1 of 8
2 of 8
3 of 8
4 of 8
5 of 8
6 of 8
7 of 8
8 of 8
Tucked away on Texas A&M University’s West Campus across lies a one-of-a-kind facility providing top-notch care for pets of those who are no longer able to care for them.
The Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center was established in conjunction with the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine by former head of the Small Animal Teaching Hospital Dr. E. W. “Ned” Ellett, but with this dream came a need for funding to cover the cost of the facility, which is where two generous donors came in to make this dream a reality.
With donations from the Luse Foundation and Mrs. Madlin Stevenson, who had a love for animals and their relationship to the elderly population, the center was able to open in 1993 and began accepting residents.
Taking in animals of all types, the center provides a way for owners to ensure that their pets are cared for physically, emotionally and medically long after they are unable to due to illness or death.
More recently, the center has become the home for the university’s former official mascot, Reveille, after her retirement. Upon entering the facility, guests are greeted by Reveille IX, where she spends her days being pampered by center staff.
The facility currently has 37 residents including 13 dogs, 17 cats, one bird, four rabbits and two donkeys, which are all cared for by center staff including Director Sam G. Miller, DVM, Associate Director Ellie Greenbaum, Veterinary Technician Janet Broadhead, LVT and three animal caretakers, Kim Muth, Tori Singletary and Riley Reynolds.
The facility also includes positions for various part-time students employees and four live-in verterinary students, who provide all care for the animals on evenings, weekends and university holidays.
“Part of the mission for the center was to be an educational extension of the veterinary program— we feel that it’s enriching for students to have the opportunity to be hands-on with animals covering a broad spectrum of age ranges and potential diseases,” Dr. Miller says. “The students can develop their skill sets by caring for the animals on a day in and day out basis while managing their overall health.”
As the number of pet residents increases, the center is working to expand to include more spaces for animals to be cared for. Most recently, the center is undergoing an expansion of 4,600 square feet to include five more dog rooms, three new cat rooms, more space for storage and laundry facilities.
“Since we are funded by the income on our endowments and private gifts and donations, all of our building additions are made possible through generous donors,” Greenbaum says. “We have had multiple expansions over the years to add to the number of pet residents we can accommodate for care.”
Owners can enroll their pets in the program by creating an endowment fund, whose income will be used to provide for their animal’s care including food, housing and medical care, Dr. Miller says. The center currently has over 700 pets enrolled from 35 states and even in Singapore.
“The biggest heartwarming part of this job is just knowing that you've helped somebody out by allowing them to continue to have their pet by their side until the end,” Dr. Miller says. “The owners can be comforted knowing that even beyond their death, the pets will be cared for by our family who will take them in and treat them as their own.”
The Stevenson Animal LifeCare Center is located on the Texas A&M University campus near the veterinary facilities and is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only. For more information about the facility or how to enroll a pet, visit vetmed.tamu.edu/stevenson-center or call (979) 845-1425.
Join the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center Family
Your pets are more than just animals. They’re family. And when they come to the Stevenson Companion Animal LifeCare Center at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, they become our family too!
The only facility of its kind in the nation, the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center provides for the physical, emotional, and medical needs of companion animals whose owners can no longer provide that care. Clients include pet owners who want to secure their pet’s future prior to entering a retirement home, being hospitalized for an extended period, or predeceasing a pet. Here, your pet will find a forever loving home.
The minimum endowment to secure enrollment in the center is dependent upon the age of the owner at the time of enrollment. The endowment required for each animal can be established by bequest through a will, trust or life insurance policy, or can be fully paid at the time of enrollment. You can also support the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center with gifts of $25 or more online at txamfoundation.com/give.
For more information, contact: Office of Development Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences 4461 TAMU College Station, TX 77843—4461.
Tel: (979) 845-9043 Email: development-VMBS@tamu.edu
