Compassionate medical care for animals down on their luck
Proud Friends of the Stockton Animal Shelter
Hard Luck Animal Welfare Advocates is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate veterinary medical care for our community’s most vulnerable and under-served animals.
What We Do
Educating the Community Through Compassionate Care
Why We Do It
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide high-quality and compassionate veterinary medical care for our community’s most vulnerable and under-served animals. Through our partnership with the Stockton Animal Shelter and additional fundraising efforts, we strive to provide these animals with a second chance at finding a loving and safe home.
Who We Are
Dr. Matthew Wooddall, DVM
Dr. Matt is a Stockton native with a passion for bringing positive change to the city in which he was born. Dr Matt’s veterinary career started in February of 2000, where he began as a kennel assistant in Lodi, gradually gaining skill and discovering a lifelong passion for vet medicine. After attending San Joaquin Delta College, he completed a Bachelors in Biology at UC Santa Barbara in 2010. In 2012 he was accepted into UC Davis Veterinary School bringing him back to his Central Valley roots. Over the next decade Dr. Matt worked as a general and emergency veterinarian in Stockton, Lodi, and Sacramento areas. In the Spring of 2023 the opportunity to found Hard Luck AWA and partner with the City of Stockton was a dream come true.
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“Giving these animals the second chance they deserve at a happy, healthy life with a forever family is the mission. There are so many animals in need in our community and the work of meeting those needs is so important, so necessary, and so fulfilling.”
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He lives in Sacramento with his wife, daughter, and four dogs.
Anjuli Hiranandani
Anjuli, a Southern California native, embarked on her journey in veterinary medicine after a getting her start in college. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology from Colby-Sawyer College, in New Hampshire, where she rode on an equestrian scholarship and brought her horse along for the collegiate experience. Anjuli’s passion for animals, cultivated through her community and 4-H involvement, found its first significant role during her volunteer work in equine post-op care at Tufts University. This experience sparked her enduring commitment to VetMed.
With 17 years of experience managing both small and large animal clinics, her career highlights include her recent role as Hospital Manager for an Emergency and Critical Care center. Their dedication to mental health is evident from her 2018 certification in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, where she developed programs for veterans, trafficking victims, and other marginalized communities. Anjuli now focuses on bridging the gap between veterinary care and mental health.
In 2024, she pivoted in to shelter medicine to refocus on her initial motivation in VetMed: providing exceptional veterinary care to pets and supporting medical staff in the field. Anjuli lives in Ceres, CA with her husband, son, a menagerie of pets—including four shelter dogs, two cats, a retired race horse, goats, and a rescue Sulcata tortoise named Voldetort. Her life reflects her deep-rooted love for animals and her unwavering dedication to advancing veterinary care and mental health integration.
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"Doing the right thing, Is never the wrong thing."
-Ted Lasso
Morgan, MBA
Morgan grew up in Lodi, CA before venturing off to CSU Monterey Bay where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Communication. After the completion of her Bachelors, Morgan entered the career field as a Human Resources Manager, working for multiple large retail chains. She later moved to San Diego, CA where she earned her master's degree in business administration from Ashford University. San Diego is also where Morgan adopted her now 3-year-old pup, Pepper!
After spending the past 10 years working in corporate management and human resources, Morgan moved to Sacramento to assist Dr. Wooddall in the creation of Hard Luck AWA and joined the team as the Director of Human Resources & Administration. Morgan has grown up around animals all her life and is passionate about being able to serve an organization that has such an incredible impact on the lives of animals in the county she grew up in.
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“Animals are so pure and innocent. I absolutely love seeing the difference in the animals who are treated by our team at the shelter. To see them grow confident and become happy and healthy little fur babies is one of the best experiences. Our team truly makes a difference in the lives of animals, and I am overjoyed to be here in support of our mission!”
Dr. Stefanie Thielemann, DVM
Dr. Stefanie Thielemann received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis in 1992 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. Dr. Stefanie started her career in general practice and emergency services. She worked at several veterinary hospitals around the Tracy area where she lives, and spent a large part of her career at the San Francisco SPCA hospital. She developed an affinity for surgery and was able to hone her skills as a surgery and procedure doctor at the hospital there. In 2018 she discovered the world of shelter medicine and surgery, which she fell in love with and has been doing ever since. She has worked at several major shelters as well as smaller rescue organizations in either medical or surgical capacity. Most recently, Dr. Stefanie is serving as the Managing Veterinarian for the Stockton Animal Shelter since July of 2022.
Contact Us
Contact us to ask about veterinary care, events, and adoption opportunities!