Advice For Low Income Pet Owners - Dog Chat - Dog Forums - I ...

I would like to start this post by saying that I have noticed a lot of people who come here to ask for help, and when they mention they cannot afford the vet, the general consensus is that if you cannot afford the vet, that you shouldn't own a pet. Most of the time, an answer like that may make the answerer feel like they have said what needed to be said, but it leaves the pet owner feeling rejected, as if to say that poor people do not deserve to have a best friend (their pet). I've seen many people who adopted their pets long before the recession and raised the pet, and that family is the only family they know. For a person to be told they must abandon or euthanize their beloved family member because they have fallen on hard times can feel devastating.

I want to let everyone know about the programs that are out there that offer financial aid for vet visits, low cost or free vaccinations and spaying for low income families, and the many dog food drives available. Also, if you live near a veterinary school, most will examine, vaccinate, spay/neuter, and treat your pets for low cost or sometimes free.

Everyone has heard of CareCredit.com which let's you have credit for vet visits, but this is only for people with decent credit (yes, they do a credit check) and chances are that if you are low income, you probably have bad credit.

Pet health insurance is available, but that is only good for people who can afford a monthly bill and a deductible at the time of the visit.

I believe that even if a person is poor, that the dog is still lucky to have a loving family rather locked in a cage the rest of its life, or euthanized.

I want to provide a list of assistance programs so that we can refer people to this thread instead of condemning them for not having money to get vet care. Hopefully, that will keep us from turning away those who need our help, and leaving them feeling like they've been rejected.

To turn away a dog owner is to turn away their poor innocent dog.

I will compile a list and post it here when I'm finished.

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Last edited by Emily Rugburn; 13 Hours Ago at 06:54 AM.

Source: http://www.i-love-dogs.com/forums/dog-chat/34999-advice-low-income-pet-owners.html

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