As much as we all love our furry friends, getting them the medical help they need can sometimes be a real hassle for us and a negative experience for them. That is why Atlanta veterinarian, Shermaine Wilson Cox to open Royal Paws and Purrs Mobile Veterinary Services. A mobile veterinarian service dedicated to offering high quality veterinary medical care and providing a stress free and luxury experience to both it’s pet patients and their owners.
While working at a small animal hospital, Dr. Wilson Cox would often see many pets that would get anxiety and become very fearful as soon as they step foot into the hospital or when their owners even turn into the parking lot. As an avid animal lover, these reactions would break her heart. She wanted to help animals she was treating, but could see how having to come to the office was hurting them. And thus she decided to go mobile. Allowing her to come to the house of the pet and thereby alleviate the anxiety and fearfulness they may feel of going to the vet. Dr. Wilson Cox also saw how going mobile could benefit the pet owners, as well. Especially those who are just not physically capable of taking their pet to the vet.
“They don’t have to deal with struggling to put the pets in the car, driving across town and fighting with traffic, then sitting in a hospital waiting to be seen. It is a win win for both the pet and the owner.”
Royal Paws and Purrs is not Dr. Wilson Cox’s only business venture however, as in August of 2018 she founded Sankofa Medical Scrubs. An online store which provides medical professionals with Afrocentric medical scrubs and matching head wear. According to Dr. Wilson Cox, the idea for Sankofa Medical Scrubs stemmed from the scarcity of African print scrubs and headwear available to healthcare professionals.
“We want health professionals to be more fashionable, to be more confident about what they wear and to express culture through their profession.”
Through her work Dr. Wilson Cox, also hopes to inspire more African Americans to join into the field of veterinary medicine. As of 2018, African Americans only make up about 2% of medical professionals practicing veterinary medicine. This lack of diversity can have lasting damage as the absence of representation can discourage future generations from pursuing the occupation.
“It is extremely important for the younger generation to have role models or mentors in the career they are interested in to let them know that anything is possible. I always try to speak to and encourage young black children that want to be a veterinarian. The obstacles and imposter syndrome that I faced was completely gone just by having someone to look up to and by being in the presence of educated, black doctors.”
This feature was submitted by Kayla Isley
My name is Kayla Isley. I was born in raised in central Jersey. I recently graduated from Arcadia University with a Bachelor’s degree. I majors in communications and minored in professional writing. During my time at University I wrote articles for the online zine LOCOMag and published my own shelf help book for college students.Now I am just trying to find an outlet where I can express myself and maybe gain some experience in the professional writing realm.
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