We realize veterinary care can be costly and may at times seem out of reach for some families. If you are having financial difficulties that could compromise your pet’s veterinary care, you can ask for help by setting up your own crowdfunding campaigns. You can also apply for grants from charitable organizations with missions that align with your situation and needs.
Please note: We have little or no direct experience with these organizations beyond verifying their websites are up and running. We have no way of knowing if information on the websites is current. We are providing these links solely for your convenience, to help you get started on your own research. We are neither endorsing nor vouching for any of the organizations listed.
Before you apply for a grant or make a donation, we strongly encourage you to exercise due diligence in researching them for yourself.
General Assistance Funds
Bow Wow Buddies Foundation
Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps sick and injured dogs by funding urgent medical care and aiding with veterinary bills for serious conditions. Grants up to $2,500 are available to families unable to afford veterinary care. The foundation suggests you visit the “FAQs” page before proceeding to the “Apply for a Grant” page.
Brown Dog Foundation, Inc.
Brown Dog Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides funding to families whose pets would likely respond to treatment for a life-threatening illness or injury but who lack the money to pay for that treatment. Visit the “Ask for Help” page for information about the approval process and how to apply for assistance.
Feeding Pets of the Homeless
From the website, “Feeding Pets of the Homeless is the first and one of the few national nonprofits providing pet food and emergency veterinary care to pets that belong to homeless people.” The organization has donation sites in Avon and Indianapolis and works through the Street Outreach Animal Response (S.O.A.R.) Initiative to serve pet owners in the Indianapolis community who are experiencing homelessness or crisis.
For the Love of Alex
For The Love Of Alex Inc. provides emergency funding for life-saving veterinary care for pets belonging to low-income families. The organization pays the veterinarian directly. To get started on the application process, visit the “Help My Pet” page.
Frankie’s Friends
Frankie’s Friends provides financial grants to families whose pets need life-saving emergency or specialty veterinary care but who can’t afford the full cost of treatment. The pets the organization helps have a good prognosis for return to a good quality of life with treatment and would otherwise suffer, be euthanized, or relinquished without proper veterinary care. Visit the “National Frankie’s Friends Fund Application” page to learn more about eligibility requirements and apply for a grant.
Friends & Vets Helping Pets
Friends & Vets Helping Pets helps families with financial limitations to pay for extraordinary veterinary expenses necessary to save a pet’s life. According to the website, “Friends & Vets Helping Pets funds treatments for curable (lifesaving, not life-prolonging) diseases such as tumors, broken bones, ambulatory care, expensive medication, or post-surgical prosthetics such as a K-9 cart.” Visit the website for more information about applying for a grant.
GoFundMe
You can ask for charitable contributions to cover your pet’s vet bills by setting up a page on GoFundMe, a crowdfunding platform that has collected a total of $25 billion in donations to individuals and nonprofits to help fund a variety of needs since its beginnings in 2010. The site has an entire section devoted to animal-related causes.
Help-A-Pet
Help-A-Pet is a nonprofit organization that provides financial help nationwide for the veterinary medical care of pets whose owners are unable to afford it. The “Application Process” page describes eligibility requirements and lists documentation you’ll need to supply along with your application.
Hope Mending Hearts
Hope Mending Hearts provides grants, typically of $100 to $200, to pet owners in financial need whose pets have a life-threatening injury or illness that requires urgent and specific treatment. Details of the grant requirements and a link to the application form are on the “Grant Process” page of the website.
International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) Veterinary Care Partnership Program
The program benefits adult hearing, guide or service dogs whose owners are IAADP members experiencing “conditions of severe financial hardship.” Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc., administers the program, and only veterinarians can apply for grants.
Lucy the Rescue Dog Inc.
Lucy the Rescue Dog Inc. is a nonprofit organization offering financial help to families whose pets need life-saving emergency care they cannot afford. The pet must have a treatable disease or injury. Any funds granted will be paid directly to a pre-approved veterinary hospital. Visit the “Ask for Help” page for details and a link to an application form.
Make a Wag
Make a Wag, the Jeffrey Sutarik, DVM, Charitable Fund for Elderly Pet Care, provides financial reimbursements to veterinarians and veterinary clinics for their financially struggling elderly clients whose companion animals need unexpected and/or emergency medical care.
The Mosby Foundation
Through its general medical assistance fund, The Mosby Foundation offers financial assistance to qualified applicants to help pay for their dog’s life-saving, non-urgent treatment confirmed as needed by a licensed veterinarian. Apply for aid here.
The Onyx & Breezy Foundation
The Onyx & Breezy Foundation provides funding and support to a wide range of pet-related causes, including help for individual pet owners facing difficulties paying for veterinary treatment. Visit the foundation website’s “Requesting a Grant” page and the “Grant Application FAQs” page for detailed information.
Oscar’s Cause
Oscar’s Cause provides financial assistance grants to pet owners in need of life-saving medical care for their pets. The maximum amount granted for any one pet is $1,000, paid to the veterinarian. Details are on the “Receive Financial Help” page, along with an application form.
Paws 4 A Cure
Paws 4 A Cure is a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to those who can’t afford veterinary care to treat their dog or cat’s illness or injuries. The organization’s maximum one-time grant amount is $500. Visit the “Ask for Help” page for details.
The Pet Fund
The Pet Fund was founded in 2003 as a national nonprofit dedicated to funding veterinary care for those who could not afford it. The organization’s primary focus is on “non-basic, non-emergency care.” Its one-time grants are reportedly limited to $500 per applicant. The website offers pet owners a number of suggestions for addressing financial difficulties on its “Financial Assistance” page. For details on the grant application process, visit “Page One: To Begin Your Application.”
RACE4Ran
Besides providing transport services to help displaced animals find new homes, RACE4Ran also offers financial assistance directly to veterinarians for animals requiring emergency care. The grants will cover 80% of a final vet bill from $1 to $299 and a flat $300 for bills exceeding $300. See the application form for details.
RedRover
RedRover provides financial assistance, resources and support to low-income individuals and survivors of domestic violence and their pets, so families can escape abuse together and stay together. Urgent care grants through RedRover Relief are also available to pet owners struggling with economic hardship when pets are in life-threatening situations. The average grant is about $250.
STARelief and Pet Assistance
STARelief’s Home For Life grant program provides financial assistance for veterinary care and resources to pet families experiencing financial hardship. Typical grants are from $100 to $500 and may be used for emergency medical care, emergency boarding and foster care, spay or neuter surgery, routine medical care and end-of-life services. Visit the “Home For Life Grant Application” page for detailed eligibility requirements and an online application form.
Violet’s Friends in Need
Violet’s Friends in Need is a program of Oscar Newman Luxury Pet Couture offering financial assistance for urgent or critical veterinary care, surgeries, therapies or mobility solutions that are too costly for pet owners. See the “Violet’s Friends—Application Pre-Requisites” page for full details.
Waggle
Waggle is a crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to fundraising to help pay pets’ medical bills. Once you complete the application process and set up your page, Waggle pays your veterinarian directly from your campaign proceeds. According to the website, “Waggle’s operating expenses are supported by donors who contribute a small fee at checkout along with an optional tip. This allows us to pass 100% of every donation directly to the chosen pet.”
Disease- and Injury-Specific Funds
Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program
The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency financial assistance to cat and kitten owners who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companion with Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS), also referred to as Injection Site Sarcoma (ISS). The application form can be faxed or scanned and emailed.
Fur the Brand
Fur The Brand is a nonprofit organization providing support and financial help to families whose pet faces a cancer diagnosis requiring veterinary care they are unable to afford. Visit the “Financial Assistance” page for detailed information about applying for a grant.
Handicapped Pets Foundation
The Handicapped Pets Foundation donates new or reconditioned wheelchairs to elderly, disabled and injured pets in need. The organization does not make financial grants.
Joshua Louis Animal Cancer Foundation
The Joshua Louis Animal Cancer Foundation (JLACF), through Frankie’s Friends, provides financial assistance grants to pet owners who cannot afford the full cost of lifesaving veterinary oncology care. Before applying, you must have a clear diagnosis, specific treatment plan in place, and an estimate of the cost of care from a veterinary oncologist who deems your pet is treatable. Your pet must have a “good prognosis” as determined by a veterinary oncologist to be eligible for assistance. To apply for assistance, visit the Frankie’s Friends website.
Juniors Fund
Juniors Fund helps families of pets suspected to have irritable bowel disease (IBD) defray the costs of treatment. To receive assistance, an internal medicine veterinarian has to have diagnosed your pet with IBD (or suspected IBD), while you have “an extenuating financial need.” Your pet’s expected treatment outcome is for a good quality of life to continue more than one year after treatment. The grant application has more details.
Live Like Roo Foundation
The Live Like Roo Foundation helps cover healthcare costs related to cancer treatment in the form of grants from $500 to $1,500 per qualified applicant. The foundation awards grants monthly after reviewing applications and medical records. To qualify and be considered for a grant, your pet must have a confirmed cancer diagnosis. For additional details and to apply for a grant, see the “Live Like Too Foundation Medical Application” Google doc.
Magic Bullet Fund
If your cat or dog has cancer and you can’t afford treatment, the Magic Bullet Fund may offer you assistance for cancer treatment including surgery or chemotherapy. The fund does not give grants. With active participation in fundraising by the owners, it raises donations for each cat and dog accepted by the fund. Visit and read the “Apply” page to find out more about how the program works.
Miranda’s People
Miranda’s People offers financial assistance to owners who can’t afford cancer treatment for their dogs. To request help, send an email message as directed on the “Financial Assistance” page.
Tripawds Foundation
The Tripawds Foundation serves pet amputees, providing financial aid for amputation assistance, rehabilitation therapy, assistive devices such as harnesses and adoption fee reimbursements. See the “Tripawds Assistance Programs” page for an overview of the types of funding and other resources available to owners of amputees. Financial aid programs include The Tripawds Amputation Surgery Assistance Program, which grants $1,000 in financial aid for each of two qualified applicants per month. The Tripawds Gear Fund makes free assistive devices for amputee dogs available to financially distressed pet owners. The Maggie Moo Fund grants up to $200 to reimburse owners of a three legged dog or cat who visit a certified animal rehabilitation therapist for a first-time evaluation.
Wild Hearts
Through its sponsorship program, Wild Hearts serves mobility-impaired animals, including those with paralysis, amputation, trauma, neurological or birth defects and other diagnosed ailments. The program does not help with immediate or urgent needs, surgeries or common orthopedic conditions, nor does it offer reimbursements for paid invoices. Visit the “Application for Sponsorship” page for more information and the online application form.
Breed-Specific Funds
Australian Cattle Dog Rescue, Incorporated
Australian Cattle Dog Rescue, Inc., (ACDRI) offers financial aid to individuals or groups rescuing purebred Australian Cattle Dogs. Medical assistance is available for expenses above and beyond routine examination, vaccination, spay/neuter, heartworm test and intestinal parasite test expenses. If approved, ACDRI will pay up to 75% of the submitted bill with the total donation not to exceed $400 for each case. Visit the “Financial Assistance Guidelines” page and the “Rescue Dog Financial Assistance Application” page for details on how to apply for a grant.
Chow Welfare
Chow Welfare is an appointed committee of the Chow Chow Club, Inc., the AKC-recognized national parent club of the Chow Chow breed in the U.S. The Welfare Fund provides grants to individuals and groups involved in Chow Chow welfare to provide medical care, spay/neuter surgery and/or transportation to rescued Chow Chows on a case-by-case basis. A fillable online grant application form is available.
CorgiAid, Inc.
CorgiAid helps corgis and corgi mixes in rescue get medical care so they can become adoptable and also lends carts to corgis with mobility issues. CorgiAid does not provide funding for the care of established personal pets. However, CorgiAid may be able to help a newly adopted dog with an issue that a vet determines was present at the time of adoption. The application for funding must meet all other CorgiAid guidelines.
Dachshund Friends in Deed
Dachshund Friends In Deed is an all-volunteer organization founded in 2019 to help dachshunds in need of veterinary care by making grants to help dachshund owners pay vet bills they can’t otherwise afford. Visit the organization’s “Requesting Help” page for detailed information about applying for a grant. The application form is posted here.
Labrador Life Line (for Labrador Retrievers)
Labrador Life Line, Inc. is a nonprofit organization created to help owners or rescuers of Labrador Retrievers who need financial assistance with urgent and short-term veterinary care. The “Application Process” page outlines steps to apply for a grant. There’s an “Apply Now” page as well as a more detailed “Application Guidelines” page with a link to an “Application for Funding” page with additional information and a contact form.
Poodle Angels
Through their Vetcare Program, Poodle Angels helps Poodles in medical crisis receive the veterinary care they need. The organization raises money to help pay all or part of vet bills directly to licensed, approved veterinarians on behalf of individuals and families who cannot otherwise afford the appropriate veterinary care for their Poodle. See Poodle Angels’ “Guidelines BEFORE you apply” page before proceeding to the grant application.
WestieMed (for West Highland White Terriers)
WestieMed helps rescued West Highland White Terriers (Westies) in foster care or those adopted from a rescue organization within the past 6 months and for whom funding is unavailable or insufficient. The organization does not consider applications for “established pet Westies.” Visit “WestieMed Funding Guidelines” for details of eligibility and grant-making policies. If you think you qualify for a grant, see the application form here. More information about the application process is available on the “Application Procedures” page. If your application is approved, WestieMed allows funding for any one eligible individual applicant or rescue group to a maximum of $2,500 per case not to exceed $5,000 per calendar year.