Our Mission

A world where no animal suffers

Public Vet offers accessible, affordable veterinary care to anyone in need while fostering compassion, empathy, and professionalism within the veterinary field.

Mission statement

Care, education, collaboration, and advocacy

Public Vet is committed to improving animal welfare by making veterinary care easier to reach, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting practical solutions for animals in homes, shelters, and neighborhoods.

Establish clear patient identification through microchips, photo IDs, and active records.

Promote public education and gather data to support research and community efforts.

Network community resources for owned and unowned animals.

Support high standards of animal care for individuals and organizations.

Cultivate professionalism, humility, and empathy in veterinary practice.

Advocate for positive policy changes in animal and public health.

Provide a safety net for patients in case of loss, injury, or theft.

Promote accountable, lifelong care by supporting owners and community caretakers in meeting each animal's needs.

Empower communities to self-organize around animal welfare.

Our history

Before Public Vet, there was the Neuter Scooter

Our name has changed, but the mission that set us in motion nearly three decades ago has not: bring affordable, accessible veterinary care directly to the communities that need it.

Neuter Scooter round logo

Neuter Scooter t-shirt logo

1999
The Neuter Scooter begins
Executive Director Dr. Tess Peavy started the Neuter Scooter in Bloomington, Indiana, with a mobile veterinary unit and a commitment to making spay/neuter services easier to access.
1999–2018
Years of mobile care
The Neuter Scooter traveled to communities across Indiana and Ohio, helping countless cats and their families receive essential veterinary care close to home.
2018
Public Vet is born
In early 2018, the Neuter Scooter name was retired and Public Vet was born. The new name reflected our growing One Health mission: caring for animals while strengthening the health and well-being of the people and communities around them.

Today's clinics may look different from that original mobile unit, but every mile traveled and every patient cared for remains part of the Public Vet story.

From the archive

The people and places behind the early clinics

Long before today's clinics, the work was already rooted in practical care, clear education, and a family committed to serving communities together.

The original Neuter Scooter mobile veterinary unit—the place where Public Vet's story began.

Dr. Tess Peavy writing at her desk during the Neuter Scooter era — Dr. Tess Peavy at work during the Neuter Scooter years.

Dr. Tess Peavy and her family beside the Neuter Scooter mobile unit — Dr. Peavy and her family beside the mobile unit. They continue to work together at Public Vet today.

Dr. Tess Peavy giving a discharge speech to Neuter Scooter clients after a clinic — At the end of each clinic, Dr. Peavy gathered clients together for a discharge talk so every family went home prepared.

Cars lined up to check in at the August 2026 Public Vet clinic in New Albany — Public Vet check-in line at the August 2026 New Albany clinic.

What Public Vet does

We build clinics around communities

Public Vet organizes veterinary, epidemiological, and educational resources around each community's needs. Every clinic is a chance to improve quality of life for animals while connecting people to practical support.

We invest in health

Public Vet identifies at-risk communities and uses veterinary care as an entry point for education, outreach, and stronger local support networks.

Community partnerships

The team works directly with animal control officers, humane societies, and local partners to improve animal health and quality of life.

Our Indiana partner

The Fix is IN!

The Fix is IN! is a partnership between Public Vet and Pet Friendly Services of Indiana that brings high-volume, affordable spay/neuter care to cats across the state. Together, we focus on communities—especially rural and underserved counties—where veterinary access is limited and help is needed most.

A license plate that funds lifesaving care

Indiana's Pet Friendly specialty license plate helps fund critical spay/neuter programs throughout the state. Revenue received by Pet Friendly Services from plate sales goes back into programs that support Indiana animals—including the work Public Vet brings directly to local communities.

Learn about The Fix is IN!Get the Pet Friendly plate

Indiana Pet Friendly specialty license plate reading Fix Em — Every Pet Friendly plate helps expand access to spay/neuter care for animals across Indiana.

Meet the vets

Compassion, field experience, and accessible care

Veterinarian

Aria Armendariz Peavy, D.V.M.

Dr. Aria earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and is licensed in multiple states, including Indiana, California, Hawaii, and Tennessee. She brings community-based expertise and compassion to every patient she treats.

Director / Veterinarian

Tess Peavy, D.V.M.

Dr. Tess Peavy is the founder and director of Public Vet. Before Public Vet, she founded Neuter Scooter, a mobile spay/neuter program that operated in Indiana from 1999 through early 2018. She is licensed in Indiana, California, and Ohio.

Veterinarian

Gabriel Armendariz Peavy, D.V.M.

Dr. Gabriel earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and is licensed in Indiana, California, and Ohio. He focuses on expanding veterinary services to underserved communities.

Our team

Dedication, expertise, and practical compassion

Public Vet clinics run because a wide team shows up together: veterinarians, technicians, assistants, operations staff, students, and community-minded helpers who keep the day moving.