Atlanta, GA

Dr. Kristen Schmidt graduated from University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 and moved to Georgia to start her career as a mixed animal veterinarian.

Unlike most, she did not want to be a vet from an early age. She had an experience in New York that sparked her interest in Veterinary Medicine. While visiting the city with family, she came across a person with multiple animals panhandling for tourists to take pictures with his pets. While many of his animals needed obvious veterinary care he did not have the means. This is when her sister turned to her and said "If you were a veterinarian you would be able to step in and help." At this moment, her passion was sparked and she chased her dream of becoming a veterinarian.

She came across PSV and Dr. Kwane Stewart while doing research about non-profit work. She was looking into starting her own non-profit in Georgia to do what Dr. Stewart was doing in California. He was excited to hear her determination and have her join the team. Her first outreach was July 1 of 2022 and has been going out every 2 weeks since.

She notices the relief in each owner’s eyes after telling them she's there to keep their pet healthy. This is what makes her work with PSV worth every second. Dr. Kristen believes that we all love our animals. A house does not make you love your pets anymore than those who are unhoused. At the end of the day, every person she has met has loved their pets just as much as she does and could not be more appreciative of the work she continues to do.