SIRVS was founded in 2009 by a group of veterinary students at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Over 10 years later, SIRVS has continued to expand and now serves multiple Indigenous communities across Minnesota and neighboring states, including the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Nation, Lower Sioux Indian Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Red Lake Nation. SIRVS is entirely student-run and is led by an executive board, which is comprised of 20 veterinary students.
During our multi-day clinics, teams of volunteer veterinary students, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians work together to provide high-quality, no-cost veterinary services. These services include physical exams, vaccines, spay and neuter sterilization surgeries, and much more.