April 9, 2026 – Update – We are able to assist with urgent care only. Any applications for spay, neuter, vaccination will be reviewed and put on our waitlist. We are still very low on funds so can only assist those whose animals require emergency vet care in these counties- Middlesex, Brant, Hamilton and Waterloo Region.

The applications link has been reopened.

For those on our waitlist, we hope to have better news in a month or two as we continue fundraising.

Here’s a link to a post with ideas to find other sources of help.

Vet Care Subsidies

PAWS programs fund needed pet care when people are desperately seeking a way to avoid losing a family pet to a shelter or euthanasia.

Members of the public with inadequate income (per published Low-Income-Cutoff data) who are unable to afford the cost of required, medically necessary veterinary care can apply for a subsidy. PAWS allowances improve access to preventive and critically-needed vet care.

Subsidy Coverage

We Subsidize:

Cats or Dogs only
Preventive care such as spays, neuters, vaccinations
Essential and urgent medical care
We offer specific subsidies for:
- preventive care (spay/neuter, vaccines)
- essential and urgent medical care
- health checks (including vaccines)

We Don’t Cover:

Food, Litter
Repeat/refill Medications
Any ongoing care such as respiratory, allergies, etc (we cover initial appointment and treatment only)
Miscellaneous extras you may like (but we can’t afford) such as private cremation, urns, keepsakes etc
Grooming, nail trims, anal gland expression.
Procedures not benefiting the pet e.g. declaw, tail dock, etc.
Applications from breeders or anyone convicted of animal cruelty.

We truly understand how important onging treatments or medication can be for your pet’s wellbeing. Unfortunately our program is not able to cover the cost of long-term or recurring treatment and/or medication. We cannot predict future donations so we focus on providing one-time or short-term veterinary assistance that helps as many pets and families right now as possible.

Subsidy Eligibility

We are currently only able to service the follow areas in Ontario:

London and Middlesex County
Brantford and Brant County
Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth
Waterloo Region (Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge + 4 townships).

We hope to expand our coverage as more funds become available.

If you live within our service area and are struggling with low income, are unhoused or displaced or fleeing violence, you can apply for a vet care subsidy for your cat or dog.

If you don’t meet the qualifications, please Read these tips to find help.

Size Of Family Unit	LICO – 12 Months	LICO – 6 Months
one person	$29,380	$14,690
two persons	$36,576	$18,288
three persons	$44,966	$22,483
four persons	$54,594	$27,297
five persons	$61,920	$30,960
six persons	$69,834	$34,917
seven persons	$77,750	$38,875
If more than seven persons, for each additional person, add	$7,916	$3,958

Subsidy Criteria

Individuals must meet at least one of the following criteria to apply for vet care subsidy:

Meet the CRA’s Low Income Cutoff Criteria for household income; proof of income must be shown via CRA Notice of Assessment.
Be a resident of a temporary shelter, including women’s shelters and homeless shelters.
Be a person in-crisis, including but not limited to:
- Homelessness
- Fleeing violence
- Medical crisis requiring temporary care in a medical facility, including mental health
- Addiction crisis requiring treatment in a residential facility
Receiving government assistance, and able to show proof of registered program membership, including but not limited to:
- Federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
- Ontario Disability Support Payment (ODSP)
- Canada Pension Plan Disability Payment (CPP Disability)
- Ontario Works Program (OWP)
- Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) (for those whose main residence is neither at university or with their parents, or who are aged 25 and over).

Community agencies and Veterinary clinics may apply on behalf of their clients who meet the above criteria.

Funds are always very limited!

Each pet owner may apply for only one animal per year.
Please plan to pay what you can towards your animals’ care.
Non-urgent care such as spay/neuter and vaccinations may be put on a wait list.
We only have funding where we have donors. We try to do as much as we can to help as many people and pets as we can.

Applications are being accepted only for urgent care.

We hate saying no but have to rely on donations.

For those on waitlist, there are often good clinics available with low costs for spay, neuter, vax and health checks. Click Here to Learn More

We volunteers are all pet lovers and understand how challenging it can be to seek assistance especially when a pet is suffering. We appreciate your patience.

If you don’t qualify or we are out of funds and can’t assist right now, please check this blog for alternative support options.

We remain dedicated to supporting our community as soon as resources become available.