Helping Animals In Disasters
UVDART hosted an online presentation by Dr. Renee Poirrier. Many VDART members joined via Zoom. Dr. Renee Poirrier is a veterinarian and owner of Acadiana Veterinary Clinic in Alexandria, LA.
Dr. Renee Poirrier is a veterinarian and owner of Acadiana Veterinary Clinic in Alexandria, LA. She practices both traditional veterinary medicine, as well as holistic medicine, veterinary acupuncture, and water therapy. She graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1988, and has spanned a career as a veterinarian across three states. A lifelong animal owner and advocate, Dr. Renee puts into practice the belief that healing pets is a collaboration between veterinary practice and pets’ owners.
Throughout Dr. Renee’s career, she has been grateful for the opportunity to practice veterinary medicine, and she has always shared her skills in charitable work. After traveling overseas for veterinary mission and disaster relief work, Dr. Renee focused her efforts on disaster relief work closer to home. In 2003, she began volunteering with the Louisiana State Animal Response Team. In 2004, she became the director of the Louisiana State Animal Response Team; and she has coordinated many pet shelters and animal response efforts. Dr. Renee’s work made a difference during several hurricanes including Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Laura, Delta, and Ida; as well as in the wildlife response to the BP oil spill and the Haitian earthquake.
Each year, Dr. Renee volunteers to teach workshops and trainings on pet evacuation and sheltering, with animal responders as her audience. She wants to ensure that people will be able to evacuate with their pets during disasters. Dr Renee’s work was recognized in 2019 when she was honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for long term commitment and excellence in Emergency Preparedness from the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association (LEPA).
In 2011 she was named Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year by the Association for Women Veterinarians Foundation. Dr Renee was also named the 2008 Louisiana Veterinarian of the Year. In 2006 she received the Everett Besch Distinguished Service Award for her community service work from the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Renee has also come full circle in her educational career, as she serves as an adjunct assistant professor at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Renee is part of a team of instructors, teaching the next generation of veterinary students about animal emergency response.