Last year, we opened the One Tail at a Time Ellis Veterinary Clinic. Since opening, our medical team has blossomed under the leadership of Dr. Simuel Hampton. This month, we added a second full time vet, Dr. Rachael Wooten.
We are so lucky to have two incredibly talented and compassionate veterinarians leading our team. Under their leadership we will expand services both to our foster animals and community members in need.
We are beyond excited to have our team led by two talented vets, but we also must recognize that the veterinary field has a stunning lack of diversity.
We hope that by uplifting their stories we can inspire the community and young people who hope to become vets. To bolster that goal, our Board of Directors has made a donation to a seed scholarship for black veterinarians through our friends at CARE in honor of our team.
Sincerely,
Heather Owen, JD
Co-Founder, Executive Director
Read more about Dr. Hampton and Dr. Wooten’s experience in veterinary medicine below!
Dr. Hampton and Dr. Wooten work together to remove a 2 pound tumor from Alfred’s neck. Alfred is healing up and feeling so much better after surgery!
Dr. Simuel Hampton
“Veterinary medicine is one of the least racially diverse professions, due partly to the absence of a pipeline of young, diverse students who are exposed to the field. This is one of the reasons why outreach activities, career fairs, and engaging with students is so important to me. Diversity builds strength and sustainability, which is why I’m so excited to work for an organization that values outreach, engages with the local and underserved communities, and is committed to promoting diversity internally. Building a diverse and inclusive animal welfare community and veterinary profession specifically, will ensure that we are meeting the needs of all animals and their humans for generations to come!” – Dr. Hampton
Dr. Rachael Wooten
“I decided to pursue shelter medicine because I always wanted to help those less fortunate than me and I want to be the voice for the animals that don’t have an owner to advocate for them. Less than 2% of the veterinary field are Black Veterinarians. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet a Black Veterinarian until I was 18 years old and I know how important exposure is to motivate and inspire someone to pursue a career, so as both a Black and Puerto Rican Veterinarian I am always looking for opportunities to mentor and show people that this is a career path they can take and be successful in.” – Dr. Wooten
