A new 501(c)3 nonprofit to help pet owners who can’t afford the cost of specialized veterinary care has been helping save the lives of family pets and has begun asking others if they are willing to help less fortunate families, too.
Dr. Anne Chauvet, a veterinary neurologist who founded Critical Care & Veterinary Specialists of Sarasota LLC (CCVSS) has established Specialists for Animals Foundation, Inc., (SAFI) to provide funds to pet owners who are able to demonstrate an inability to pay for their pet’s specialty care and who have been declined for credit. Dr. Chauvet has been hosting a series of fun Musical Chairs dinners and is selling necklace watches featuring a number of dog breeds to help raise funds for the charity. Information on upcoming Musical Chairs events is available on SAFI’s Facebook page,
So far, SAFI has been able to help seven dogs and cats. Those include Beezer, a 13-year-old mixed breed, who needed surgery to remove a mango pit he had swallowed and that had become lodged in his digestive tract.
Beezer would not have been able to survive without the surgery, which his owner could not afford, but instead is back home to a happy and healthy life, much to his owner’s relief.
The same is true for Newman, a short-haired kitty who had been hit by a car and suffered a severely fractured jaw. He recovered very well and returned to enjoy more time with his family. Other cases with which SAFI has helped include everything from back surgeries to cure paralysis to removing a needle that was perforating the stomach of a one-year-old cat.
To be eligible to receive help from SAFI, the pet must have excellent prospects of recovery with a good quality of life. The nonprofit will provide a donation not exceeding 50 percent of the bill, and it covers any board certified or board eligible veterinary clinician providing the specialty care who is willing to match the donation from SAFI with reduced fees and/or donated supplies. The owner must demonstrate financial need and be declined by Care Credit and Chase Health.
“So many people are struggling to recover from financial difficulties due to the the economy and the foreclosure crisis. How tragic to lose a pet unnecessarily on top of that,” Dr. Chauvet said. “We hope people will be generous in donating to help them avoid the added grief of losing a family pet because they cannot afford its medical care.”
Donations for Specialists for Animals Foundation, Inc., may be made online at www.CriticalVetCare.com/Specialialists_For_Animals_Foundation or by mailing a check to Specialists for Animals Foundation, Inc., c/o CCVSS, 4937 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231. More information is available by calling 941-929-1818.