EveryPet employees do surgical procedures to include spay and neuter services for pets. | EveryPet
Published on January 27, 2026 at 4:53 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. Sign up for the Jacksonville Today newsletter.
A Jacksonville nonprofit that provides affordable pet care hopes to meet the high demand for its spay and neuter services by training veterinary students at one of its locations.
EveryPet’s new Veterinary Student Training Center will operate at its Norwood Spay/Neuter Center & Community Clinic at 6718 Norwood Ave. on Jacksonville’s Northside.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
Dr. Brian DiGangi of EveryPet (formerly First Coast No More Homeless Pets) says pets deserve access to quality veterinary care.
“There’s a huge need for more veterinarians across the country in general and particularly in our field of community-centered care and shelter medicine,” said DiGangi, who is the group’s director of professional development. “And so we’re trying to contribute to that by helping train these veterinary students who often don’t get a whole lot of surgical experience during their prescribed curriculum in vet school.”
Students will work with EveryPet in a one-on-one environment, usually two weeks at a time to hone their surgical skills, he said.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
Experienced veterinarians and techs will mentor the students. Students also will learn about wellness/preventative care, exams, vaccinations and diagnostics.
The center will have a smaller prep and recovery area off to the side so students can learn in a more controlled, relaxed environment.
READ MORE: Contagious horse disease reported in St. Augustine
EveryPet CEO Jennifer Barker said the organization welcomes veterinary students, not only locally but from universities across the country.
“And we’re really targeting individuals that have compassion for vulnerable pet populations and want to make a difference in their community,” Barker said. The first five-week paid training session will be June 22 to July 24, and the program is accepting applications for two fellowships that are open to first- through fourth-year veterinary students.
The organization changed its name from First Coast No More Homeless Pets to EveryPet in October because it was often mistaken as a shelter, which it is not.
Barker described EveryPet as unique in that it wants to remove any financial barrier to families with pets.
“That’s why we offer not only affordable veterinary care, but we have a variety of payment plans and then a core part of our mission is to provide charitable veterinary care making sure that we have the ability to provide lifesaving intervention when there is a pet that’s critically injured,” Barker said.
