees.

“I had gotten to know these people for about two or three days prior to the awards ceremony,” he told Jennifer. “These are all people starting these tiny charities… In that moment, when I was awarded the $100,000, I just thought, ‘I’m gonna share it with all of you.’”

For more information, visit projectstreetvet.org.

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