Veterinarians from Adtalem’s alumni network are volunteering to find Caribbean stray dogs a new life in the United States. Meet the team and see before-and-after photos of the life-changing companions that inspire their mission.
Severe anxiety almost ended Dr. Meredith Berger’s dream of becoming a veterinarian. After taking time off for treatment, she returned to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) in St. Kitts.
There she met Susie.
Susie was a Coconut Retriever—the moniker given to stray dogs from the Caribbean that are mixed between varying breeds of retrievers, dachshunds, bullies.
Their bond was instant, but Dr. Berger, DVM ’08, could not fully adopt Susie right away. Susie was committed to two years on RUSVM’s roster of teaching dogs that are on campus to help students through course instruction. Dogs can be involved in the curriculum anywhere from first through seventh semester, from basic training and care up to advanced surgical courses.
Susie was an instruction model for anesthesiology, which required Dr. Berger to return Susie to campus every Monday after they spent weekends together.
“People would not see me around the island without her. She was my soulmate and the reason I got through veterinary school.”
The Human-Animal Bond
In the Caribbean, dogs aren’t often viewed as pets who are members of the family the way they are in the U.S. They may not be welcome inside a home, which increases the presence of stray, unfixed dogs with minimal means of population control. Veterinary care for dogs can also be limited to just necessities, with rural areas sometimes lacking any access to proper care.
With a larger presence of strays, RUSVM often becomes a home to these dogs for medical care, spaying and neutering, and in some cases they join the teaching roster like Susie. Others are offered up for adoption by a student or faculty member.
“Honestly, I didn’t come back to RUSVM looking to adopt a dog or to take on that responsibility. I just wanted to get through school and get back home to the states. When I met Susie, I gained an ever present best friend who gave me nothing but unconditional love.”
Beyond the use of academic instruction, the presence of dogs on RUSVM’s campus is helpful in creating emotional support and companionship for students who often leave their family and friends behind when they move to St. Kitts in pursuit of their dream to become a veterinarian.
Dr. Berger continued: “I think that connection was important for my emotional wellbeing and I believe these animals could do the same for veterinary students dealing with their own mental health issues. I truly believe Susie helped me get to where I am, and I don’t know that I would have been able to make it through veterinary school without her.”
The Susie Project
Susie went everywhere with Dr. Berger in the 12 years after the duo left St. Kitts in 2008. She was there for Dr. Berger’s first shift as a practicing veterinarian. Susie slept by Dr. Berger’s side during overnight emergency shifts. They traveled together, and along the way Susie touched the lives of everyone she met.
Susie passed away in 2018. Without her soulmate, Dr. Berger felt lost.
“I searched and searched for a reason I would have to be on this Earth without her. I helped animals through my work, but it wasn’t enough.”
One year after her death, Dr. Berger returned to Susie’s home island to release a tuft of her fur into the sea. While she was there to memorialize her forever companion, Basseterre Animal Rescue Center (BARC) called about three puppies Dr. Berger hoped to bring to the United States for proper care and adoption.
In her grief, The Susie Project was born.
There are several ways The Susie Project: Coconut Freedom Fund helps dogs in the Caribbean. While there are local rescue organizations, they are often overwhelmed by the number of animals in need and have limited resources to help. The Susie Project provides funding for preventative care and supports treatment for sick animals suffering from preventable diseases and untreated injuries.
The organization also addresses overpopulation through spay and neuter programs, aiming to educate the community, prevent animal suffering, and ensure better outcomes for these animals.
In the years since officially forming The Susie Project, Dr. Berger estimates about 30 dogs have been saved from life-threatening conditions. One puppy—Calypso, born with a heart defect—introduced Dr. Berger to Dr. Kelle Keyles, DVM ’22, and her wife, Noreen.
Penelope’s Rescue Mission
Dr. Keyles and Noreen had been together since they met in high school, and Dr. Keyles would only attend RUSVM if Noreen and their two dogs—Penelope and Olive—could be in St. Kitts with her.
In Dr. Keyles’ third semester, Penelope began experiencing painful symptoms and was diagnosed with an acute herniated disk. As she lost functioning in her hind legs and her condition worsened, Noreen left with Penelope for spinal surgery in Florida while Dr. Keyles stayed at RUSVM to finish final exams. In post-op recovery, it was discovered that Penelope had a rare condition called ascending myelomalacia; even after surgery, nothing could stop her from becoming fully paralyzed.
One of the most difficult moments Dr. Keyles faced was having to say goodbye to Penelope over the phone. “She was only 4 years old. She helped me through so much and I struggled a lot with losing her,” she says.
Comfort, though, was found in giving other dogs a loving home. When a local business owner had a puppy living under the stairs and refusing to eat, he called Basseterre Animal Rescue Center (BARC) where Noreen was working while Dr. Keyles was in school. BARC was having difficulty arranging a foster family during the pandemic, so Noreen brought the puppy—Talulah—home to be part of the family.
From then on, the couple would remember Penelope by opening their home to help foster dogs find forever homes. They called it Penelope’s Rescue Mission. Through social media, Noreen formed a connection with Dr. Berger.
Between St. Kitts where Dr. Keyles and Noreen were, and the United States where Dr. Berger was practicing in New Jersey, the team now had a pathway to bring dogs from the Caribbean to the U.S. for treatment and adoption. In St. Kitts, the couple leveraged social media to find “flight buddies” for the puppies to safely travel to the East Coast. Once in the U.S., Dr. Berger would arrange for transportation to her clinic.
Continuing Their Missions Stateside
Dr. Keyles and Noreen have since returned to the U.S. and live in Boston, but the couple and Dr. Berger continue to partner with students at RUSVM to aid in transportation for the dogs.
Combined, the efforts of The Susie Project and Penelope’s Rescue Mission have helped around 60 dogs find their forever homes. Many have gone directly to alumni or families of students looking to add to their family.
Dr. Natalie Savo, DVM ’19, just celebrated the ninth birthday of her island rescue, Eclipse. She practices in New York and met Dr. Berger while picking up an extra shift at a hospital and instantly connected on the shared RUSVM alumni bond. Today, she aids The Susie Project by providing medical care, airport pickup, foster care, anything to help save a dog.
Much like Drs. Berger and Keyles, Dr. Savo’s bond with Eclipse is enough to fuel a lifetime of passion to give Caribbean dogs a second chance.
“I don’t know that I would have made it as far as I have without Eclipse. He’s always present to cheer me up. When it was time to study, he let me practice and examine him, so he’s been through veterinary school just as much as I have.”
On top of their respective careers as veterinarians, it’s a significant undertaking to remain dedicated to saving the Caribbean dogs they have come to so deeply love.
There are logistical hurdles to overcome. Just this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for traveling with dogs became stricter. With limitations on a dog’s age and weight for air travel, and additional required medical records, the window in which dogs can successfully get out of the Caribbean to the U.S. is shrinking.
Still, The Susie Project and Penelope’s Rescue Mission continue. The Susie Project’s reach has expanded to saving dogs from four Caribbean islands—St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Antigua—and the work will never stop.
“Saving these animals is how I keep Susie’s legacy alive, and keeping Susie’s legacy alive is how I survive,” says Dr. Berger.
For more information, email the Adtalem Global Communications Team: adtalemmedia@adtalem.com.
