A group of University of Minnesota (UMN) students, faculty and staff from multiple health care disciplines recently assembled in Duluth to offer an innovative and compassionate approach to health care for people and their pets.

For the second consecutive year, the Paws & People Community Care clinic brought together human and veterinary care professionals and students in one location to deliver free health services to pets and people who are unhoused or vulnerably housed. 

The clinic operated under the One Health framework, which recognizes the interconnectedness of humans, animals and their shared environment. Community-based clinics such as Paws & People Community Care are a novel way to provide access to care for people and pets experiencing significant barriers such as limited financial resources, lack of transportation or housing, and previous negative health care experiences. 

Professionals and students from the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services, the College of Pharmacy Duluth campus, and the Medical School Duluth campus, as well as community partners, sought to break down barriers by offering health care and resources at First Lutheran Church. 

The group took learnings from the 2025 pilot clinic, and key changes for 2026 included a partnership with a new location in a more walkable area, increased offerings of human-centered care screenings, community breakfasts and lunches, expanded collaborations with local organizations, and tailored training for volunteers.  

Creating impact

In two days, the group made an impact on the lives of more than 100 people and pets. The veterinary students cared for 64 pet patients—44 dogs and 20 cats—including a 17-year-old Chihuahua, a repeat patient from the 2025 clinic. 

The pharmacy team saw 50 unique individuals and completed 113 screenings and point-of-care tests—including blood pressure, blood glucose and A1C screenings—along with bone density and cholesterol testing. 

The pharmacy team estimates that it interacted with approximately 120 individuals overall, some of whom did not opt in to testing but took a first aid kit, over-the-counter medications or asked questions about their current medications. Community members also left with supplies such as pet food, slip leads, body wipes, ponchos, toothbrushes and toothpaste, clean socks, menstrual products, electrolyte powder, sunscreen, lip balm, cough drops, nail clippers, NARCAN kits and more. 

The Medical School Duluth campus street medicine team offered a variety of services as well, including 26 people who received a foot soak plus or minus nail cutting, callous work, fungal treatment and nail polish application. They also provided wound care for four people and distributed 40 pairs of gently used shoes. 

In addition, Harm Reduction Sisters administered sexually transmitted infection tests, and oral health exams were available from Delta Dental. 

Compassionate approach 

As part of this outreach effort, UMN faculty, staff and students were asked to complete pre-clinic work focused on trauma-informed care and cultural humility. In addition, the evening before the event, volunteers were trained in overdose response and received a certification from the Steve Rummler HOPE Network. 

Over the course of two days, UMN social work students and Animal Humane Society community outreach staff acted as family navigators, helping to hold pets and paperwork while people sought care for themselves, as well as acting as a warm point of contact throughout the clinic experience.

Clinic volunteers heard firsthand from community members about the event’s positive impact, and students discussed One Health cases during interprofessional rounds each day, including:

• Several patients who hadn't been to the provider in multiple years, or who had a family history of concern, came in worried — and were relieved to find their results were normal;
• One patient, who hadn't seen a doctor in 20 years, had a worrying A1C level and through two days of counseling, they became open to seeing a primary care physician the next day; and
• A family arrived at the clinic with flea bites and was dealing with intense itching and lost sleep. The veterinary team supplied treatment for their pets and shared knowledge on removing fleas from their living space.

Cases such as these provided for rich discussion and hands-on application of a One Health approach to caring for the entire family—pets included.