NO CHILD SHOULD LOSE THEIR BEST FURRY FRIEND BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF VET CARE!
THE ISSUE
Children who grow up with pets learn to love and be loved. They also show better academic performance and increased empathy, responsibility and self-confidence. BUT, two-thirds of low-income families do not have pets, and cost of veterinary care is the number one reason they give for not adopting a cat, dog or other small animal. Meanwhile, thousands of homeless animals die in shelters each year while waiting for a family to give them a home. PLEASE GIVE TO THE VETERINARY ASSISTANCE FUND AND GIVE CHILDREN AND A PETS A CHANCE FOR BETTER LIVES!
____________________________________________________________________
HOW WE CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER
The Veterinary Assistance Fund is a non-profit organization that pays the cost of veterinary fees when pets living with qualified low-income families become ill or injured. Put simply, we keep best friends together!
Through this campaign, we will expand our services to double the number of families we serve each year — from 500 to 1,000. We think NO child should experience the pain of losing their best friend unnecessarily. Don’t you? PLEASE HELP KEEP KIDS AND THEIR BELOVED PETS TOGETHER!
___________________________________________________________________
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
Our goal is to spend your money keeping pets and families together. So, we are a 100% volunteer-run organization. That means we spend 99 cents of every dollar of your 100% tax deductible donations to pay veterinarians who offer reduced-cost service to our client families. PLEASE GIVE CONFIDENTLY KNOWING THAT YOUR DOLLARS ARE SAVING PETS AND HELPING CHILDREN!
____________________________________________________________________
THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE — MEET MARLA, AMY AND ROSSO
Nine-year-old Marla is red-haired, bright and loves her red tabby cat, Rosso. When Rosso was diagnosed with cancer, their vet assured Marla and her mom, Amy, that the cat’s cancer was highly curable. Treatment would cost about $4,000.
Amy teared up when she had to tell Marla that she simply couldn’t afford Rosso’s care. As a recently laid-off single mom with just a part-time job, it simply wasn’t possible. Marla and Amy took Rosso home, and Marla was so devastated that she could not go to school the next day.
“I couldn’t bare seeing my daughter in so much pain,” Amy said. “I love Rosso, too. I just couldn’t possibly pay that much in vet bills with my reduced income and no one to turn to for help.”
Marla returned to school red-eyed and distracted. When her teacher heard of Rosso’s illness and the family’s situation, she suggested that Marla ask her mom to call the Veterinary Assistance Fund. Amy called, applied for assistance and found out 24 hours later that they qualified.
“I will never forget the look on Marla’s face when I told her that Veterinary Assistance Fund is making it possible to cure Rosso’s cancer, and that he would be living with us for many years to come,” Amy said. “She insisted on calling the Veterinary Assistance Fund volunteer herself to thank him for saving her best friend.”
After six months of treatment, Rosso shows no signs of cancer, and spends his days lounging on Marla’s bed until she returns from school to play with him and pet him while she does her homework.
“I can’t imagine not coming home from school and spending time with my great cat Rosso,” Marla said. “Thanks to Veterinary Assistance Fund, I don’t have to.”
