How to Find Emergency Financial Help for Vet Bills

No animal should suffer or be euthanized because their human can’t afford to pay for veterinary care.

If you are in the heartbreaking situation of having to forgo vet care for your companion animal, rest assured that many resources exist that can possibly help with the costs.

Tripawds member Brownie1201 has just updated the Tripawds Financial Resources Google Docs Spreadsheet with new funding sources around the U.S. A few exist in Canada and a listing for our UK members is also available. If you know of any that aren’t on this list, please let us know so we can add them.

Download the Tripawds Financial Resources
Google Docs Spreadsheet here.

Other Ideas to Help Raise Money

As you know, many people are also experiencing hard times. Please don’t pin all of your hopes on these funding sources because most are overwhelmed with requests.

While you are waiting for an answer, take charge of your situation and raise as much money as you can by:

• Hold a yard sale. For maximum impact, ask friends and family if they will add their unwanted stuff to the sale!
• Create a flyer explaining your situation. Ask local pet businesses if you can post it in their location.
• Be an entrepreneur! If you have kids, set up a good old-fashioned lemonade stand or some other kind of treat-stop. Have flyers ready to tell people why you are trying to make money.
• Organize an event, like a walk-a-thon or some other kind of fun activity that will bring pet people together for your cause.
• Sell items on eBay. You didn’t need that collection of bobbleheads anyways, right?
• Use your social networking skills to spread the word about your pet’s situation. Although Tripawds doesn’t allow direct fundraising, we encourage people to use social networking to get the word out to friends and family.
• Can you think of other ideas? Share them with us!

Finally, remember to be honest with your vet about what you can and can’t afford. Ask your vet to present all options available. Then ask if they will allow you to make payments. Many vets are willing to work with their clients to help provide affordable services, but you have to ask to know if yours will.

We hope you never need to refer to this document, but if you do, know that great charities exist to help people in these situations. And when you are in a good financial situation, we hope you’ll pay it forward by helping these organizations continue to do their work and donating to them. Thanks!

Tripawds ASAP – Amputation Surgery Assistance Program

Additional Veterinary Services Financial Aid

UPDATE: In addition to the financial assistance resources listed in the document above, members have shared the links below in the Tripawds Discussion Forums.

Veterinary Bill Assistance Programs:

• Tripawds ASAP (Amputation Surgery Assistance Program)
• Tripawds Downloads: Veterinary Financial Assistance Programs
• Tips and Resources: Resources to Help Pay for Canine Cancer Care
• RedRover Relief Veterinary Financial Assistance and Urgent Care Grants
• Banfield Foundation: National Vet Care Funding Resources List
• Additional Veterinary Care Assistance Resources
• The Big Hearts Fund: http://bigheartsfund.org/
• Cats in Crisis: http://www.cats…..risis.org/
• Diabetic Cats In Need: http://fdmb-cin…..gspot.com/
• The Dog And Cat Cancer Fund: http://www.dccfund.org/
• Frankie’s Friends: http://www.fran…..iends.com/
• Handicapped Pets Foundation: http://hpets.org/
• Labrador Life Line: http://labrador…..eline.org/
• The Mosby Foundation: http://themosby…..ation.org/
• The Onyx and Breezy Foundation: http://www.onyx…..reezy.org/
• Paws 4 A Cure: http://www.paws…..acure.org/
• The Pet Fund: http://thepetfund.com/
• Pets-DC: http://www.petsdc.org/
• Shakespeare Animal Fund: http://www.shak…..lfund.org/
• The Brodie Fund: http://www.thebrodiefund.org/getting-assistance
• Healing Pets Foundation https://healingpetsfoundation.org