by Maggie Baum
“It’s OK, I’m here, Kipper. Mama’s right here.”
June Shuman’s voice carries across the William Wildcat Tribal Center, the central community hub of the Lac du Flambeau (LDF) Reservation in northern Wisconsin. She is comforting her beloved companion, Kipper, as he wakes from mild sedation. The 15-year-old Poodle/Sheltie mix was being treated by a team of veterinarians and veterinary technicians in town to provide follow-up care.
The surgical team — a mix of representatives from the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine’s Program for Shelter Medicine and Community Engaged Care (UWSMP), the Dane County Humane Society (DCHS), and the Lac Du Flambeau Tribal Pets for Life initiative (LDF) — set up a MASH style clinic this month at the Community Center to provide spay or neuter surgeries to 20 cats at no cost to their owners. The generosity of donors and funders has been critical to the growth and expansion of UWSMP and these kinds of partnerships, and is a key factor in providing even more access to veterinary care for members of this community – including events such as this surgical clinic and a comprehensive on-site veterinary wellness clinic where Kipper was first seen.
Describing how the involved groups initially came together and began to partner with communities like Lac du Flambeau, Dr. Sandra Newbury (DVM’03), director of UWSMP, says it all starts with the importance of the human-animal bond and the desire to keep animals — and communities — healthy.
“An essential part of our work is to listen and learn what people in any community we work with want and need, and that’s what leads to successful partnership and to ensuring access to care for animals and the people who love them,” Newbury says.
The partnership between UWSMP and DCHS stretches back as far the program’s founding. Pets for Life (PFL), a program of Humane World for Animals, is an initiative that operates under the umbrella of local animal welfare organizations or Tribal Governments. The program connects people to resources in their communities including free veterinary care, spay and neuter surgeries, and pet supplies.
Theresa LaBarge, who serves as Pets for Life coordinator for the Lac du Flambeau community, has been a key partner in establishing and advancing veterinary care for the Lac du Flambeau Tribe.
“There is no one better suited than community members themselves to lead and guide what services look like for their pets, their neighbors, and their communities,” LaBarge says.
When Shuman arrived with Kipper for his follow-up, LaBarge was among the first to greet her. Kipper made the rounds saying hello to others until it was time to see Newbury. At the wellness clinic back in June, a sore on Kipper’s backside had gotten bad enough that Newbury asked Shuman about bringing him to Madison for overnight care. After promises and reassurances from Newbury that she would not decide to keep Kipper, Shuman agreed and Kipper made the trip.
“Because of his age, his pain level, and the location of the problem, we knew we could better care for Kipper under anesthesia at DCHS in Madison,” Newbury says. “They serve as our support clinic for LDF Pets for Life when animals need a little more than we can do in a temporary clinic setting.”
At age 15, Kipper can be a little feisty when it comes to taking his prescribed medications and allowing Shuman to tend to his irritated hinder. So, she welcomed the news that this collaborative group of organizations, with the LDF Tribe at its center, is planning to continue to hold veterinary wellness events — as well as spay/neuter clinics — on a more frequent and regular basis.
“I’m very glad someone told me about this partnership and Pets for Life or my little Kipper might not be with me,” she says. “He comes to help me if I fall or nudges me when I’m crying. He’s always there for me. And now, if I need extra help with Kipper, I know it’s here in my community.”
Stay tuned to the UW School of Veterinary Medicine for a bigger feature about all aspects of this partnership – including more about how our students participate and the generous support that makes it all possible – coming in spring 2026.
ABOUT LAC DU FLAMBEAU
The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has inhabited the Lac du Flambeau area since 1745. The name, which means Lake of the Torches, was bestowed by French traders and trappers who visited the area and observed the practice of harvesting fish at night by torchlight. The Lac du Flambeau Reservation was officially established by the Treaty of 1854. The area was continually logged in the following years and became a tourist destination for families from southern Wisconsin and Illinois around the turn of the century. Later, to increase economic activity and foster self-reliance among the various Native American communities, the Tribe began bingo and casino operations at the Lake of the Torches Resort Casino. Revenues from the casino go directly to the Tribe and benefit the economic and social development of the community.