SVdP's animal clinic opens its doors!

By Andrea Ariza

(Find video embedded below.)

A beloved pit bull named Duchess trots into a new exam room, tail wagging. Behind her is her owner, Jordan Madison, smiling with relief and happiness—knowing his best friend is receiving the routine veterinary checkup she needed. Even better, he didn’t have to worry about transportation, because the clinic was right on the same campus where they both currently reside.

That was the joyful scene on the soft opening day of the Marion and Bob Auray Companion Animal Clinic, located at St. Vincent de Paul's (SVdP) main campus in Phoenix.

The long-anticipated, 3,000-square-foot clinic is already making a difference by offering basic veterinary care onsite to the pets of residents living in SVdP's transitional housing programs and emergency shelter. It represents the first phase of a broader plan to expand access in the future to include pets of individuals experiencing homelessness and low-income families who struggle to access pet care. Through SVdP’s Companion Animal Program, the clinic will offer a vital resource for individuals whose pets are often their only source of love, safety, and emotional support.

Jordan and Duchess were among the very first to experience the difference this new clinic makes.

This animal clinic is a huge plus,” Jordan said. “Trying to navigate during the day and get on public transportation can be hard. Here, that’s not a problem anymore—the services are onsite.

The new facility features three examination rooms, a grooming room, a dog and cat ward, a pet pantry room, and a treatment room. It provides routine wellness checkups—including vaccinations, microchipping, grooming, and other essential veterinary services—all at no cost to residents. Services are provided by a rotating team of dedicated volunteer veterinarians, and appointments are required.

For Jordan, the clinic has also been a reassurance that his journey toward stability includes Duchess every step of the way.

He first met Duchess on an abandoned porch near his old neighborhood. The moment they connected, he knew they belonged together. But at the time, Jordan was couch surfing at friends’ houses and lacked a stable home. When he called a nearby helpline, he was referred to SVdP’s Washington Street shelter, and later to Rosalie’s Place, SVdP’s workforce housing, where he was able to stay with Duchess by his side.

I wasn’t going into shelter if I couldn’t be with her—it was either both of us or nothing,” Jordan explains. “When I first met her, she was living in rough conditions but was still so sweet, which really surprised me. I didn’t trust that anyone else would take care of her the way I would. She deserved better

Now, thanks to SVdP’s new animal clinic, Jordan no longer has to worry about how to get Duchess the care she needs while he works to build their future.

At its core, the clinic reflects SVdP’s mission to care for the whole person, including the companions who bring them comfort and purpose.

At SVdP, we believe that care for the pet is care for the person,” said Jessica Berg, SVdP's Chief Program Officer. “Our residents’ beloved dogs or cats are their family. They provide comfort, purpose, and even protection—especially during difficult times. Often people will forgo shelter if it means leaving their pet behind, and then the community has lost the opportunity to save a human life and an animal life. That’s why we’re committed to keeping people and pets together as part of the healing process.

The opening of the clinic also addresses a longstanding gap in the community—access to veterinary care for those experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

We see the clinic as meeting a need in our community,” said Alberto Diaz, SVdP's Companion Animal Program Manager. “There’s a heartbreaking gap in access to pet care for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. This clinic is about more than medical services—it’s about dignity, love, and stability for both pet and person.

The clinic builds upon the foundation of SVdP’s Companion Animal Program (CAP), which launched in 2021 to ensure the pets of vulnerable individuals remain safe, together, and well cared for. So far, CAP has served more than 2,600 companion animals—with 67% belonging to individuals experiencing homelessness and 33% to families facing economic hardship. Currently, about 1 in 5 residents in SVdP shelters has a pet.

Thanks to the clinic, SVdP’s Companion Animal Program can now offer more consistent and accessible veterinary services onsite, providing peace of mind to pet owners who are actively working to rebuild their lives.

For Jordan, that also means an opportunity to stay focused on his goals. He recently found employment through SVdP’s Workforce Development Program and now looks forward to one day moving into an apartment that allows him to have Duchess.

I have a dog angel looking over me,” he said. “I have to do better than before.