A board-certified veterinary surgeon for the statewide Animal Cancer Care Clinic, Tammi Ruddle, DVM provides critical surgical treatment for pets battling cancer in Central Florida. She also spends her free time helping to protect wildlife around the world, from rhinos in Africa to manatees and panthers in Florida. When she moved to Florida in 2005, she was shocked to learn that panthers lived in the state.
“I’ll never forget the day I discovered Florida had panthers,” she recalled, explaining that a casual scroll through Instagram introduced her to the fStop Foundation, an organization dedicated to wildlife preservation through the use of photography. “That single moment changed everything. Within weeks, I was an fStop volunteer and transformed from someone who didn’t know the Florida panther existed to a dedicated protector of them.”
Today, she is the only trained veterinarian volunteering with the nonprofit. A photography hobbyist herself, she manages 10 different cameras in her community, sifting through hours of video content once a month, then “tagging” or writing detailed descriptions of footage that captures animals, most specifically panthers.
Willam Freund, the founder and president of fSTOP Foundation, says that Dr. Ruddle’s expertise is invaluable to his agency’s efforts. “Her training and ability to easily identify animals and their behaviors makes her one of our most treasured volunteers,” he said.
Dr. Ruddle provides support on a number of levels, including coordinating with landowners where cameras are mounted, working with other collaborative organizations, such as the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and helping the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in identifying vital wildlife crossing locations that help reduce the number of deaths caused by traffic.
“My primary responsibility at FStop combines technical work with pure joy,” she stressed. “When I review hours of video footage to document wildlife movements, I still can’t help but shriek with excitement when a panther appears on screen.”
Freund established the Foundation almost 10 years ago after successful careers as a pilot and operating his family’s hardware business. His love of photography, which he shares with his son, and family nature trips around the world inspired him to establish a cause that could make a difference in finding way for humans and wildlife to “thrive” together.
The numerous collaborations Freund has formed with both private and public conservation groups have resulted in a substantial increase in awareness and decrease in panther deaths. He says that Florida is the first state in the country to establish wildlife corridors as law. Students at Gulf Coast State College serve as volunteers as part of their education.
Funding for the work of fStop comes from a variety of sources, including private and corporate donations, as well as grants. Florida’s own two-legged Panthers ice hockey team is among the supporters. For more information on the Foundation’s work and ways to support it, visit https://fstopfoundation.org/what-we-do/.
A native of Northeast Ohio, Dr. Ruddle earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from The Ohio State University and completed internships at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey and Mission MedVet in Kansas, where she completed her three-year surgical residency training.
About Animal Cancer Care Clinic
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Animal Cancer Care Clinic (ACCC) was founded in 2004 and currently treats animals battling cancer in eight locations throughout the state, including Orlando, Melbourne, Stuart, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach and Miami. All veterinarians within the practice are highly trained and credentialed in the field of oncology and are qualified to diagnose and treat all forms of cancer. Available treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. For more information, visit https://animalcancercareclinic.com/ or via social channels at https://www.facebook.com/AnimalCancerCareClinic, https://www.instagram.com/animalcancercareclinic/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/animalcancercareclinic/
