You created Surgeons for Strays to operate on injured,
homeless dogs and cats for free. How did you get involved
in that mission?
My wife's friend is a vet, and one day he called to
tell me he had a stray dog with flection contractures
of the front paws. The dog was full of life. He
couldn't bring himself to put her down, and asked
if I could help. I called renowned veterinarian Dr.
James Cook of the University of Missouri and
asked him how to fix the dog's defects. He told me, I
performed the surgery and the dog was adopted by a
wonderful family. Since then, saving sheltered ani-
mals has become my passion.
How do you find the time and energy to help ani-
mals?
I couldn't do it without the help of our hospital's
wonderful orthopedic residents. I wish you could
see their reactions the first time they help me fix a
dog or a cat. They get a chance to help good souls
and that reminds them of why they got into medi-
cine. I was once asked if the program makes resi-
dents better surgeons. No, I said, it makes them
ixing Stray Pets to
Help Them Find Loving Homes
F
John Keating, MD, SFOA
A "human" orthopedist with a heart for helping animals
• DOG'S BEST FRIEND John Keating, MD, an Atlanta-based orthopedic surgeon who cre-
ated Surgeons for Strays, a nonprofit dedicated to healing injured, homeless dogs and cats,
with Little Junior Parker, a former patient and current family member.
A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 7 1
