American Animal Hospital Association Helping Pets Fund

Thousands of pet owners across the country are trying to find temporary assistance so that they can keep their companions through the current economic downturn. Veterinary practices are responding, and they can refer these individuals to a variety of assistance programs that will help with paying veterinary bills or programs that may provide routine animal care.

For example, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) began the Helping Pets Fund in 2005 to provide grants and other free services to AAHA-accredited hospitals, with the goal of aiding owners with their pet bills that are experiencing financial hardship. Thousands of pets have been helped. Demand for assistance in tremendous, as the American Animal Hospital Association has reported that monthly inquiries for the AAHA Helping Pets Fund have tripled.

The balance also is low for the Lucky Fund at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, which is located in the state that currently has the nation's highest unemployment rate. Requests always exceed resources for New York Save Animals in Veterinary Emergency, a program of the New York City VMA. Nevertheless, these programs and others continue to assist with veterinary bills.

Helping Pets Fund
Unemployed and underemployed pet owners are just some of the beneficiaries of grants to help pay vet bills from the AAHA Helping Pets Fund.

Over the last 4 years, the Helping Pets Fund program has provided help to thousands of per owners, and has treated them for illness or injury. The program work by providing funds and grants to various AAHA-accredited hospitals of up to $500 annually, and the money is to be used for the treatment of pets whose owners are experiencing financial hardship. In addition, grants of up to $200 per year are available toward the treatment of abandoned and homeless pets.

The need for assistance is tremendous, as shown by the fact that grant applications have doubled recently. In addition, AAHA members are also calling to ask about other sources of assistance and programs that could help pay veterinary bills.

College, association funds provide help with pet bills
In addition to the Helping Pets Fund from the American Animal Hospital Association, veterinary organizations across the country have created a number of small-scale programs that all have the goal of assisting pet owners with veterinary bills. Another place to turn to is a college, as many veterinary colleges will also subsidize care for pets at teaching hospitals. In addition, some state and local veterinary associations and hospitals will offer their own assistance plans within their areas.

For example Michigan State University (MSU) offers the MSU Lucky Fund, which can be used to help subsidize veterinary bills at the veterinary teaching hospital. In particular this can aid pet owners who are out of work. This fund is mostly for those pet owners who don't qualify for any other pet assistance, and maybe have poor credit, but their animals are likely to recover completely after aid is provided.

Another pet assistance program is the New York Save Animals in Veterinary Emergency program, which focuses its resources only on emergency veterinary care.

The NY SAVE program was created in 1998. Dozens of pets who need emergency care are assisted every year. The limit on financial assistance provided is $2,000. One of the reasons this program is successful is that participating veterinarians bill NY SAVE at 80 percent of the regular rate. If interested in learning more, pet owners can apply directly to the program or they can receive a referral to it from their veterinarian.