Is there any one who can help pay for vet bills for a pet recovering from house fire?

Question

Family pet taken to vet hospital after suffering smoke inhalation and minor burns. Owner is blind and on limited income and had no Rider on insurance for the pet. Costs may run upwards of $1000.00. Local organizations require the owner to abandon the pet before any help can be given and they will not be allowed to adopt her back. The pet has not been abused, neglected or abandoned by the owner, just a tragic accidental fire caused by a clothes dryer. Does anyone know of an organization who can help with the medical bills for the cat?

Answer 1

Hi there...here's a list of agencies who provide financial assistance to low income families with pet emergencies throughout the USA. Some may not be able to help, however consider contacting all to see who can assist:

Pet Assistance Foundation
http://www.orgsites.com/ca/pet-assistance/

Foundation for the Care of Indigent Animals (Penny Adams)
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA09.html

American Animal Hospital Association
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/root/
"The heartbreak happens all too often…a pet owner is unable to afford treatment and their sick or injured companion animal pays the price. If the owner is elderly, disabled or on a fixed income, the cost of care may be too much of a stretch for their pocketbook.

Perhaps they have been victimized by crime, property loss or a job layoff and are experiencing a temporary financial hardship…making it too difficult to afford pet care.

And some animals, brought to clinics by Good Samaritans, don't have an owner to pay for treatment. Whatever the situation, the fact remains the same: When sick or injured animals are unable to receive veterinary care, they suffer. Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing financial hardship."

Angels 4 Animals
http://www.angels4animals.org/
"Angels4Animals, a non-profit organization and a program of Inner Voice Community Services, has a mission to serve as the guardian angel of animals whose caretakers find themselves in difficult financial situations. At Angels4Animals we believe that animal owners should not have to say goodbye to the animals that they love. Our work is accomplished in conjunction with veterinary clinics across the country, eager to assist as many animals, and their owners, as possible. Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment to those pets and pet owners in need."

Care Credit
http://www.carecredit.com/
A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care. "CareCredit, the leader in patient/client financing, has helped more than 3 million patients/clients get the treatment or procedures they needed and wanted. With a comprehensive range of plan options, for treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget."

Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP)
http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/
"The NEED & The HELP: Seniors, People with disabilities, People who have lost their job, Good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten – any of these folks may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion."

The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.

Help-A-Pet
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html
"Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the working poor.

For lonely seniors, physically/mentally challenged individuals and children of working parents, pets represent much more than a diversion."

IMOM
http://www.imom.org
"Mission Statement: Helping people help pets. To better the lives of sick, injured and abused companion animals. We are dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged."

The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/
"The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need urgent veterinary care. Often animals are put down or suffer needlessly because their owners cannot afford expensive surgery or emergency vet visits. Companion animal owners must often make the difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect urgent medical needs because of the costs involved. The purpose of the Pet Fund is to work towards a future where decisions about companion animal medical care need never be made on the basis of cost."

United Animal Nations
http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28
"The mission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care."

United Animal Nations established the LifeLine fund in 1997 to aid companion animals in times of life-threatening emergencies when their caregivers, with low or no incomes, are unable to afford the entire cost of treatment.
http://uan.org/lifeline/index.html
United Animal Nations
P.O. Box 188890
Sacramento, California 95818
Telephone: [phone] fax: [phone]

Help-A-Pet is a nonprofit organization which provides financial assistance for the medical care of pets whose owners are unable to afford the expense
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html
Help-A-Pet
P. O. Box 244
Hinsdale, Illinois 60521
telephone: [phone] fax: [phone]

Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Programs provides financial assistance for emergency medical care for cats.
http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/
FVEAP
1641 Elizabeth Lane
Yuba City, CA 95993
Fax: [phone]

Answer 2

You can run an ad in the local papers, with the house fire incident, ask for donations...first, ask a Vet clinic if they'd be willing to treat the pet and that an ad is going into the paper to ask for donations. Call around and see if there's a Vet willing if one wont help. If you have a friend that runs a store of some sort, ask them if you could put a "HELP" donation jar in the store. If abandonment is the only other option, maybe, just maybe, that's the way the person needs to go...burns are very painful and the risk of a secondary infection is very high, especially without treatment. Best of luck to you, or the person and pet...

Answer 3

Yes, I do. This organization may be able to help (see link below). It is ONLINE only. It only works if you follow the instructions to the letter. There is no going around the rules. They don't take phone calls, have an 800 number or use any other method of helping other than the way they have it structured.

You would need to have someone offer to apply or have the owner apply directly, online. Read the instructions completely until they are completely understood, then follow them. This is how to get free money to pay vet bills for this animal.

Good luck. http://www.imom.org/

Answer 4

growing up we had cats (only one at a time) and never had them vaccinated, as a child i didnt even know what that was! Our cat at the moment hasnt been either and shes fine, she has however been spayed and gets all her regular tablets, being a country cat she needs wormed and flead veeeery regularly. Our dog on the other hand has been vaccinated as she goes to places other than our house, she also gets all the regular treatments and is due for her top up vacs shortly. It is hard to get the money for things, my family work for all we have and we give up something to allow our pets to be healthy, i am a student and only work part time but i pay for a lot of them. I do believe the cat will probably be fine without them, but in the instance that it may get ill it will cost a lot more money to help the kitty than it would to get it vaccinated. she should be fine keeping the cat, as long as she is willing to bring it to a vet if something does happen. Possibly a cheap pet insurance? I know again, thats more money but its another option.

Answer 5

I'm sure you could speak to your Vet and arrange to pay a small amount of your bill monthly! They're vets for a reason and I'm sure they'd understand. Oh and if you can't afford the vets bills then it's a very good idea to get yourself some pet insurance incase of any future accidents.

Answer 6

This one is a natural for a human interest story in a newspaper. If you can talk to a reporter and get them to run a story and ask for people to donate to help, it will work. You will need to get a local organization to manage the money to prevent abuse of the funds. Perhaps the local SPCA people would help.

Answer 7

Where are they located? Different cities have different organizations that might be able to be contacted.

If this person is left homeless or would need help for themselves, maybe the Salvation Army would have a contact that would be able to help displaced or hurt animals for something such as this as they do for disasters. Maybe contacting them might be a start?

Answer 8

I would help, and I think a lot of normal folks would too, $10-100 here and there doesn't take many people. Go to a local shelter and ask them or google any non kill shelters in your area.I think they would all help out a little if asked. Also, you can go to www.fatcatinc.com and ask them. They have donated to many small town shelters and are very great people. Seasons greetings.

Answer 9

I would try the Humane Society. They helped us get ferral cats spayed and vaccinated rather than put them to sleep.

Answer 10

Oh, that's terrible! How about the Humane Society or a church or something. I hope it turns out OK.