Small Animal Veterinary Assistance for Disease and Surgeries
Felines and canines are just like us bipeds when it comes to health crises. There are conditions that build up slowly, like arthritis; illnesses that you may not know you have (until a crisis occurs), like diabetes; diseases that knock you sideways, like cancer; and unexpected, traumatic accidents that require swift attention, like a fractured leg. If you doubt our similarities, check out?The Boo Radley Foundation, which studies diseases like cancer, that afflict both the two-legged and four-legged.
Many humans have health insurance for these crises, but pets? Not so much.
The Pet Insurance Problem
The?North American Pet Health Insurance Association?reports that a mere 3.45 million pets are covered by medical insurance (although that number is growing every year). However, that is a very tiny percentage of the estimated 173 million companion canines and felines that the animal welfare organization?Best Friends?estimates we Americans consider our family members. Not surprisingly, these BFFs live in slightly more than two-thirds of American households, or about 81 million homes.
It is worth noting that?Trupanion, one of the largest and most highly ranked companies offering pet insurance, reports that the most common paid claims for veterinary care in the past year are for the following illnesses and conditions—some of which might require a veterinary specialist:
No matter the cause, when your cherished pet needs assistance for orthopedic surgery, dental disease, or radiation treatments, you may find yourself facing a steep, totally unexpected expenditure, and you may need to turn elsewhere for financial assistance.
The Waggle Way
At Waggle, we are dedicated to helping every family with an ill furry family member. We are committed to eradicating economic euthanasia, a tragic potential outcome when a pet guardian doesn't have the funds to cover veterinary fees. Sadly, a family may surrender a pet because a heartbreaking financial choice has to be made: rent or vet bills?
Waggle was founded to help close that shortfall by providing a pet-dedicated crowdfunding platform where individual campaigns are featured—and more importantly, where like-minded, caring souls come to help other pet lovers. Financial aid for your pet—whether it's going toward soft tissue surgery or fracture repair—is just a few clicks away.
We are a pioneering platform and have helped thousands of pets belonging to distraught and desperate families who are eager to keep their companion animal at home—and healthy. That is our goal: to keep pets and their families together. Moreover, we work with well over 600 veterinary practices across the U.S. and Canada. (If we have not worked with your veterinarian yet, let the practice manager know that it's easy for the hospital to sign up—and it costs nothing. Funds raised for your campaign on Waggle.org go directly to your veterinarian to cover part or all of your bill.)
Additionally, Waggle has helped more than 100 animal rescues and shelters, which are often strapped for money. They know that if they do not restore an animal to good health, there will never be a forever home for that dog or cat. So, we are committed on every front to help keep every pet alive. Best Friends estimates that?more than 625,000 animals are put down annually?due to lack of funds to cover veterinary care. Waggle helps in the most direct way possible: by facilitating your hunt for the financial assistance you need for your pet's health and preventive care.
Commons Causes for Vet Visits
According to the?Pet Health Zone 2016 study?from Nationwide Insurance (one of the nearly three dozen members of NAPHIA that sells pet insurance), the most common reasons animals go to the vet are:
Common Reasons for Dogs to Visit the Vet:?
Common Reasons for Dogs to Visit the Vet:
At Waggle, we see, anecdotally, large numbers of dogs needing medical care for the most basic things, like spay/neuter and treatment for parvo (which, left untreated, can be deadly), to more serious surgery for dental disease and extractions/jaw repair and limb ailments, like torn ligaments, and even more extensive, surgery-related reasons—including orthopedic surgery for limb amputation—and, of course, aggressive intervention for cancer, with chemotherapy and radiation. We see many kitties who need treatment for lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and, again, for the simple spay/neuter.
We have featured campaigns for animals that have been hit by automobiles, who have been in fights (and come out the loser), have been burn victims, and who have eaten some really nasty stuff. (Gastrointestinal foreign-body surgery is usually the answer here.) We see plenty of kidney disease, which is seven times more prevalent in cats than dogs, but canines don't get off scot-free—heart disease is three times more prevalent in dogs than in cats.
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The bottom line is that we see animals who need help for every kind of disease, condition, illness, surgery, medication or prescription you could name. We have dedicated partner foundations, which often contribute a starter contribution or offer grants as matching funds—so that any donation your pet gets is doubled! We have blogger and influencer partners who feature needy Waggle pets on their social media so that many campaigns are viewed by millions of like-minded potential donors. Additionally, our own Waggle Foundation is often in a position to help with our ever-growing?FurEver Fund, to which countless animal lovers contribute a monthly donation.
Waggle Success Stories
We like to think that every campaign has the potential to get fully funded, even without a Waggle partner. Here are but a few of our success stories, some of which raised the requested funds within just a few days:
And here are more heartening success stories, where some Waggle partners donated funds:
It is because of these happy tales for happier tails that pet guardians glow about Waggle:
You can read countless more successful campaigns on?our site.
Additional Resources
Whatever the reason you need financial aid for veterinary care, we urge you to immediately post your campaign on Waggle. Create a campaign story that is personal, compelling and direct, and make sure it features "fetching" photos.
You cannot realize any funding unless there is a campaign up and running. While your Waggle campaign is accruing donations, you should explore other options and seek additional grants so that the veterinary care you need becomes a reality. We have listed many resources in our?Resource Library?that may help fund your case with an outright grant—charity that will come at the just-right moment. Below are links to foundation websites—both local and national—that may supply emergency funds. Most have an application process and many will want to know if you have applied for?CareCredit?and have been turned down:
General aid and organizations with resource libraries:
A sampling of state- and region-specific organizations, dedicated to helping residents in their own community/state:
Lastly, explore options for clinical trials and/or free or low-cost care at a veterinary college. Drug companies, universities, and organizations that focus on specific diseases or conditions are often engaged in trials and look for participants. Care may be low-cost or free through: