Help Paying for Your Pet’s Care
Cost can get in the way at any point: before the first exam, after a big estimate, or every month for medicine and food. You are not a bad pet parent for asking. Start with the situation that sounds like yours.
Worried your pet needs urgent care? Call your veterinarian or a local emergency veterinary hospital now. Tell them if cost is a barrier. A pending application does not arrange treatment. Signs that need care now, and pet poison hotlines →
If you can’t afford the first vet visit
Many people stop here, before anyone has examined their pet. You may have more options than you think.
- Call first and ask about cost. Ask the exam fee before you go, whether there is a lower-cost exam or payment arrangement, and whether the clinic accepts financing such as CareCredit or Scratchpay. Tell them cost is a barrier. They hear it often.
- Look for a lower-cost clinic. Shelters, humane societies and nonprofit clinics often offer reduced-cost exams and basic sick care. Pet Help Finder searches by ZIP code anywhere in the U.S., and Banfield Foundation’s directory lists assistance programs state by state.
- In Southern California: Inland Valley Humane Society (Pomona) offers low-cost basic sick and preventive care. Los Angeles County residents may qualify for DACC care vouchers. OC Animal Care lists low-cost clinics in Orange County, and Pasadena Humane Helping Paws serves the Pasadena area. 211 LA can help you search alongside other household needs.
- Ask about a veterinary school. If a veterinary school teaching hospital is near you, ask whether it offers reduced-cost care.
- You can start a fundraiser before you have a diagnosis. Quark’s fundraiser started with vet visits and a referral, before anyone knew what was wrong. See ways to raise money.
If you have a diagnosis and an estimate
Ask for a written, itemized estimate, what needs to happen now, what can wait, what deposit is required, and whether the practice offers payment arrangements or participates in assistance programs.
Payment plans · Grants · Fundraising · Local help
Help for cats
Some programs on this page help dogs only. Here is where cats stand, based on each program’s published rules:
- Cats included: Live Like Roo (cancer, through its Maggie’s Friends program for cats), The Pet Fund (non-urgent care for domestic animals, such as cancer or chronic disease) and FETCH a Cure (cancer, Virginia, Maryland and D.C. only). Paws 4 A Cure helps dogs and cats, but applications are paused; it says to check back after October 25.
- Not limited to dogs in what we reviewed: RedRover Relief, Frankie’s Friends, Onyx & Breezy, STARelief, Brooke Davis Angel Fund and Boomer’s Blissful Paws. Confirm species eligibility when you apply.
- Dogs only: The Mosby Foundation, Bow Wow Buddies Foundation and Miranda’s People. 15/10 Foundation helps rescue dogs through partner organizations.
Payment plans and crowdfunding, such as VetBilling, Waggle and GoFundMe, are not species-specific.
Payment plans
VetBilling
Installment payments through participating U.S. veterinary practices.
- Where: Participating U.S. practices.
- Have ready: A clinic willing to offer the plan and its proposed terms.
- Next step: Ask the veterinary practice. The clinic decides whether to offer and approve the arrangement.
Grants and charitable assistance
Grants can cover only part of a bill, may have limited funds, and may take time to review. A listing here does not reserve money for your pet.
Before you apply, have these ready
Most assistance programs ask for some of the same things. Gathering them once saves time on every application.
- A written, itemized estimate or invoice from your veterinary clinic, with the clinic’s name and phone number
- Your pet’s diagnosis, or a note from your vet about the care needed
- Proof of income or hardship, such as recent pay stubs, a tax return or a benefits letter
- Photo ID and proof of address
- A recent photo of your pet
Many programs pay the clinic directly, so ask your clinic whether it will work with an assistance program. Ask each program how long review takes, and apply to more than one when you can. Be cautious of anyone who asks you to pay a fee to apply for a grant.
The Onyx & Breezy Foundation
National hardship-based grants. Requires a complete package including financial documents, estimate and CareCredit status; no reimbursement for care already performed. Incomplete requests are held only 15 days, and approvals are valid for 30 days. Check Onyx & Breezy details →
STARelief Home For Life
Veterinary-care grants plus pet-food and emergency boarding/foster support. Home For Life grants are typically limited and paid to the provider. Check STARelief details →
Frankie’s Friends
National lifesaving emergency/specialty grants; cancer cases may fit the JLACF program. Applications require an established diagnosis and treatment plan. Pets treated at hospitals with their own aid funds, such as Banfield, BluePearl and VCA, aren’t eligible. Check Frankie’s Friends details →
The Mosby Foundation
Dogs only. Critical non-routine care; does not fund diagnostics or already-completed care and is not designed for immediate life-or-death emergencies. Check Mosby details →
Bow Wow Buddies Foundation
Dogs. Accepting new applications again as of October 19, 2026. Grants up to $1,500 for necessary treatment of certain conditions and illnesses. Not for true emergencies that need funds immediately, spay/neuter, dental, preventive, chronic or ongoing care, or end-of-life care. Check Bow Wow Buddies details →
FETCH a Cure — Companions in Crisis
Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. only. Cancer-treatment help for eligible dogs and cats. Check FETCH details →
The Pet Fund
Non-basic, non-urgent care such as cancer or chronic disease. Not for emergency care; expect a wait list. Check The Pet Fund details →
Miranda’s People
Dogs with cancer. Financial assistance plus cancer-navigation information. Check Miranda’s People details →
Actors and Others for Animals
Southern California emergency medical assistance and low-cost referrals for pet guardians facing hardship. Check Actors and Others details →
Pet Assistance Foundation
Southern California spay/neuter help, low-cost referrals, voucher information and need-based subsidies. Check PAF details →
Pet Assistance, Inc.
Limited urgent/life-threatening grants, cost review and lower-cost referrals for established pet owners. Typical grants are $100–$350. Care at emergency hospitals, chains, franchises, veterinary-school or corporate specialty hospitals is excluded, and it no longer funds TPLO or TTA knee surgery. Check Pet Assistance details →
RedRover Relief Urgent Care Grants
- Where: United States.
- Have ready: Diagnosis, treatment plan, favorable prognosis and cost estimate; household and remaining-gap rules apply.
- Next step: Pet guardian checks eligibility and starts with the pre-application.
- Timing: Applications close each Friday at 4 p.m. Pacific and reopen the following Monday.
AVMF REACH Program
- Where: Through eligible AVMA member veterinarians.
- Have ready: A conversation with the treating clinic; this is reimbursement for eligible charitable care, not an owner application for advance funds.
- Next step: Ask the clinic. Pet owners cannot apply directly.
Animal Health Foundation / Angel Fund
- Where: Participating Southern California veterinarians.
- Have ready: A treating veterinarian who can determine whether the program fits.
- Next step: Ask the participating veterinary practice about the program.
Animals Staying Alive
Accepting requests: pays veterinarians directly for urgent, life-threatening emergencies in the US and Canada. Send your veterinarian's written estimate and a short description of the animal's condition and your situation; requests are usually reviewed within 12-24 hours. Funding depends on available funds, so continue other options in the meantime.
Anna’s Pet Care Fund
- Where: Indianapolis-area participating hospitals.
- Have ready: Diagnosis and treatment planning through a participating hospital. Up to $1,500 per household; applicants must already have been declined by CareCredit and Scratchpay.
- Next step: Ask the participating hospital about assistance.
Live Like Roo Foundation
- Focus: Cancer-related support and financial assistance, including a program for cats.
- Have ready: Medical records, invoices and treatment estimate.
- Next step: Review the detailed requirements before applying.
Brooke Davis Angel Fund
- Focus: Qualifying non-routine care; some specialty oncology can qualify.
- Have ready: Veterinary documentation and an itemized estimate.
- Next step: Review eligibility and apply through the program.
Boomer’s Blissful Paws
- Focus: Veterinary grants for qualifying pets and families facing financial hardship.
- Have ready: Current veterinary and financial information required by the program.
- Next step: Confirm current eligibility and application availability before relying on it.
Honor Fund — End-of-Life & Cremation Assistance
Greater Los Angeles charitable support for certain pet end-of-life and cremation costs through Honor Pet. Detailed award criteria are not published, so ask the care team about current fund availability before paying for aftercare when possible. Check Honor Fund details →
Fundraising
A fundraiser can help with any of the costs on this page: an exam, a surgery, monthly medicine, special food or aftercare. Fundraising depends on donations or sales and may not meet an immediate payment deadline. Check fees, who receives the money and when it becomes usable.
Free Animal Doctor
Next step: Review whether the veterinary treatment can use its nonprofit crowdfunding model. Check details →
Waggle
Next step: Review its pet-focused crowdfunding process and veterinary-provider requirements. Check details →
GoFundMe
Use our step-by-step pet-care guide to write your story, plan your goal and share your fundraiser. Includes templates, fees and transfer timing. Build or improve your GoFundMe →
WeRateDogs
Fundraising guidance and community support for dog-related causes. Campaign promotion and donations are not guaranteed; the current campaign-submission route is awaiting clarification. Read the guidance and limits →
Help My Pet fundraising option
Help My Pet fundraiser pages
Merchandise featuring your pet, with a hosted page for products, your story, optional GoFundMe and social links. Selling prices and your earnings are agreed before launch. It can support ongoing needs like food and medicine, not only emergencies. Next step: Read the program details and send an inquiry with an optional direct photo upload. See Pet Fundraisers. Check details →
Local help and other directories
Sam Simon Foundation Mobile Veterinary Clinic
Where: Los Angeles area. Free scheduled spay/neuter and selected non-orthopedic surgery for qualifying private households under the program's income limit. Cats and dogs only. The spay/neuter waitlist is currently about 4-6 months; Free Surgery Clinic cases are prioritized by medical urgency. Check Sam Simon Foundation details →
Peter Zippi Memorial Fund Spay/Neuter Voucher Program
Where: Los Angeles County. Partial spay/neuter vouchers at participating clinics; an appointment must be booked first and the pledge needs advance processing. Check Peter Zippi details →
Inland Valley Humane Society Low-Cost Veterinary Services
Where: Pomona. Reduced-cost basic sick/preventive care and spay/neuter services through the Alex & Elisabeth Lewyt Medical Center. This is lower-cost care, not a grant. Check IVHS details →
Pet Help Finder
Where: Search by city or ZIP code. Next step: Find local veterinary services, pet food, supplies and boarding, then contact the provider to confirm cost, eligibility and appointments. Check details →
Banfield Foundation
Next step: Use its national and state-by-state directory to find other veterinary and pet-food assistance programs. The foundation does not provide direct grants to individual pet owners. Check details →
C.A.R.E.4Paws
Where: California’s Central Coast. Next step: Check current service locations and appointment requirements. Check details →
Medicine, prescription food and ongoing care
Long-term costs add up quietly: daily medicine, insulin, a prescription diet, supplements, litter and supplies, or rechecks after surgery. These ideas can lower the monthly cost.
- Ask your vet for a written prescription so you can compare prices. Ask whether a generic or compounded version is safe for your pet, and whether a human pharmacy can fill it.
- Compare sellers before a recurring order. Compare ongoing care costs, including online pharmacies such as Chewy and PetMeds. These are paid options, not assistance programs.
- Prescription diet? Ask your vet whether another approved formula, brand or bag size would work, and never switch without asking.
- Free food and supplies: pet food pantries and STARelief can help with food. See food and everyday support for pantries in Los Angeles, Orange County and Pasadena.
- Chronic conditions: The Pet Fund considers non-urgent care such as chronic disease and cancer for dogs and cats; expect a wait list. A fundraiser or Help My Pet fundraiser page can also cover monthly costs over time.
- Ask about the schedule. Ask your vet which rechecks and tests are essential now and which can be spaced out safely.
End-of-life and aftercare costs
Ask the total cost up front, including travel, after-hours fees and the aftercare option you want. Communal cremation usually costs less than private cremation. In the Los Angeles and Orange County area, the Honor Fund may help families who want their pet’s ashes returned. Compare at-home end-of-life providers, and note that many grants exclude euthanasia and cremation.
Being ready next time
A lot of people decide what they could do for a pet in the moment a bill arrives. A little planning can change that decision.
- Pet insurance usually excludes conditions your pet already had before you enrolled, so it helps most when you buy it while your pet is healthy. Compare deductibles, reimbursement rates and waiting periods.
- A pet savings fund, even a small automatic transfer each month, gives you a head start when something happens.
- Ask your clinic about wellness plans that spread routine care into monthly payments, and about payment plans before you need one.
- Keep records together: vaccination history, diagnoses, medications and past estimates. Grant applications ask for them, and having them ready saves days.
- Know where to look: bookmark this guide and share it with someone else whose pet you love. Ways to help other pets.
Rescue-Partner Support
15/10 Foundation
Medical sponsorship for rescue dogs through nonprofit partners, plus a partner Clinic Fund. No direct grants to individuals for personally owned dogs. Rescues, prospective adopters and donors have different next steps. Check eligibility and ways to help →
Known dead ends and pauses
Magic Bullet Fund: permanently closed and not accepting applications. See closure source and alternatives →
Brown Dog Foundation: ceased operations November 1, 2025. See closure source and alternatives →
Paws 4 A Cure: applications still paused as of October 19, 2026; the organization now says to check back after October 25. Check current status →
About this guide
Detailed resource pages explain requirements, sources and next steps. Review dates appear on those pages. Inclusion does not guarantee assistance or imply a partnership.