A hero of the homeless, Nederland’s Dr. Joseph “Doc Joe” Evans has not turned away anyone needing veterinary care in 30 years. In 2015, he said he donated 22 percent of his services.
“I was at the bottom of the pile for a long time,” Evans, 67, said. An alcoholic in recovery for many years, Evans hosts a weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in his office and considers homeless people part of his family.
Evans said his quality of life makes it worth it. He enjoys his work, is blessed with a good conscience and sleeps soundly at night. “If you treat in expectation of monetary remuneration, you’re probably going to be unhappy. You’re thinking, ‘How much is this?’ When you treat the animal, you see the smile on their faces,” he said. “You see them when they leave. It makes it worthwhile. I’m not gonna go hungry.”
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