Dr. Donita Prepti

President & Founder

CARES was born from the life, work, and heart of Dr. Donita McCants-Prepti – a veterinarian, speaker, educator, advocate, wife, mother, and lifelong believer in using her gifts to serve others.

A proud graduate of the University of Georgia and Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Donita became a veterinarian in 2015 with a deep desire to care for both animals and the people attached to them. From the beginning of her career, her work extended far beyond the exam room. She has spent years giving back through youth mentorship, student support, speaking engagements, community education, and outreach with children, pre-veterinary students, veterinary students, pet owners, and fellow veterinary professionals.

For Dr. Donita, veterinary medicine has never been only about treating pets. It has always been about people, families, access, education, and the powerful bond between humans and animals.

That mission became even more personal through her work as the founder of a mobile veterinary practice. Between 2022 and 2023, Dr. Donita and her team were able to support multiple outreach missions serving the homeless pet community in Orlando, including free and subsidized veterinary services. Those experiences confirmed what she had already seen throughout her career: many people who are struggling financially, displaced, or experiencing homelessness still love their pets deeply. In many cases, they will give to their pet before they give to themselves.

CARES was created because those families should not be forgotten. Just because someone is without housing, without financial stability, or without easy access to care does not mean they are without love, responsibility, or commitment to their animal. CARES exists to meet those families with dignity, compassion, and practical support.

The work of CARES is also rooted in public health and community safety. Preventive care, vaccines, parasite prevention, and education help protect not only individual pets, but also the larger community. Diseases such as rabies and leptospirosis remain real concerns, and access to veterinary care plays an important role in protecting people, animals, and shared environments.

Dr. Donita’s passion for access to care was further strengthened through her work in veterinary leadership and education, including her involvement with community care initiatives and national conversations around spectrum-of-care medicine. She believes that helping pets should not be limited to one version of “gold standard” care. There are many meaningful, ethical, and compassionate ways to support families, protect animals, and improve outcomes when communities work together.

CARES is also an extension of Dr. Donita’s broader advocacy. She is passionate about mental health, education, mentorship, representation in veterinary medicine, and creating opportunities for students and professionals who may not always see themselves reflected in the field. As a Black woman veterinarian in a profession where representation remains limited, she understands the importance of visibility, service, resilience, and opening doors for others.

After years of building, serving, overcoming hardship, and continuing forward through personal and professional challenges, CARES represents the next chapter of Dr. Donita’s mission: to turn lived experience, compassion, education, and veterinary expertise into lasting community impact.

Supported by her husband, Joseph, her son, Stephen, and a lifetime of faith, resilience, and service, Dr. Donita created CARES as a foundation for the work that has always pulled at her heart: helping pets, helping people, strengthening communities, and preserving the bond that makes animals family.