About Us
Who We Are
The Appalachian Shelter Medicine Initiative (ASMI) is an emerging 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Eastern Kentucky with a mission to bring lifesaving veterinary care where it’s needed most. We’re launching as a mobile shelter medicine program first, so we can reach multiple shelters and underserved communities quickly and consistently while we build toward long-term infrastructure. We specialize in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) services and targeted medical support for animal shelters and rescues throughout the region. Our team is driven by the belief that every animal deserves a chance at a healthy life—and that starts with access to compassionate, preventive care.
Core Values
01
Preventing
overpopulation through accessible sterilization
02
Strengthening
outcomes through shelter partnerships
03
Honoring
animals and people with dignity and respect
04
Empowering
communities through outreach and training
Our Story
The Appalachian Shelter Medicine Initiative was founded in response to a growing crisis. Across Eastern Kentucky, animal shelters and rescues are struggling under the weight of an unsustainable burden — rising veterinary costs, plummeting adoption rates, and the constant influx of unwanted litters. As prices for even basic veterinary services continue to rise, spay/neuter procedures have become increasingly out of reach for both municipal shelters and the communities they serve. The result? Overcrowded kennels, stretched resources, and a heartbreaking increase in euthanasia for animals that simply needed access to care.
Our founders — veterinarians and shelter professionals with deep roots in Appalachia — saw the toll this was taking firsthand. We knew that meaningful, lasting change couldn’t come from short-term fixes. It had to start with access: access to high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter, targeted medical care, and community education that empowers people and prevents suffering before it starts.
ASMI was created to fill that gap. That’s why our first priority is a mobile spay/neuter and shelter medicine unit—so we can deliver consistent care across the region now, while building toward a future brick-and-mortar facility.
We’re building a regional resource that puts shelter medicine at the center of a more compassionate, sustainable future — for animals, for shelters, and for the people who care about both.
Meet the Team
Dr. Kate Webb, DVM, MPH
Founder, Director
Born with a passion for serving animals and the communities who care for them, Dr. Webb created ASMI to bridge the gap for shelters struggling with limited resources. She specializes in high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter and works closely with local counties to improve outcomes for dogs and cats across Eastern Kentucky. She believes every shelter deserves veterinary support—and every pet deserves a chance.
A Johnson County native, Dr. Webb is both honored and humbled to serve her home region.
Hannah Mullins
Director
Future Doctor Mullins currently attends Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine. Hannah has demonstrated incredible grit to earn her education, and wants to use that opportunity to help Eastern Kentucky however she can.
Hannah works closely with the Pike County Animal Shelter as well, and hopes to bring much-needed veterinary services to the region upon graduation.
Hannah is from Pike County, Kentucky.
Raven Wells
Director
Raven has always had a desire to help and care for those in need. While originally interested in emergency medical services for humans, Raven was then drawn to veterinary medicine where he now works as a veterinary assistant, while studying to become a veterinary technician.
In his spare time, he has a handsome 3-year-old boy who keeps him on his toes, and wants to use ASMI to show his son that if you can dream it, you can achieve it.
Raven is from Knott County, Kentucky.
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