Meet Dr. April Gessner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. April Gessner.

Hi Dr. Gessner, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am passionate about doing veterinary volunteer work and have volunteered in several impoverished countries in Central America, South America, and Asia. While in veterinary school, I started an organization on the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean so that students could gain hands-on experience while also helping the less fortunate with their pets. I decided to start a 501(c)(3) in NC called DEGA Mobile Veterinary Care so that I could help pets on a more local level, just as I have done internationally.

DEGA Mobile Veterinary Care provides free basic veterinary care to low/no income and homeless pet owners in the Triangle area of NC. We provide free mobile pop-up clinics in various locations to give basic veterinary care to cats, dogs, and pet pigs who would otherwise not see a veterinarian.

DEGA stands for Determined for Everyone to Gain Access (To Veterinary Care). Dega was my first dog and is featured in our photos. Dega and her soul dog Ghon lived all over the world, climbing volcanoes in the rainforest of the Caribbean, frolicking in several feet of snow in Missouri, and playing on the beaches up and down the east coast of the US. These two American Brown Dogs lived a life some people can only dream of. DEGA Mobile Veterinary Care was created to honor their memory by helping pets in need. Our first clinic was 2.14.21 and we have helped almost 900 pets in just six months!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, yes, it has been a surprisingly smooth road. I have been astounded by the outpouring of community support through financial donations, volunteering, and community involvement. The main struggle would be identifying pet owners who are truly in need. It is tricky because we do not advertise clinics to the general public, but we want to make sure we have a good turnout for our clinics so that we are helping as many pets in need as possible. This is mainly why we work with other charitable organizations that are already helping underserved populations.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been an emergency veterinarian for eight years, however my true passion lies in volunteering to help the people and pets who need it the most. That’s how I got involved volunteering in Central America both before and during vet school with the group VIDA and why I am now a member of World Vets and have traveled all over the world volunteering to help with spay-neuter clinics in impoverished countries. I am most proud of my nonprofit DEGA Mobile Veterinary Care, which has been a dream of mine since I first graduated veterinary school.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I feel incredibly lucky, yet at the same time wouldn’t consider it luck as I have worked very hard to become a veterinarian and start my nonprofit. I do consider myself so very fortunate to have such a loving and supportive husband, an amazing daughter, and my network of family and friends, and for them I am forever grateful. My husband, Bennett Deddens, is a veterinary radiologist (and the assistant director of DEGA!) and I could never have started DEGA Mobile Veterinary Care without his encouragement and support!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.degamobilevetcare.org/
• Instagram: @degamobilevetcare
• Facebook: @degamobileveterinarycare
• Twitter: @degavetcare