Here in the United Kingdom, we are very lucky to have multiple veterinary charities supporting our pets and their needs. Different charities, though, have different missions. Some veterinary charities are focused on finding forever homes for pets, whilst other charities are focused on providing veterinary care for pets in households that cannot afford the level of care required. These charities will support those struggling to afford veterinary bills should they meet the financial thresholds to require support. Additionally, they will provide veterinary advice and can help with rehoming pets. But who can a struggling pet owner approach?
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Remember, each charity will have a different way of doing things
Different charities will have varying criteria which you must prove you meet in order to gain financial support; although their websites provide lots of free information which can be extremely useful in giving free advice to owners. They may help you to triage your pet, so you know when your pet needs veterinary care or whether monitoring your pet’s health at home is a sensible idea. Some charities will run their own veterinary clinics which you can attend in person. Other charities will offer telephone consultations, whilst some charities will provide advice and donations towards veterinary fees at another company’s veterinary practice.
Some charities:
Blue Cross
The https://www.bluecross.org.uk/veterinary provides free veterinary care to sick and injured pets when their owners cannot afford private veterinary fees. They also have a Veterinary Care Fund for people not in the catchment area of one of their practices.
Cats Protection
Cats Protection help to rehome cats, as well as offering a free neutering programme across the country. This voucher scheme is invaluable for people on limited incomes.
PDSA
The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals provides free of charge or subsidised veterinary care to sick or injured animals whose owners cannot afford the vet fees. They have their own veterinary practices and hospitals, and eligible people within the catchment area can use them.
RSPCA
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals aims to stop animal cruelty by investigating and resolving cruelty cases and ensuring pets are living in suitable housing where they are able to live happy lives. The RSPCA does contribute to vet funds and has veterinary practitioners associated with their local teams.
Others
Animal Trust and Battersea, plus many other local animal charities have similar aims. Be sure to research which charities are best suited to your needs and located nearest to you.
How to get help
Whenever seeking help from charities, you need to be completely honest regarding your financial situation and what you can and cannot afford. The veterinary practice you are registered with should also be aware of your financial limitations so the veterinary professionals can discuss realistic options for your pet and what the likely outcome will be. The criteria to qualify for funding will vary from one charity to another.
Other ways to save money
Another way to save money on vet bills is by obtaining written prescriptions, which may be cheaper for long-term medications in comparison to purchasing the product repeatedly from your veterinary practice. A written prescription allows you to pay for a prescription from the vets, but then order the medication online from home to be delivered. It is often cheaper in the long run to do this, but please do compare prices of written prescriptions plus the medication fee and delivery fee, compared to purchasing the medication alone directly from the vets to find out which treatment plan is cheaper.
Online, many charities have lots of advice and guidance which can be extremely useful. Use this information wisely. It is much more accurate to take advice from trusted veterinary websites compared with chatrooms.
Charity medicine is something that requires lots of funding
Because of we are lucky enough to have the National Health Service here in the United Kingdom, we often do not realise how expensive the cost of medication and specialist medical work ups are. If you are keen to raise any funds or spread awareness for any of the charities mentioned above, please feel free to do so. You can contact the charities directly for more information and guidance on fundraising ideas.
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