Hanson Family Foundation Expands Access to Veterinary Care

Dr Lounsbury with one happy patient.

Across the Midwest and specifically in the Sioux Falls area, animal shelters and rescues are overwhelmed. Our ARC Allies and others are performing with strong adoption numbers, but more animals are being surrendered than can be placed into homes.

This isn’t a failure of compassion—it’s a failure of access.

Families in rural communities often cannot access affordable spay and neuter services. As a result, litters are born faster than our systems can respond. If we truly want to reduce animal suffering, we must focus on prevention.

Spay and neuter works. Every surgery prevents future litters. Every prevented litter eases the burden on shelters and rescues. Most importantly, it helps families keep the pets they love.

At the Hanson Family Foundation, we are working to be part of that solution. Since opening Pet Wellness Veterinary Hospital in April 2026 (just one month ago), we have cared for hundreds of pets and helped dozens of families access veterinary services they once believed were out of reach.

We think of Lola, a tiny Chihuahua mix whose entire world is her disabled veteran owner. When she came to us, she needed a lifesaving spay—care her owner simply could not afford elsewhere. Today, Lola is safe, healthy, and exactly where she belongs: by his side, providing comfort and companionship every single day.

And Rocky, a beautiful long-haired cat who is more than a pet—he is family. His young owners love him deeply and, despite limited income, did everything they could to provide for him. They saved for his vaccines and made sacrifices along the way. Still, one final barrier remained. Through ARC’s Pay-It-Forward Fund, we were able to cover Rocky’s neuter surgery—removing that last obstacle and ensuring he can remain safe, healthy, and at home with the family who refuses to give up on him. This is what access to care looks like. This is how we keep pets and people together.

These are not isolated stories—they reflect the reality for families across our region. Each day, we help pets receive essential services such as vaccinations, diabetic testing, amputations, FHO procedures, and routine spay and neuter surgeries. Through the Animal Resource Center (ARC) and Pet Wellness Veterinary Hospital, we are:

• Expanding access to affordable veterinary care

• Bringing services into rural and underserved communities through outreach

• Reducing barriers such as cost and distance

This work is making a difference—but we cannot do it alone.

If you believe families like Lola’s and Rocky’s deserve access to care, we invite you to be part of the solution.

Donate to the Hanson Family Foundation today to expand access to care and increase spay and neuter services across our region. Together, we can keep pets with the people who love them—and prevent this crisis before it begins.