August 15, 2021
First veterinary clinic to open on Sioux reservation
Two charitable foundations are increasing access to veterinary care on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation by funding the first-ever self-sustaining mixed animal veterinary clinic on the South Dakota reservation.
In June, the Banfield Foundation and Idexx Foundation announced a multiyear initiative, including infrastructure investment, support for veterinary care, and scholarships, to provide sustainable and accessible care for more than 200,000 animals within the 20 communities on the Rosebud reservation.
Working with tribal leadership and in partnership with the nonprofit Sovereign Nations Veterinary, the foundations are building a veterinary hospital named Wamakanskan Wawokiye Oti, which translates as Helping Animal Center.
Rosebud reservation sits on more than 880,000 acres in southern South Dakota and is home to an estimated 200,000 owned or community dogs and cats and 5,000 owned horses. No brick-and-mortar veterinary clinic stands on the reservation, however, forcing the Lakota Sioux Nation to rely on local and out-of-state partners and volunteers for intermittent veterinary care.
“Among tribal nations, access to veterinary care is often beyond reach due to financial, socioeconomic, and geographic barriers that not only impact the pet but also pet owners,” said Kim Van Syoc, Banfield Foundation executive director, in a statement. “We are committed to helping remove barriers and bring much needed veterinary care and veterinary careers to the pets and people of the Rosebud Sioux tribal communities.”
Additionally, the charitable initiative is providing education opportunities that support veterinary care on the reservation, including full scholarships to tribal members with an interest in being trained as veterinary technicians and working at the clinic.
Wamakanskan Wawokiye Oti is slated to open this September with Sovereign Nations Veterinary ultimately overseeing the medical operations and education programs. The clinic will provide preventive and emergency care, spay and neuter procedures, care for injured wildlife, care for tribal buffalo, and animal population control.
Kathleen Wooden Knife, a former six-year leader with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, said in a statement, “I have dreamed of a clinic for many years—for a place where the tribal communities can access affordable pet health care. Today my dream is becoming a reality.”