Reach out to area organizations that specialize in helping people with low cost spay/neuter services
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Sioux Empire TNR Coalition in Sioux Falls SD offers assistance to cat owners for spay/neuter
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Operation Pets in Rapid City SD offers low cost spay/neuter for cat and dog owners
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South Dakota West River Spay/Neuter Coalition in Deadwood SD offers assistance to cat owners for spay/neuter
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Review this list of area spay/neuter resources; oftentimes other shelters and rescue groups offer small grants for pet owners to help with a portion of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery, and some will post a credit directly with your veterinary clinic
Apply for temporary credit or ask about a payment plan
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Ask your veterinarian if they can arrange a payment plan for you. If you can provide a downpayment, some veterinary clinics will allow you to make bi-weekly or monthly payments toward your pet’s care if paid in full over a period of 6 months or less.
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Ask if your veterinarian accepts Care Credit, a credit card specifically for health care expenses, including for pets. Care Credit won’t pay for your pet’s medical expenses, but you can apply for a line of credit through them to cover vet bills. Be sure you understand the repayment terms; often you can repay interest-free within a specific time period, but if you're late with a payment, a high interest rate will be applied retroactively.
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Ask if your veterinarian accepts ScratchPay, a service similar to Care Credit.
Crowdfunding - use social media platforms to raise funds for your pet’s veterinary care
Crowdsourcing funds is one of the best ways to pay for your pet’s veterinary care. It’s okay to ask because others want to keep pets and people together!
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Some veterinarians accept donations from clients’ acquaintances to be held on your account at their clinic for your pet’s care, ask your veterinary clinic if this is possible.
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Try Waggle for Pet Guardians, a crowdfunding platform that enables you to create a personal fundraising page for your pet. You can create a Waggle campaign and raise funds to help with vet fees for your pet. Be certain to include photos of your pet and the estimate you received from a vet. Asking friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and your social media network for help is one of the easiest ways to raise funds. Ask! Others want to help keep pets and people together.
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These website also offer programs to help pet owners with crowdfunding for veterinary care (copy and paste website address into your browser): www.crowdrise.com www.depositagift.com www.fundrazr.com www.generosity.com, www.giveforward.com www.gofundme.com www.gogetfunding.com www.heronetwork.com www.loveanimals.org www.razoo.com www.youcaring.com
National resources for assistance with veterinary care
(listed in alphabetical order)
These national organizations provide financial assistance and support to pet owners in need. Each has its own set of rules and guidelines for offering assistance.
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Best Friends provides resources on their website including partners that offer assistance for veterinary care
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Bow Wow Buddies Bow Wow Buddies Foundation offers veterinary expense relief for pets in serious emergency situations like severe injury or illness
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Brown Dog Foundation, Inc provides funds to cover veterinary expenses, note they only help with pending bills, not ones you’ve already paid yourself
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Frankie’s Friends Frankie’s Friends offers financial assistance to cover veterinary expenses for pets with a good prognosis, there are also numerous other veterinary coverage grants managed by the group, including Bond’s fund for eye care and the Joshua Louis Animal Cancer Fund for cancer coverage
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Friends & Vets Helping Pets assists cash-strapped pet owners facing vet bills
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Help-a-Pet Help-A-Pet offers financial assistance for the treatment of canine injury or illness, an income-qualified assistance program
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Joshua Louis Animal Cancer Foundation grants can only be provided for pets under the care of a board-certified veterinary oncologist
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Land of Pure Gold Foundation cancer treatment grants for working dogs, e.g., assistance, search and rescue, animal-assisted therapy, etc.
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Magic Bullet Fund cancer-specific disease support for pet owners
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My Pet Child is actually a bit of a different organization, as they seek to help pair struggling pet owners with resources that may be able to provide some financial assistance, they also offer $200 financial assistance grants themselves
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Paws 4 A Cure may help with surprise veterinary bills for pet owners in need
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The Pet Fund can help pet parents cover the cost of non-basic, non-urgent care (includes things like cancer treatments, heart disease, and more)
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Pet Lifeline Program is to help provide pet financial assistance to people who are struggling to cover non-urgent veterinary bills
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Visit Pet Help Finder, click on “Veterinary Services,” enter your city, state or zip code, then click “Search” for resources in your area
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Pets of the Homeless offers pet food and veterinary care assistance for the unhoused
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PetSmart Charities offer many low-cost spay and neuter clinics throughout the US
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RedRover Relief offers urgent care grants for pet owners facing veterinary bills, grants are typically around $200
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The Riedel & Cody Fund offers support for pets suffering with cancer
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SpayUSA is North Shore Animal League America’s network of low-cost spay and neuter options
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Veterinary Care Charitable Fund covers vet costs for pet owners in need
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If you offer resources to pet owners in the area and are not listed above, please email us with your program information and we'll get you added to this resource list.