Help With Vet Bills from Grants and Foundations

Organizations That May Help with Vet Bills

Canine cancer treatment can be expensive and you may need help with vet bills. There are many organizations that may help, but be sure to read the fine print, decide if you’re comfortable having your story public, and make sure you qualify for assistance based on your circumstances and income.

Note: If you have a foundation or organization that helps with vet bills for dog cancer treatments, please contact us.

Animal Cancer Foundation

The Animal Cancer Foundation (https://acfoundation.org/) is located in Port Washington, New York. Their mission is to learn more about human and canine cancer to improve treatment.

They lead a canine cancer genome project cosponsored with the Blue Buffalo Foundation. The goal of the project is to gain genetic information on the most common canine cancers, and to make those data available to veterinarians, oncologists, and researchers.

The foundation selects scientists for two-year funding opportunities each year. Scientists typically focus on comparative oncology and have a track record of high impact cancer research.

The primary canine cancers they study include:

• thyroid carcinomas
• thymoma
• soft tissue sarcomas
• primary lung tumors
• multiple myeloma
• melanoma
• histiocytic sarcoma
• chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• canine urinary bladder neoplasia
• canine mast cell tumors
• mammary gland tumors
• lymphoma
• appendicular osteosarcoma
• acute leukemias

The Animal Cancer Foundation website contains a Resources section that includes a list of financial support links for owners that are seeking help in covering the veterinary bills for their individual pet.

Animal Cancer Therapy Subsidization Society

The Animal Cancer Therapy Subsidization Society (https://www.uicc.org/events/animal-cancer-therapy-subsidization-society-actss-pet-cancer-month-february-2011) is a volunteer-based registered Canadian charity. It informs pet owners and the veterinary community of the benefits of an early cancer diagnosis as well as available treatment options for cancer care.

They can also help with vet bills incurred during canine cancer treatments. This is limited to residents of Alberta, Canada.

The charity regularly coordinates meetups and hosts conferences.

Canine Cancer Awareness

Canine Cancer Awareness is a blog focused on cancer in dogs. https://caninecancerawareness.org/

They seek to provide a platform for informative articles written in a blog style format. They cover topics ranging from signs of cancer, diagnoses, therapy, support, and treatment options with citations for a deeper dive into any topic. This includes grant opportunities.

FETCH a Cure

FETCH a Cure https://fetchacure.org/ is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization focused on boosting the quality of life for pets by working with owners and veterinarians to further cancer awareness and education, as well as advance cancer treatment.

Their vision is “a community where no one is denied a choice for their pet’s health due to a lack of options, education, or funding.”

In alignment with this vision, FETCH a Cure leverages the Champions in Crisis program to help families who are unable to pay for life-saving treatments for their pets. The Champions in Crisis program can provide monetary assistance for several months or even years.

There are some conditions which must be met before an applicant qualifies:

1. The applicant must be a resident of Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C.
2. The dog must have already been diagnosed with cancer and been given a prognosis of longer than four months to live with treatment.
3. All other forms of personal aid, including credit cards, must already be exhausted.
4. The dog must already be, or planned to be, spayed or neutered.
5. The applicant must give FETCH a Cure permission to ask for a second opinion regarding their dog’s treatment plan.

FETCH a Cure also supports the Pixies Pen Pals program. This program pairs rescue dogs with inmates at correctional centers in the state of Virginia. Inmates work to socialize and train rescue dogs in preparation for adoption to new families under the guidance of a professional dog trainer.

Helping Harley Working Dog Cancer Treatment Grants

These $1,000 grants are for full-time working dogs that are diagnosed with cancer while working in the fields of assistance, detection, search and rescue, enforcement, military work, or animal-assisted therapy.

Grants can be given to dogs residing in the United States and Canada. There are no breed exclusions. There is an age limit of nine years. Emotional support dogs do not qualify.

If you have a working dog with cancer, their website is here: www.grants.landofpurefold.com

Magic Bullet Fund

The Magic Bullet Fund https://themagicbulletfund.org/resources/ helps families raise money to cover cancer treatment expenses for their dog.

As of 2022, the Magic Bullet Fund has helped over 830 pets and their owners.

The Magic Bullet Fund is not meant to help with emergency vet bills. Donations cannot be raised for pets diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, relapsed lymphoma, or mammary cancer. For dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma, only the costs of amputation can be considered, and chemotherapy is not an option for coverage.

The applicant must meet the following criteria:

1. The primary owner of the dog must be the one applying.
2. The dog must have already been given a cancer diagnosis.
3. Your veterinarian must agree to speak with the Magic Bullet Foundation.

Funds from the Magic Bullet Foundation do not go into a general fund for your dog, but rather go straight to the clinic your dog is receiving care at on the day that treatment is given. Funds cannot be used for late payments.

In addition to information about fundraising, the website has links to support groups, dietary recommendations, and supplement recommendations.

Pet Fund

The Pet Fund https://www.thepetfund.com/ is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that can help with vet bills. They provide one-time grants to owners of domestic animals in the United States who need veterinary care.

The Pet Fund only covers non-basic and non-urgent medical needs. These include treatments for cancer but does not include tests for determining the diagnosis. They do not help with emergency vet bills.

Here are some conditions to quality:

1. Be able to reasonably survive for the duration of their time on the Pet Fund’s waitlist.
2. You must contact the Pet Fund by email with your intended request prior to submitting the application.

The Pet Fund website provides many other helpful links pertaining to financial assistance.

They also have a directory for clinical trials. These trials may include free medication, surgery, or treatment at no cost to you as the owner so long as your dog meets the trial’s conditions.

RedRover

RedRover https://redrover.org/ offers a number of resources and opportunities for pets and their owners. These include access to emergency shelter, disaster relief, education, and help with vet bills.

In 2022 alone, RedRover helped 495 animals and provided 4,227 pet owners with advice and resources.

To qualify for an urgent care grant, you must:

1. Be seeking assistance for one animal with a life-threatening illness or injury whose resolution is dependent on urgent treatment specific to that condition.
2. Have a diagnosis and treatment plan signed off by a veterinarian prior to applying.
3. Have a total household income of less than $60,000. This makes it a great source for help with vet bills for low-income families.
4. Both you and your dog must reside within the United States.
5. Diagnostic testing and treatment for ongoing conditions, such as chemotherapy or radiation for cancer, are not covered.

The average monetary amount awarded is $250.

You should be prepared to provide updates and photos of your dog that may be used by RedRover to generate support for their mission.

Save Us Pets

Save Us Pets https://saveuspets.org/ is an independent 501 (c)(3) charity that was established in 2003.

It’s an organization run by volunteers that raises funds to help with vet bills. Their main goal is to provide funds so that owners avoid euthanizing their pets.

They work directly with participating veterinarians in the state of New Jersey.

As of 2016, over $400,000 in grants have been given to owners in need of help with vet bills.

Tripawds Foundation

The Tripawds Foundation https://tripawds.org/rescue/ helps public animal shelters and nonprofit rescue organizations raise funds for amputation surgeries needed to treat left threatening limb injuries or differences.r

The organization matches up to $500 in funds raised. This helps to make life-changing surgeries for dogs happen while they are waiting to be adopted.

Applications are accepted between the 1st and 15th of every month, with two grants awarded per monthly cycle.

Applications are only accepted from animal rescue organizations and shelters, but these can be from any location, of any size, and of any annual earning status.

Applicants must maintain an active presence on at least two social media platforms as directed by the Tripawds Foundation to help with crowdfunding.

Once the campaign raises $500, the Tripawds Foundation will match that $500 and release the payment.

Waggle

Waggle https://www.waggle.org/ promotes itself as a safety net for owners who cannot afford a veterinary bill to care for their dog. Waggle harnesses the power of crowdfunding to raise funds. 100% of these funds go to pet care.

Waggle’s crowdfunding process is largely owner driven. You simply type in your dog’s veterinary information, input the monetary estimate of their medical care, and add some photos.

Waggle will review your case and post a campaign on your behalf. This may even lead to additional grant opportunities or sponsorship.

Once your bill has arrived, your veterinarian will send your dog’s invoice to Waggle, and they will pay the veterinary hospital directly.

At the time of publication, 50,000 donors had contributed to Waggle, culminating in two million dollars.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are an important component of advancing veterinary science and canine cancer care.

Participation can expose your dog to novel treatment therapies that may benefit them. They are often free or of very little cost to you as an owner.

Be sure to check the specific qualifications for each opportunity. Most clinical trials have strict requirements.