Pet financial aid and discounted veterinary care-related organizations
NOTE: If your animal requires emergency veterinary care and you cannot afford treatment, contact nearby veterinary colleges that may have programs. If you are unsure what qualifies as emergency veterinary care, call your veterinarian and describe the symptoms.
Working with veterinarians
- Negotiate a payment plan with your vet. If you're a client in good standing, they may be happy to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan. However, a vet you've never been to may not agree to such a plan.
- Get a second opinion. You may pay a consultation fee, but another vet may have other, less expensive ways to treat your pet.
- Use a vet in a less expensive area. Vets in smaller towns may charge lower fees.
- Check out local veterinary schools. Many run low-cost clinics for limited income clients.
Fundraising and temporary credit
- Ask if your veterinarian accepts Care Credit, a credit card specifically for health care expenses, including for pets.
- Try a fundraising platform such as GoFundMe, which enables you to create a personal fundraising page.
- Consider Waggle, a pet-dedicated crowdfunding solution that channels funds directly to verified veterinarians for a pet’s care.
More resources
If you purchased your pet from a responsible breeder, check your contract to see if there is a health guarantee that covers your pet’s ailment. For help with future medical expenses, consider purchasing pet health insurance.
Assistance by breed
Breed-specific rescue groups may have information about additional help for particular breeds. You can find breed-specific rescue groups by visiting The Shelter Pet Project and choosing “shelter” in the search field.
- CorgiAid: Corgies
- Doberman 911: Doberman Pinschers
- Labrador Life Line: Labrador Retrievers
- Pyramedic Trust: Great Pyrenees
- WestieMed: West Highland White Terriers
Assistance by state
Please note, we do not have listings for all 50 states. We suggest contacting your local animal shelters for the most up-to-date and comprehensive information for your community. To find your local organizations, visit The Shelter Pet Project and choose “shelter” in the search field.
AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | DC | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY
Alabama
N/A
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Alaska
N/A
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Arizona
Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA: Phoenix (discounted veterinary clinic)
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Arkansas
N/A
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California
The ACME Foundation: Lake County (veterinary care assistance for senior and disabled pet owners)
Actors and Others for Animals: Greater Los Angeles area (emergency medical assistance)
Animal Health Foundation Angel Fund Grant Program: Los Angeles and Orange Counties (veterinary care assistance)
California Department of Social Services Assistance Dog Special Allowance (ADSA) Program: Statewide (provides monthly stipend to eligible people who use a guide, signal or service dog)
The Chester Foundation: Sacramento region (veterinary care assistance)
Compassion without Borders: Northern California (discounted veterinary wellness)
FACE Foundation: San Diego (emergency veterinary care assistance)
Haven Humane Society: Redding (discounted wellness care)
Keep Your Pet: Sacramento (maintains list of veterinary care assistance)
Palo Alto Humane Society: Palo Alto (veterinary assistance)
PALS: Sonoma County (support for those with AIDS)
PAWS/LA: Hollywood (services for those with HIV/AIDS)
PAWS San Francisco: San Francisco (free and subsidized veterinary care)
Pet Orphans of Southern California: Van Nuys (discounted veterinary wellness)
Placer SPCA SOS Program: Placer County (veterinary care assistance)
Sammie's Friends: Grass Valley (veterinary care assistance)
San Francisco SPCA Animal Hospital: San Francisco (veterinary care assistance and discounted veterinary hospital)
SHARE Marin Humane Society: Novato (veterinary care assistance)
Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation: Contra Costa County (veterinary assistance)
Voice for the Animals Foundation Helping Friends Program: Santa Monica (veterinary care assistance)
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Colorado
The Cartwright Foundation: Denver/Front Range region (veterinary care assistance)
Cat Care Society: Lakewood (list of local veterinary clinics with discounted prices)
Colorado State University Companion Care Fund: Fort Collins (veterinary care assistance)
For Pets' Sake Humane Society: Cortez (assistance for emergency veterinary care)
League for Animals and People of the Summit (LAPS): Summit County (financial assistance)
PetAid Colorado: Denver (discounted veterinary care)
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Connecticut
Connecticut Humane Society: Newington (discounted veterinary services)
STARelief and Pet Assistance: Statewide (veterinary care grant program, pet food, temporary fostering/emergency shelter and pet hospice care)
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Delaware
Delaware Humane Association: Wilmington (free wellness exams and vaccinations)
Delaware SPCA: New Castle and Sussex Counties (affordable wellness clinic)
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District of Columbia
PETS-DC: (veterinary care assistance programs for pet owners with HIV/AIDS or other disabling conditions)
Humane Rescue Alliance: (discounted wellness)
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Florida
Central Brevard Humane Society: Cocoa (discounted wellness clinic)
Fairy Tail Endings, Inc.: Sarasota and Manatee Counties (veterinary assistance)
First Coast No More Homeless Pets, Inc.: Jacksonville (discounted veterinary care)
Humane Society of Pinellas: Clearwater (affordable pet health clinic)
The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River Co.: Vero Beach (animal clinic)
Pasco Animal Welfare Society (PAWS): Port Richey (spay/neuter assistance)
Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando: Orlando (discounted veterinary care; but not for emergencies)
The Pet Project: Oakland Park (free pet food, reduced veterinarian services and delivery to the physically disabled)
SPOT Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic: Pinellas Park (discounted veterinary care)
St. Francis Animal Hospital: Jacksonville (assistance for veterinary care)
You Can Make a Difference, Inc.: Gadsen County (emergency veterinary assistance)
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Georgia
PALS: (support to people living with disabilities due to HIV/AIDS, terminal illnesses and the elderly)
PAWS Atlanta: Atlanta (spay/neuter assistance)
Stopping Pet Overpopulation Together (SPOT): Atlanta (spay/neuter assistance)
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Hawaii
N/A
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Idaho
N/A
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Illinois
The Animal Welfare League: Chicago Ridge (discounted veterinary clinic)
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Indiana
The Monroe County Humane Association: Bloomington (nonprofit veterinary clinic)
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Iowa
N/A
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Kansas
Humane Society of Greater Kansas City: Kansas City (Charity Care program)
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Kentucky
N/A
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Louisiana
Southern Animal Foundation: New Orleans (discounted veterinary services)
Maine
N/A
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Maryland
Frederick County Humane Society: Frederick (emergency medical assistance program)
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Massachusetts
Dakin Humane Society: Leverett and Springfield (walk-in medical clinic)
MSPCA Angell Animal Medical Center: Boston, Waltham, Westford (veterinary care assistance)
Phinney's Friends; MSPCA: (veterinary care assistance programs for senior, disabled or ill pet owners)
The Sampson Fund: Cape Cod and the Islands (reduced cost veterinary care)
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Michigan
N/A
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Minnesota
Animal Care Foundation: Edina (veterinary clinics)
Mission Animal Hospital: Eden Prairie (full-service animal hospital)
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Mississippi
N/A
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Missouri
N/A
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Montana
N/A
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Nebraska
N/A
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Nevada
The Animal Foundation: Las Vegas (Pets for Life, KEPPT program)
Hearts Alive Village: Las Vegas (pet food, veterinary assistance)
Shakespeare Animal: Reno (veterinary care assistance)
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New Hampshire
N/A
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New Jersey
God's Creatures Ministry Veterinary Charity: Wayne (veterinary funding assistance)
New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance: Statewide (veterinary care assistance)
PetPALS of Southern New Jersey: Grenloch (veterinary care assistance programs for senior, disabled or ill pet owners)
Save U.S. Pets Foundation: Red Bank (veterinary care assistance; a veterinarian must apply on behalf of the pet owner)
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New Mexico
Animal Humane Association of New Mexico: Albuquerque (affordable veterinary care clinic)
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New York
ALL 4 PETS: Western New York (veterinary care assistance)
Lollypop Farm, The Humane Society of Greater Rochester: Fairport (information on other community programs for veterinary assistance)
Rochester Hope for Pets: Rochester (veterinary care assistance)
NY SAVE, Inc.: Manhattan (veterinary care assistance)
The Shamrock Animal Fund: Syracuse/central New York (veterinary care assistance)
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North Carolina
Blue Ridge Humane Society: Hendersonville (vet assistance vouchers)
Friends of Madison County Animals: Madison County (low-cost/no-cost services)
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North Dakota
Circle of Friends Humane Society: Grand Forks (emergency medical assistance)
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Ohio
The Bummer Fund: Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties (veterinary care assistance)
Jake Brady Memorial Fund: Avon (veterinary care assistance)
MedVet Good Sam Fund: Columbus and Cincinatti (veterinary care assistance)
Pets in Need: Cincinnati (veterinary services)
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Oklahoma
N/A
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Oregon
DoveLewis Velvet Assistance Fund: Portland (veterinary care assistance)
Pro-Bone-O: Eugene (veterinary care for pets of the homeless)
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Pennsylvania
Animal Care & Assistance Fund: Pittsburgh (veterinary care assistance)
Humane Animal Rescue: Pittsburgh (full service veterinary medical centers with discounted options)
Sam's Hope: Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties (veterinary care assistance for pet owners with demonstrated financial hardship)
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Rhode Island
Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association: Statewide (assistance for necessary veterinary medical care)
RIVMA Companion Animal Foundation: Providence (veterinary care assistance)
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South Carolina
N/A
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South Dakota
N/A
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Tennessee
N/A
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Texas
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine "The Capper and Chris Save the Animals Fund": College Station (veterinary care assistance)
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Utah
Pet Samaritan Fund: Uintah County, Utah County and Wasatch Front (veterinary care assistance programs for low income pet owners)
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Vermont
N/A
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Virginia
Angels of Assisi: Roanoke (spay/neuter assistance, discounted pet medications)
Animal Welfare League of Arlington: Arlington (assistance for emergency veterinary care)
Helping Hands Affordable Veterinary Surgery and Dental Clinic: Richmond (reduced cost veterinary surgery)
Richmond SPCA: Richmond and Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Goochland Counties (low-cost, full-service veterinary hospital)
Roanoke Valley SPCA: Roanoke (crisis intervention services)
Virginia Beach SPCA: Virginia Beach (discounted medical clinic)
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Washington
Concern for Animals: Thurston, Mason and Lewis Counties (veterinary care assistance)
PAWS of Bainbridge Island: Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap (veterinary care assistance)
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine Good Samaritan Fund: Pullman (veterinary care assistance)
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West Virginia
N/A
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Wisconsin
WisCARES: Madison (community veterinary clinic for low income and homeless families)
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Wyoming
N/A
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