Fetch Pet Insurance Announces California Expansion of Nonprofit Partner Project Street Vet to Serve the Watsonville/Santa Cruz Area

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fetch the most comprehensive pet insurance provider in North America and Project Street Vet, today announced the launch of a new Street Vet team to support the Santa Cruz area with the addition of Dr. Vanessa Padilla as the lead veterinary volunteer.

Dr. Padilla will ensure the delivery of free veterinary care such as exams, vaccines and life-saving surgeries to the pets of people experiencing homelessness and/or housing vulnerability in the community. Dr. Padilla is currently a veterinarian at veterinary clinic in Watsonville and volunteers at local animal shelters in the Santa Cruz area. She joined the Project Street Vet team after witnessing the work of PSV co-founder Dr. Kwane Stewart in Southern California and has provided care to more than 30 pets during her Project Street Vet pilot training.

This marks the fifth city expansion and eighth lead vet volunteer launched with support of Fetch as the title sponsor and the second new community launched in 2023 following the successful fundraising efforts of the inaugural Fetch 101 Donations Campaign at the close of 2022.

"Project Street Vet, in collaboration with Fetch, is committed to providing free veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness. We believe that every pet deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of their owner's housing situation," said Dr. Kwane Stewart, who established PSV in 2020. "Thanks to the outpouring of support we saw during the 101 Donations Campaign and the dedication of Dr. Vanessa Padilla, we can now extend our services to this community and make a positive impact on the lives of pets and their people."

"Just over a year ago, we became the title sponsor for Project Street Vet and we couldn't be more proud to support their growth. From a one man mission to now serving five communities across the country, their team of dedicated volunteers continues to expand and they've already provided care to as many pets in the first six months of 2023 as they did all of last year," said Hilary Palotay, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Fetch Pet Insurance.

Since January 2023 Project Street Vet has served more than 800 pets and has an active team of 8 Street Vets and more than 120 volunteers across five communities in California, Georgia, and Florida.

To learn more about Project Street Vet and how to volunteer or donate, visit: https://www.fetchpet.com/psv

To learn more about Fetch Pet Insurance, visit: https://www.fetchpet.com/

About Project Street Vet
Founded by Dr. Kwane Stewart, Project Street Vet is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit public charity that provides free veterinary care, treatment, and support to the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness and/or housing vulnerability. According to the State of Homelessness: 2021, it is estimated that over 580,400 people are experiencing homelessness in America, with an estimated 10% - 25% having a pet.

Dr. Kwane is a graduate from the renowned Colorado State University Veterinary Program and is a California practicing veterinarian for over 22 years. Many years ago, during a five-year tenure as a shelter veterinarian in a struggling, depressed area of California, Dr. Kwane began to form a true understanding for those that struggle to afford health care for their pets. Over the past ten years, Kwane has quietly volunteered his time traveling city streets of California giving free veterinary services to the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness. Dr. Kwane estimates that he has cared for hundreds of pets doing his street vet work prior to 2020, when Project Street Vet was formed. Today, he continues to lead the Project Street Vet mission with his inspirational message of "no judgment, just help" and hopes the growing team can continue to find and care for these families.

About Fetch Pet Insurance
Fetch is a leading tech-enabled pet wellness company dedicated to helping pet parents give their cats and dogs a longer, healthier life. It's why we offer the most comprehensive pet insurance coverage in the U.S. and Canada. It's why we support Project Street Vet – a non-profit that provides free veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness – as well as donate millions of dollars to life-saving animal adoption shelters. And it's why we're proud to announce our newest innovation, the Fetch Health Forecast. This ground-breaking technology combines artificial intelligence, veterinary care and clinical findings from over 800,000 dogs and 500+ breeds to predict a dog's future health at an 85% confidence level. This highly personalized report includes easy-to-follow recommendations to keep your dog healthy and empowers pet parents to have informed conversations with their vet professionals. Pet parents can find Fetch on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube or follow us on Twitter. For more information about Fetch, visit https://www.fetchpet.com/ or call (866) 509-0163.

Fetch insurance policies are administered by Fetch Insurance Services, LLC (d/b/a Fetch by The Dodo, Fetch by The Dodo, LLC in Michigan & New Mexico, and Fetch by The Dodo Insurance Services, LLC in California)[1] and underwritten by XL Specialty Insurance Company, a Delaware Corporation, or AXIS Insurance Company, an Illinois Corporation, in the U.S. and AXIS Reinsurance Company (Canadian Branch) in Canada. Fetch is a Warburg Pincus portfolio company.