If you believe your pet is in immediate danger, apply but seek immediate veterinary assistance.  Your application might not get a response for 24 to 48 hours.  The mailbox is not checked after 7PM on weekdays, and the mailbox is not checked after 12 PM Saturday through Monday morning.

ART’s Medical Assistance program is designed to help families keep their pets healthy and out of the shelter when going through a difficult time financially. For qualifying applicants, we may assist with routine care, some diagnostic tests and surgeries. The prognosis must be favorable to receive assistance. This is a one time help with a pet’s need. We cannot provide long term health care. We require that all healthy dogs and cats in the family be spayed or neutered. If not altered we will schedule in the near future. (If necessary financial aid is given for spay/neuter). Please do not apply if you will not allow for your pets to be altered.

PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING

Things you should know before applying:

  • You must apply for care credit at the vet office or www.carecredit.com.
  • We do not pay for vet care already received.
  • We require that all dogs and cats in the family be spayed or neutered.  If not altered we will schedule in the near future.
  • Funding limits us to helping one individual or family to one time only assistance.
  • Your pet must have a favorable prognosis for us to contribute or fund the surgery.
  • Our budget does not allow for us to fund expensive testing such as MRI and CT scans.
  • Funding surgeries over $1,000 is a huge consideration for our organization.  If this is your situation you may go ahead and apply, but please also be working in earnest to seek additional funding sources.
  • We may assist with filling medications one time only.
  • For diabetes and cushings /addisons we may be able to help with the testing and provide initial medication. The applicant will be responsible for the future tests and medication refills.
  • We do not provide 6 months heartworm and flea prevention. We may assist with the test and one month medication.  You may purchase heartworm pills one month at a time if necessary from the vet or clinic who gave the heartworm test.
  • ART primarily serves citizens in the Hampton Roads area and outside the area, on a case by case basis.

There are low cost surgery clinics for many procedures. Do check with one of the following to see they could do your surgery.  Dentals are more affordable also.

  • Deer Park Animal Hospital PADS program Newport News 757 595- 9720
  • Helping Hands Richmond 804-355-3500
  • Norfolk Spca (they do not do orthopedic work at this time) 757 622- 3319
  • Virginia Beach SPCA. They also have a HOPE program for people with financial difficulty 757 427 0070
  • York Vet in Yorktown.  Regular hospital but reasonable surgical procedures. 757 898-3700

Other funding suggestions:

  • Themosbyfoundation.org
  • Cofundmypet.com
  • Themagicbulletfund.org (canine cancer)
  • Low interest bank loan
  • Yard sale/ sell items on craigslist
  • Contact your breeder
  • Contact breed specific rescue (most likely they will want you to surrender dog to them but least your dog will get help)
  • Ask friends, family to contribute
  • Maybe a close friend or family will allow you to use their care credit if you were denied or credit card
  • Set up Go Fund Me account
  • pawsinneedva.com

Due to an overwhelming volume of applicants, our applications for medical assistance are temporarily closed until the end of the month. The financial service that ART’s Medical Assistance program provides is one that is unlike anything available in our area. ART has been able to help countless families with emergent and necessary vet care for their pets when they cannot afford it. As the word has spread, the number of people applying for assistance has grown and the financial strain is one that our organization cannot maintain if uncapped. We have reached our expenditures for this month and will again be accepting applications at the beginning of August. Please know that every dollar donated by our supporters and sustaining members will still continue to be critical to maintain this program.