Pet Products Review - Financial Assistance for Dogs in need of Surgery
If you follow my blog you may know that the past week has been really tough for Champ and more so, me. Champ had to go to the hospital and undergo several tests including an MRI and a spinal tap. With three days in the hospital the total hospital bills have already exceeded $7,000. I'm super fortunate in that not only do I have pet insurance (the verdict on my opinion of pet insurance will come soon), but I also had the foresight set up my own savings account just for Champ's health. Every month, I put aside $25 just in case of emergency solely for pet health. Well, that is now gone, but it sure did help.
What breaks my heart is hearing about pets that are surrendered because their owners can not afford to give them quality health care or vital surgery. And let me tell you, when I was in the hospital, there were many pups who had it worse than Champ. So last night as I dreamed of "what would I do if I won the lottery?" it was clear that I would set up a trust to give financial help to those families who can not afford surgery for their pets. Well, let's hope I win. But in the meantime, there are some fabulous organizations who have the same idea as I:
Care Credit - This is the most readily available and easiest to obtain of all the financing options for CCL repair surgery. They offer a full range of payment plans with low/no interest for a set period, which depends on the agreement CareCredit has with your veterinarian's office. http://www.carecredit.com
Good Sam Fund - Good SAM (Special Assistance and Memorial Fund) was established to create financial aid for sick or injured animals who either are stray or client-owned animals in special circumstances. The fund is supported entirely by outside donations and your pet must meet one part of their criteria to be considered for financial assistance. http://www.goodsamfund.org
IMOM - IMOM is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 charity that receives all its money used to help animals from outside donations. The organization was founded in 1998 and since then they have raised over $1,000,000 and saved the lives of over 1,470 companion animals. http://www.imom.org
Labrador Life Line - This assistance program is specifically for purebred labs, and their financial assistance includes, but is not limited to, covering various medical costs (surgery, treatment, medication) and help to cover rescue or transportation expenses. http://www.labradorlifeline.org/index.html
The Pet Fund - The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need veterinary care. Their mission is to help companion animal owners to avoid the difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect medical needs because of the costs involved. http://www.thepetfund.com
United Animal Nations - Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations (UAN) is North America's leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals. The LifeLine Grant Program offered by the UAN provides funding to Good Samaritans, animal rescuers, non-profit organizations and pet owners to help them care for animals in life-threatening situations. http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28
Please do check out these fine organizations. And if you can, please make a donation. Trust me the receipients will be ever so grateful.
