Emancipet Houston hires new leader; Six-month-old nonprofit seeking first brick and mortar location

Emancipet Houston, the nonprofit, low-cost veterinary services provider which opened last June, has hired a vice president to lead the expanding organization, which is also in the process of seeking its first brick-and-mortar location.

Kelly McCann comes to Emancipet from the Alzheimer’s Association, where she was chief program officer for four years. Previously, she worked in government relations for Gilead Sciences, and as chief executive officer of the AIDS Foundation of Houston. McCann has a bachelor’s of science in psychology from Sam Houston State University and has done graduate work in psychology at Texas A&M and Sam Houston universities.

As the local leader of Emancipet, McCann is responsible for working with Houston city officials, a volunteer community advisory committee, major donors and foundations, and other Houston animal welfare organizations as well as the organization’s managers, veterinarians, and additional staff.

McCann’s deep roots in the Houston business and nonprofit worlds, her visionary leadership and strategic planning, program development, and fundraising experience made her the perfect fit for this key position, says Amy Mills, CEO of Emancipet.

Emancipet Houston currently operates in a custom 48-foot trailer in Houston’s East End, at Neighborhood Centers Inc.-Ripley House, 4410 Navigation Blvd. Once a new brick-and-mortar location is found, the trailer will move to another under-served area to be determined.

Emancipet provides low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services to underserved communities. Their safe, high-volume spay/neuter operation is used as a model for other clinics around the nation. Emancipet’s one-on-one outreach program is designed to reach pet owners who are not necessarily seeking out spay/neuter services, primarily in lower-income areas where cost and lack of access have been barriers.

About Emancipet

Emancipet is a non-profit on a mission to make high-quality spay/neuter and veterinary care affordable and accessible to every pet owner. Emancipet manages an expanding statewide network of high-quality, low-cost clinics; offers customized training and consulting programs to animal welfare organizations nationwide; and advocates for prevention-based solutions to animal homelessness. Since 1999, Emancipet veterinarians have safely spayed or neutered nearly 250,000 pets at little or no cost. www.emancipet.org.