30 Ways to Fund Veterinary Care
Many winters have passed since I strode along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in awe of winter’s handiwork where lapping water was transformed into towering mounds of ice rising from a Martian landscape.
It wasn’t unusual for animals to be drawn to this new land almost devoid of man. Cold-weather birds perched on pointy peaks. Fox skittered through sand and ice at dusk and dawn. A few humans with parkas zipped tight would daringly walk the fragile floes. Sometimes dogs wandered to the shore on their own, accessing the beach from our yard, which was the only entry for miles.
One particular day when brilliant sun sparred with frigid cold, Joe and I zigzagged through the path of snow-swept dune grasses that led from our back door to the sand below. Snuka, who had run before us, was stopped in his tracks with furry ears rotating left and right, eyes wide with question.
We hadn’t descended fully, so we still had the advantage of height. We could hear, then see, what he could sense – a dog had fallen into the frigid waters on the Chicago side of the ice floes, the slippery ice and steep incline preventing his own rescue.
We rushed Snuka home and sped into emergency mode, gathering supplies. This hadn’t been our first time responding to an animal in distress at the beach, but it was our first winter attempt.
It was Joe, rope around waist, crawling over jagged peaks, who managed to haul the shivering Golden Retriever from an almost icy grave. Joe stood briefly at the summit, dog in arms, smiling like the Grinch on top of Mount Crumpit.
We ascended the switchbacks to the warmth of our home to seek professional help, on a Sunday, in a town and a decade with no emergency veterinary options and no internet. A kindly veterinarian answered the emergency phone line. Warm broth. Plenty of blankets. Rest. The dog survived the night to wave his feathered tail at his frantic owner who’d found us through the vet.
Luck was ours then. Good fortune is many of ours now that we have greater access to round the clock veterinary resources, and even help to pay for them.
Disclaimer
I will pause here for a disclaimer. Good fortune doesn’t equate to ease. You will need to put in the time and do the work.
I will also add that none of the resources below have been vetted. Nor does a listing imply an endorsement, guarantee or warranty. The resources are provided as a means to jumpstart your journey. It is your responsibility to investigate each resource and do the due diligence required before providing personal and financial information to any person or organization.
Remember to be kind, even when your heart is breaking. Treat others in a manner you wish to be treated yourself. If the shoe were on the other foot, would you be more apt to help someone who is humble or someone screaming in your face? Give what you’d like to get.
Each organization offering help offers hope in their own way. To find out if it aligns with your needs, start with this list of questions.
Question 1: What do they fund?
Don’t expect an organization to cover 100% of all medical needs. Be prepared to pay something even if you are given a grant. Most likely the grant will be restricted to a specific component of care. The following is a list of some services that could be covered, or not covered. You will need to ask.
Initial exam
Diagnostic testing
Spay/neuter services (FYI. Many organizations that provide financial assistance only do so to people whose animals have been spayed/neutered. Be sure to make this a priority when you first take an animal into your care. Can’t afford spay/neuter – see resources below for help.)
Primary or preventative care
Emergency services
Treatment: one time, short term, or long term
A specific disease or condition
Euthanization services
Previous veterinary debt
Question 2: Who do they fund?
Many organizations work only with people who can demonstrate financial need. Be prepared to share tax returns, documentation for government assistance, and/or other private documents that indicates your financial situation.
Before sharing personal information ask about an organization’s data privacy protection. Do an internet search to learn how others rate their experience with the organization and safekeeping of private information.
Question 3: Who do they pay?
Many organizations pay directly to the care provider rather than an individual. If an organization does pay an individual directly, it will most likely be after payment has occurred and a receipt can be provided as proof.
Question 4: How quickly do they respond?
It is always the pet owners responsibility and duty to seek immediate care where any delay could put an animal at risk. Do NOT wait to do research and apply for grants before seeking help in an emergency. There is no guarantee any program will be able to provide financial assistance.
Many programs may ask questions to determine your needs before providing you with an application to complete. This saves time for both parties.
A program may have a wait list. Be sure to ask.
General Resources for Financial Help
Local vet clinics, shelters, humane societies, rescue organizations. Jumpstart your research by searching those words along with your community's name. Many local organizations have funds or programs to help people and pets who live nearby.
In addition to searching by the city or area where you live, use the following research words:
Angel fund
Financial assistance
Free, discounted, low cost veterinary services
Senior fund or senior assistance (for older people who need help caring for pets)
Military or deployment assistance
Domestic violence assistance
The following is a list of websites that have created their own list of programs and resources. It’s a list of lists – and that’s a good thing! The more resources you have, the greater the opportunity to find help with your specific issue or type of pet.
Best Friends Financial Aid Resources for Pets
Red Rover List of Financial Assistance Programs for Individuals (Look for the tips, tools and resources page on how to use personal fundraising to cover the cost of unexpected pet care.)
Sacramento Canine Placement Assistance Don’t let the name fool you, this is NOT a list of California-only resources.
Some Financial Grant Programs
Frankie's Friends is for emergency and specialty care “for pets who have a good prognosis for a return to a good quality of life for a reasonable period of time.” This specific page of the website provides a list of PROGRAMS — Frankie's Friends (frankiesfriends.org) and an address locator to see if there are specialists in your geographic area that may be able to help.
Friends & Vets Helping Pets “Grants are made to individuals and families whose ability to pay is extremely limited, but also to those of somewhat more substantial means, up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, who may only need minor subsidy to meet the veterinary expenses.”
Paws 4 A Cure helps individuals and families in need of non-routine veterinary financial assistance for dogs and cats.
Petco Love webpage lists organizations funded by Petco Love and Blue Buffalo that help individuals offset the costs of pet cancer and other treatments.
Red Rover Urgent Care Grants are small grants (no more than $250.00) given before treatment is complete.
The Mosby Foundation provides grants for non-routine medical expenses. This page also provides a list of additional resources for grants through other organizations.
The Onyx & Breezy Foundation assists people who have applied for but been refused for partial or total costs through CareCredit (see below).
The Pet Fund provides funds to eligible pet owners who need help with non-basic, non-urgent care like cancer treatment, heart disease, chronic conditions, etc.
Free and Low-Cost Veterinary Services and support(non-emergency)
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so be sure to get your pet an annual exam and keep up to date on vaccines.
Local veterinary and veterinary technician schools often offer free and low-cost wellness and spay/neuter clinics through their community medicine initiatives. Even if you don’t live near a school, call and ask about resources offered in your community. You’d be surprised how far vet students and volunteer veterinarians travel to help animals!
Diabetic Cats in Need is an all-volunteer program that works across the U.S. to support diabetic cat caregivers. DCIN provides one-time assistance to people who do not qualify as low-income and ongoing assistance with insulin, testing supplies, and limited veterinary care to people who qualify as low-income caregivers.
The Street Dog Coalition provides free medical care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. They provide services in over forty U.S. cities.
Specialty Services, Financing and Fundraising
Affordable Vet Referral Service is a program in Orange County, Bay Area and surrounding areas of California. It is NOT a grant program but a referral service to help pet owners find low-cost surgeries and affordable solutions. You pay a referral fee. They do the research.
CareCredit Credit Card This is NOT a grant. It is a financing option to help you pay for veterinary care. Like all credit cards, you will be charged interest if you don’t meet specified terms.
Companion Bridge “is an online community for those with animals that require significant medical care to have a central place to inform family and friends and to solicit financial help.”
Waggle is a pet-dedicated crowdfunding platform to help you raise funds for your pet in a medical crisis. Funds are paid directly to your care provider.
In Summary
It takes work to find a needle in a haystack. The very existence of the lists above, however, means people care and are working to provide solutions. Nowadays, there are many more needles in the haystack to be found.
If you find a different needle than above, let me know. I’ll add it to this list.