vet help

[barbara helton]

this is the first time i have ever ask for help... but im scared for my dog, which i love with all my heart.. I took him to the vet last week, i had to borrow money for this vistit because i had no choice. i noticed two big lumps on the inner side of his thigh.. i can tell that is hurts him and he is having a hard time walking.. my vet said that he would have to have xrays done but i cant afford it.. she told me that it would run 150 to 250 to have this done... i have had my dog buddy since he was 6 weeks old,, he is 8 years old now... im scare and dont know where to turn.. i ask my vet for help, but of course she turned me down... i cant stand the thought of my dag suffering or passing away. he means the world to me... im scared.. please if there is anyone who knows how i can get him to the vet and have these xrays done. please contact me. please please, im begging .... thank you barb from illinois

[amy smith]

Why in the world would you assume that she doesn't take her dog for regular check-ups. Did you not read the part that she has a vet? Have you yourself never had a financial emergency? When we rescued our first puppy, we found out within 24 hours that she had been poisened. We didn't plan on paying over $2000 in vet bills the first week we had her. That doesn't mean we can't afford her. Emergencies come up and sometimes people are strapped for cash. She is clearly in a crisis and needs support, not harsh criticism!! What is going on?

[Regina Dickerson]

Agreed Amy and Andrea!!!!!

[Regina Dickerson]

I'm with you, Renee on this. My vet, too, will take up payments and works with me. He cares more about the animals then the money,thank God. I have three dogs and two cats and sometimes they can get themselves hurt, unintentionally. I would never give of my pets just because of hardship. Somehow, I can always find a way, fortunately. I know how it goes, believe me. I had pets around me most of my life, raising them.

[Kay Spears]

tamie, i really think you were a bit harsh on this lady she loves her little dog and wants it cared for.I think that this vet is heartless and don't really care about any aminals why is she even in this type of job?I know they need to get paid to run a business,but there are exceptions. If I had been the vet I would have found a way to help her.It's really sad aminals have to suffer in vain,there's just to much of it.may god bless you and your little dog,and pray for help to save your dog!

[Nikki]

I'm still trying to understand why vets are like this. I always thought getting into this practice was because they cared and wanted to help. It sure doesn't seem it. It seems like everything is money money money. It makes me sick. My aunts dog just died Sunday and we had called all over first to get him help and while we were calling he died well we had a new problem..trying to get someone to come in to take him. All the places we called said you can bring him in Tuesday..I thought you sob's what are we suppose to do? Let a dead dog rot on the living room floor all because it was a weekend and Monday was a holiday? Death and suffering can't be put on hold. It's a darn shame what these vets do. I understand people need time off and you do need to make some money but how do you have it in your heart to refuse a animal?

We all most likly have gone through the money situation. It does NOT mean you are a bad owner or should have your animal taken off you. Barb have you tried maybe a credit card or carecredit? We had to use carecredit for our dog. He had cancer and needed help asap. I know it might put you in debt but there is 2 options.

[narelle gow]

Hi my name is narelle &and i'm from australia i know how you feel when you when you are strapped for cash $ something comes up my daughter's horse broke her leg one night & had to be put down & because we didn't have $500.00 up front to pay the vet to come out he wouldn't come oout & put her down so we rang the rspca here in sydney australia & they didn't have the staff to come out either they were waiting for an inspector to contact them as it was 11.00 at night, my daughter rang the local police to come out to put her down & they said they had been in touch with the police & were waiting for the rspca to contact them or us as none of us had a gun to put her down ourselves & at 1.00 am in the morning the local police came out & the young policeman who was a country policeman previously said it was so cruel that the local vets & the rspca couldn't put her down because of money or staffing problems this young country policeman put her down humanely & i'll never forget his kindness to my daughters horse 'DARLIN' so it just goes to show you can be down & out but if you pray hard enough your guardian angel will bring the help you need god bless you barbara, the help you need is on its way just 'believe' cheers narelle 'Please let me know how you go hey'

[Gerry]

Please disregard people who want to flame you for not being able to afford to help your dog. They remind me of John McCain who can't remember how many houses he has and says the economy isn't that bad.

Here are some organizations who can help guardians that cannot afford vet care. A couple are for rescue organizations and homeless pets. Some of these organizations help only in EMERGENCY situations - not for people who can't or won't provide basic care - although I think there are some organizations listed here who provide help to special needs people, like elderly who are on fixed incomes.
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American Animal Hospital Association
http://www.aahahelp ingpets.org/ home/
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Angels 4 Animals
http://www.Angels4A nimals.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.
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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."
------------ --------- -
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."
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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.
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United Animal Nations
http://www.uan. org/lifeline/ index.html

"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.
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http://www.aahahelpingpets.org
http://www.carecredit.com
http://www.handicappedpets.com
http://www.uan.org
http://www.nysave.org

• IMOM Inc., www.IMOM.org
• Help-A-Pet, www.help-a-pet.org
• The Pet Fund, www.thepetfund.com
• Good Sam Fund, www.goodsamfund.org
• United Animal Nations LifeLine Fund www.uan.org
• Angels for Animals, www.angels4animals.org
• Brown Dog Foundation, http://www.browndogfoundation.org/home
• Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program, www.fveap.org
• Feline Outreach, www.felineoutreach.org
• Cats In Crisis http://www.catsincrisis.org
• The Perseus Foundation (Cancer specific), www.PerseusFoundation.org
• Orthodogs' Silver Lining Foundation (Orthopedic Cases and Service Dogs), www.oslf.org
• Canine Cancer Awareness, www.caninecancerawareness.org
• Cody's Club (Radiation treatments) http://codysclub.bravehost.com/
• Diabetic Pets Fund http://www.petdiabetes.net/fund/
• The Mosby Foundation, http://www.themosbyfoundation.org

Other Groups Who are Breed or Injury Specific

Corgi Aid: http://www.corgiaid .org/
Dachshunds Needing IVDD surgery
http://members. rushmore. com/~dds/ applyforhelp. htmhttp:/ /members. rushmore. com/%7Edds/ applyforhelp. html

HandicappedPets. com: http://www.handicap pedpets.com
Labrador Lifeline: http://www.labrador lifeline. org/success/ 2005-abbey. htmLabMed
Rx For Rescued Labs: http://www.labmed. org/aid_main. html

Breed Specific Assistance Programs
The Boston Terrier Rescue Net, www.bostonrescue.net
CorgiAid, www.corgiaid.org
Special Needs Dobermans, www.doberman911.org
Disabled Dachshund Society, www.ourdds.org
Dougal's Helping Paw (Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers and other small, short legged terriers), http://www.welcome.to/dougalsfund
Labrador Harbor, http://www.labradorharbor.org/
Labmed, www.labmed.org
Labrador Lifeline, www.labradorlifeline.org
Westimed (West Highland White Terriers), www.westiemed.org

Working Dog
Helping Harley Cancer Treatment Grant, http://grants.landofpuregold.com
State-Specific Programs


• Ask your veterinarian to submit an assistance request to the American Animal Hospital Association's (AAHA) "Helping Pets Fund." In order to qualify, your animal hospital must be AAHA accredited. To learn more about the program visit the AAHA web site. To find an AAHA accredited hospital in your area, search online at www.Pets911.com.

• Contact Care Credit at www.carecredit.com
The following is a list of organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners in need. Please keep in mind that each organization is independent and has their own set of rules and guidelines. Therefore you will have to investigate each one separately to determine if you qualify for assistance:
• IMOM Inc., www.IMOM.org
• Help-A-Pet, www.help-a-pet.org
• The Pet Fund, www.thepetfund.com
• Good Sam Fund, www.goodsamfund.org
• United Animal Nations LifeLine Fund www.uan.org
• Angels for Animals, www.angels4animals.org
• Brown Dog Foundation, http://www.browndogfoundation.org/home
• Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program, www.fveap.org
• Feline Outreach, www.felineoutreach.org
• Cats In Crisis http://www.catsincrisis.org
• The Perseus Foundation (Cancer specific), www.PerseusFoundation.org
• Orthodogs' Silver Lining Foundation (Orthopedic Cases and Service Dogs), www.oslf.org
• Canine Cancer Awareness, www.caninecancerawareness.org
• Cody's Club (Radiation treatments) http://codysclub.bravehost.com/
• Diabetic Pets Fund http://www.petdiabetes.net/fund/
• The Mosby Foundation, http://www.themosbyfoundation.org

Breed Specific Assistance Programs
The Boston Terrier Rescue Net, www.bostonrescue.net
CorgiAid, www.corgiaid.org
Special Needs Dobermans, www.doberman911.org
Disabled Dachshund Society, www.ourdds.org
Dougal's Helping Paw (Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers and other small, short legged terriers), http://www.welcome.to/dougalsfund
Labrador Harbor, http://www.labradorharbor.org/
Labmed, www.labmed.org
Labrador Lifeline, www.labradorlifeline.org
Westimed (West Highland White Terriers), www.westiemed.org

Working Dog
Helping Harley Cancer Treatment Grant, http://grants.landofpuregold.com

State-Specific Programs
CALIFORNIA
Actors and Others for Animals, www.actorsandothers.com
SF/SPCA Animal Hospital, http://www.sfspca.org/hospital/index.shtml
Animal Health Foundation, http://animalhealthfoundation.net/
COLORADO
Max Fund, www.maxfund.org
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Humane Society Fox Veterinary Clinic, http://www.cthumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=About_Fox
MARYLAND/WASHINGTON, D.C.
Washington Animal Rescue League, www.warl.org
MASSACHUSETTS
Alliance For Animals Metro Action Clinic, http://www.afaboston.org/clinic.htm
Massachusettes SPCA (Provides financial assistance for pet owners receiving services at one of its three medical centers, www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAMC_Boston_Financial_Assist...):
Angell Memorial Animal Hospital-Boston (350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130)
Angell Animal Medical Center-Nantucket (21 Crooked Lane, Nantucket, MA 02554
Angell Animal Medical Center-Western New England (171 Union St., Springfield, MA 01105)
The Sampson Fund: (PO Box 1756, Orleans, MA 02653)www.sampsonfund.org
The fund is to benefit companion animals of Cape Cod and the adjacent Islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

MICHIGAN
Michigan Humane Society maintains three veterinary clinics:
www.michiganhumane.org
Detroit, (313-872-0004); Rochester Hills, (248-852-7424 ); Westland, (734-721-4195)
NEVADA
Shakespeare Animal, www.shakespeareanimalfund.org.
NEW YORK
NY S.A.V.E Inc., http://www.nysave.org/index_2.html
ALL 4 PETS, www.all4petswny.org (Limited to Western NY)
NORTH CAROLINA
Ashley's Angel Fund, http://www.ashleyfund.org/
OREGON
The Bearen Foundation, http://www.bearenfoundation.org/funding.htm
PENNSYLVANIA
The Animal Rescue of Western PA, http://www.animalrescue.org/Clinic.htm
The Humane Society of Berks County Veterinary Hospital, http://www.berkshumane.org/vets/vets_services.asp
RHODE ISLAND
RIVMA Companion Animal Foundation, http://www.companionanimalfoundation.org
TEXAS
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine "The Capper and Chris Save the Animals Fund," http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/capperchris/index.shtml

Organizations Offering Assistance Programs for Senior, Disabled or Ill Pet Owners
CALIFORNIA
Voice for the Animals Foundation, Helping Friends Program, http://vftafoundation.org
AniMeals Helen Woodward Animal Center ,http://www.animalcenter.org/animeals/
SF SPCA Animal Hospital, http://www.sfspca.org/hospital/index.shtml
SHARE Marin Humane Society, http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/ProgramsServices/SHARE.html
PAWS San Diego, http://www.pawssdc.org/
PALS - Pets Are Loving Support, http://sonic.net/~pals/index.html
PAWS Los Angeles, http://www.pawsla.org/
PAWS San Francisco, www.pawssf.org
CONNECTICUT
Manchester Area Network on AIDS AID-A-PET, http://www.mana-ct.net/Aid-A-Pet.html
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
PETS-DC, http://www.petsdc.org/
GEORGIA
PALS - Pets Are Loving Support, www.palsatlanta.org
HAWAII
Hawaiian Humane Society: PALS Program, http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/pals/
MASSACHUSETTS
Phinney's Friends (MSPCA) http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=advo_Phinney_Friends_...
MICHIGAN
Pet Support Services, http://www.petsupportmi.org/
NEVADA
Shakespeare Animal, www.shakespeareanimalfund.org.
NEW JERSEY
PetPALS of Southern New Jersey, http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ151.html
NEW YORK
Humane Society of Lollypop Farm, http://www.lollypop.org/orgMain.asp?ssid=&storyID=105&orgID...
PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh PAWS (Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force), http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/natashat/PAWS/
TEXAS
SPCA of Texas, www.spca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_socialservices_2004#...
WASHINGTON
Pet Project: Seattle-King County Humane Society, http://www.seattlehumane.org/petproject.shtml and http://www.seattlehumane.org/foodbank.shtml

[Linda]

Hi Barb,
Things happen.
I am sure that when your dog was 6 weeks old you were able to afford pet care and now things have changed and don't let anyone make you feel bad. We all have pets and God forbid if anything should happen to them but just because we can't afford vet care now doesn't mean that we never could.
Gosh! Garry has some good information there to give you. I hope one of them works out.
Maybe another way is to take your dog to another vet maybe outside the area or so...
and that vet can't even let you make payment arrangements.. what a animal lover ... well you know she is in it for the money, what vet would want a precious animal to suffer ?
Bless your heart and your dog baby.... I pray that he gets some help.
Hugs!

[barbara helton]

Hi everyone,, i just wanted to give up a update on my dog buddy... i took him to the vet,,(my mom let me borrow the money) they did some blood work and it turn out ok, except he is anemic, has arthritis, and had conjestion , but he has to go back and have xrays done on the lumps on his inner thigh,, he is on alot of medication, but this morning he looks and feels better already.. my vet is sending me to the animal hospital, where i contacted them and they are going to let me make payments... i really want to thank each and everyone of you for all the support that you have giving me.. i really was scared at the time.. i love my dog buddy he means the world to me.. and i will do everything to keep him..i would be lost without him.. i am a huge animal lover. thank you once again for the kind words and all the information.... barb from illinois

[Regina Dickerson]

That is Fanastic News, Barb!!! Glad everything worked okay. Please keep us updated on how everything is going. Thanks!

[Bob Donham]

Barbara
Great News!! I agree with the rest of the posters about unexpected vet bills. We have 4 senior dachshunds (all rescues) and we know that we spend about $250 per year for each on just routine care. When our Little Willie was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure last fall, the total bills for this was over $800. Unforturnately, he went to the Rainbow Bridge in April. Our Vet was understanding and worked with us and carried the bill until our income tax return came in late February.

I volunteer for a small dachsie rescue group and I know what our vet expenses run for our animals even with a substantial discount from our Vet.

Not all Vets charge the same way. Some charge an office call for each visit plus any other supplies, tests or procedures. Others charge an initial office call plus any additional services and then only charge for supplies, tests, medications, etc on follow up visits for the same condition. Some Vets offer a mulitple dog discount. I did not know this until recently.

So glad things have worked out. Keep us posted on how your buddy is doing.

Paws up...Tails Wagging

[Shanna]

Barbara, I'm so glad to hear things are working out and your Buddy is feeling better. :)