Veterinarian Collaboration

Our goal is to help with affordable pet care.

Do you own or work at a veterinary clinic, and want to help make animal companion care accessible to low income and in-crisis families?

1 in 7 households in Ontario are both low-income and have a pet, and you can help ensure these families have access to the veterinary care they need. Any step, no matter how small, makes you part of the greater effort to solve this problem. Here are some simple ways to be part of the solution:

1. Refer eligible clients to PAWS’ programs if they are struggling to cover their pet’s bills and especially if they feel their only option is surrender or euthanasia. We are glad to assist you or your client with the application process, please email your questions to us at apply@pawscanada.ca. All enquiries are handled confidentially.
2. Educate your clients about the cost benefits of preventive care. 
3. Inform your clients of the existence and potential help of pet insurance and veterinary financing companies.
4. Offer deferred payment or installment payment options for those who cannot cover a large bill upfront.
5. Create your own pet food bank at your clinic, for use by your clients and the public.
6. Provide appointments, prescriptions and prescription food at a discount to struggling families or those with chronically ill pets.
7. Host ‘preventive care days’, where clients can bring their pet in for a basic wellness check, vaccines or other routine procedures at a reduced cost. Advertise these days to the community at large so that those without a veterinarian can attend.
8. Develop a community outreach program to assist struggling pet owners in your community on a wider scale.
9. Donate or help advertise fundraisers for pet food banks, PAWS, Animalert, the Farley Foundation and other groups dedicated to improving access to affordable pet care.
10. Start your own in-house charitable fund to assist struggling families in covering the unexpected costs of emergency care.