Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Felter.
Hi Sue, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Street Dog Coalition is a national non-profit that was established in Fort Collins, CO in 2015 to provide free veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. They use a One Health approach to street medicine to provide preventative veterinary care via pop-up street clinics and collaborate with community partners to offer additional services. It has grown and now has teams in over 60 cities throughout the country. I first learned about the organization at a national veterinary continuing education meeting (AVMA) in 2023. I had always struggled with how to allocate my time and finances to charities. As a veterinarian, I felt that I was helping animals every day, so I tended to do my charitable work with organizations that supported at need people. The Street Dog Coalition was the perfect way to use my skills to help both animals and people. Over the next year I was able to volunteer a several clinics and realized this was something I wanted to be involved with. After living in Silver Spring for most of my life and working in Baltimore for 30 years, my husband and I moved to Brunswick in the summer of 2024. Once here, I decided to move forward with bringing a team to Frederick County, and in February 2026 we were able to host our first clinic. At this clinic, we provided preventative and minor medical care to 11 pets, distributed food, toys and other supplies to each patient, and provided food and snacks to our pet parents. The Frederick Humane Society was able to provide free spay and neuter vouchers when needed. And thanks to collaboration with Love for Loughlin and The Frederick Health Department we were able to offer vaccinations, hygiene products, blankets, and supplies to help prevent disease prevention to our pet parents. We plan to hold clinics every 3 months in Frederick City and hope to be able to expand to serve more of Frederick County in the future.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Initially there were people skeptical that we could/would really offer the services we were promoting. With the help of Tommy Skaggs from Unleashed Frederick (a collaboration of local nonprofits and individuals to deliver onsite services to the homeless and disenfranchised.), I was able to make connections with people at the local social services and earn their trust and support. Our next challenge was finding a location to hold our clinics. It took several months, but Pastor Eric and everyone at The Frederick Presbyterian Church opened their hearts and their doors to us, and invited us to hold our clinics at the church. The next step was finding volunteers, which has definitely been the easiest part of this journey. So many members of our community (both veterinary professionals and lay people) have graciously volunteered to help in our efforts.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Like many veterinarians, I knew what I “wanted to do when I grow up” from a young age. I attended Cornell University for undergraduate studies (majoring in Biology), and then went on to get my veterinary degree from The University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, I joined a practice in Baltimore (Westview Animal Hospital), where I worked as a small animal veterinarian for 31 years. I continued the commute to Baltimore for the first year after moving to Brunswick, until the commute became more difficult. In July 2025 I left Westview and joined the staff of West Frederick Veterinary Hospital. As an associate veterinarian in a small animal practice, I provide preventative care as well as diagnosis and treatment of medical and surgical problems. As a team leader of The Street Dog Coalition, I work with the other veterinary volunteers on the team to give that same compassionate and skilled care to the pets of people who are experiencing and at risk of homelessness. We recognize the incredible and crucial bond between people and their pets, and we envision a future where society recognizes this interconnection. Through equitable, compassionate, and community-driven programs, we strive to take care of both ends of the leash.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
We believe in unconditional love, without judgement. We value collaboration with supporters and community partners to complement existing resources, establish trust and deliver quality care. Most important is building trust and showing compassion to everyone we work with and everyone we meet, on both ends of the leash.
Pricing:
- All services are free to people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness
Contact Info:
- Website: thestreetdogcoalition.org (our team page is https://www.thestreetdogcoalition.org/frederick-county-md
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestreetdogcoalition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestreetdogcoalition or team group page is https://www.facebook.com/groups/2261605407573702
- Twitter: https://x.com/thestreetdogco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcp8CtTXVnrOpQmwCrdHnAw
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/thestreetdogco.bsky.social
