Dr. Kwane Stewart — CSU veterinary medicine alum, 2023 CNN Hero of the Year, Netflix’s animal safety advisor, and co-founder of Project Street Vet — returned to campus to accept a Distinguished Alumni Award during CSU's 2025 Homecoming and Family Weekend. While in Ram Country, he joined President Parsons for a meaningful and grounding conversation about purpose and compassion.
Kwane shares how one unexpected encounter outside a 7-Eleven in California changed the course of his life and sparked the idea for Project Street Vet, a national nonprofit providing free veterinary care to pets of people experiencing homelessness that now spans six cities. He discusses rediscovering why he became a vet, the power of trust between providers and pet owners, and the many unexpected chapters of his career — from shelter medicine, to Hollywood movie sets, to a book now being considered for a feature film.
He also reflects on his years at CSU, the moment he learned he’d been accepted into the D.V.M. program and how holding one of the most diverse professional licenses has allowed him to build an unexpected career that still traces back to his CSU education 28 years later.
This episode captures the heart and humanity of one of CSU’s most inspiring graduates.
More about Dr. Stewart:
Kwane, co-founder of the nonprofit Project Street Vet, helps unhoused pets and people in need – that’s his calling.
He has been a California practicing veterinarian for more than 28 years, working in nearly every part of the profession to refine his clinical and business expertise.
Kwane was the CNN Hero of the Year for 2023, recognized for his impactful work, and for his outspoken, compassionate, charismatic and genuine nature.
A graduate of CSU in 1997, Kwane started his career as an associate and emergency clinician, and he quickly become the chief medical officer of VETCO Hospitals Inc. in 2002. In 2007, he took the reins of a struggling municipal shelter and reversed one of the worst euthanasia rates in the country during his five-year tenure. Later in 2013, he became chief veterinary officer of American Humane and director of their legacy movie program. Today, he serves as Netflix’s chief veterinary advisor in charge of global animal oversight, protecting animals behind the scenes.
Kwane is committed to efforts that connect unhoused people and their pets with quality care at no cost. That work – and inspiring stories of hope – is chronicled in a docuseries called The Street Vet. He also published a book in 2023 called, "What It Takes to Save a Life," which is being considered for a true-to-life movie.