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Veterinary medicine student establishes animal rescue organization

November 2, 2006

In her spare time, Tracey Hageny, a fourth-year veterinary medical student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, rescues animals.

Although that may sound routine for someone about to enter the veterinary medical profession, Hageny takes her commitment a step further. She just attained federal nonprofit (501c3) status for an animal rescue group that she established several years ago.

Photo of Tracey Hageny posing with one of the rescue dogs.

Tracey Hageny, founder of Animal Rescue and Veterinary Support Services (ARVSS) and a fourth-year veterinary medical student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, cuddles a mixed-breed dog rescued from the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota during a “meet and greet” event held at the Original Pancake House in Madison this summer. The event was designed to introduce rescued dogs being fostered by members of ARVSS to potential new owners.

Hageny is the founder and executive director of Animal Rescue and Veterinary Support Services (ARVSS), an organization committed to rescuing and providing veterinary care to animals in need. She is thrilled that she and her volunteers can now offer tax benefits to donors — it wasn’t easy to get to that point.

“The nonprofit application is 43 pages long,” Hageny says. “I had to make phone calls and talked to a lot of folks about the process. I bought some books on nonprofits and finally hired an organization to help with the paperwork.”

The nonprofit status gives ARVSS legitimacy. The organization is local, though they work with the national Petfinder online database to adopt out their available animals. Their first grant will allow them to treat heartworm-positive dogs in both their own and other rescue organizations in the area.

“It certainly has been a challenge starting and running a rescue while doing all that paperwork (while) being a full-time veterinary student,” Hageny admits.

She notes that ARVSS finds animals via trips with the Rural Animal Veterinary Service, a nonprofit arm of the Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals that brings veterinary services to underserved rural communities. She also works with an online national network of people who want to find adoption options for animals that will otherwise be euthanized.

“We monitor the online notices, and when we have an open foster slot and there is an animal in need that we can help, we ask that the animal be sent to us,” Hageny explains. “Then we organize transportation to Madison.”

Upon arrival, the animals are spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated depending on their age, checked for heartworms, placed on flea, tick and heartworm preventative, and microchipped.

To date, they’ve found permanent homes for more than 70 dogs. Ten are currently in foster care and won’t be listed on Petfinder until they are neutered or spayed. Rescues have ranged from puppies produced by non-neutered dogs on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota (where adoption rates are low due to poverty) to dogs scheduled for euthanasia in overcrowded Ohio shelters. In mid-November, they’ll be on another rescue mission to Red Lake.

“It’s a lot of work, but the animals seem to thrive,” she says.

Her work earned her the Patricia Hassemen Fellowship in 2006, which provides $1,500 in tuition.

“I realize the need for affordable veterinary care for rescues and shelters and the need for practices to make money, rather than give services away,” Hageny says. “I believe our federal nonprofit can act as a middleman for these services.”

Hageny can be reached at wi.arvss@yahoo.com or evenings by phone at (608) 443-6402.