Sadly, many pets are surrendered to shelters because their owners cannot afford to keep them, or keep them healthy. Some medical conditions can be very costly to treat; you may not know where to turn for help.
The most important thing to know is that help is out there! Many animal shelters, rescue organizations, and veterinarians take contributions to a special fund to help pay for care for sick animals. Ask around; someone you know may have contributed to the fund, or even benefited from it!
If you can’t find an assistance program in your immediate area, try searching the internet for “pet financial assistance” in your state. You may find a program a little farther away that would be willing to help you and your pet. Here are a few more websites that may be able to help you out.
- Angels4Animals (www.angels4animals.org) is a non-profit organization that helps animals whose caretakers are in difficult financial situations. Think of them as your guardian angels!
- The Shakespeare Animal Fund (www.shakespeareanimalfund.com) is named for a cocker spaniel who lost a very costly battle with illness. Shakespeare’s owner started this fund to help other people who might face a similar situation.
- The United Animal Nations (www.uan.org) offers a LifeLine to help homeless or recently rescued animals who are in need of immediate medical care. Their main goal is to help the people who specifically rescue sick or injured animals; they also offer assistance to seniors and low-income families who may not be able to pay for emergency veterinary care.
- Help-a-Pet (www.help-a-pet.org) is another non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to help owners who cannot afford their pet’s medical care.
- The AAHA Helping Pets Fund (www.aahahelpingpets.org) helps make veterinary care possible for pets who have been abandoned, are in shelters, or are in families who cannot afford treatment.
- You may also want to look at Modest Needs (www.modestneeds.org), a charity that provides one-time grants to people who need just a little help getting by. They don’t specifically deal with animal care, but you may be able to request a grant or find a sponsor for you and your sick pet.
If there isn’t a special fund for sick animals in your area, think about starting one! Ask your favorite shelter, breed organization, or veterinarian’s office to join you in the fundraising effort. It may be slow to start, but the animal lovers in your community will step forward to help pets (and owners) in need.