Through our ARF (Animal Relief Fund) program, OC Animal Allies may provide financial assistance to low-income Orange County pet owners, such as the elderly and disabled whose pets need emergency veterinary care.

Financial assistance is only for emergency, critical care (typically life-threatening) pets of low-income, Orange County, California residents. If you qualify for a pledge to pay for vet care, it is a contribution towards the cost of treatment. Please note that we are unable to pledge for elective procedures such as TPLO, FHO or other orthopedic corrective treatments and surgeries. Sorry, but we are also unable to contribute towards treatment costs of chronic care, ongoing conditions or routine care.

Please complete these steps in order to be considered for financial assistance for emergency vet care:

Remember! You must complete all 3 required steps to be considered for assistance.

Low Cost Veterinary Hospitals

Emergency Veterinary Hospitals

Financial Assistance Resources

Emergency Financial Aid - Online Application

STEP 1

Apply for Care Credit

It is important you try to secure a payment plan for your current and future vet care. You may apply at http://www.carecredit.com/apply/, or you may call Care Credit at 800.677.0718 (callers must be at least 21 years of age). We recommend that you request at least double the vet estimate amount. If you are denied, you must provide us with the application key/reference/denial code.

STEP 2

Get an Estimate from Your Vet

We will need to see a clear estimate of the treatment plan and what the veterinarian wants to do. We cannot reimburse you if a bill has already been paid or if there is an outstanding balance.
If you need a referral to a lower cost veterinarian for diagnosis and an estimate, please see our Veterinary Hospitals page. Please note: the veterinarian will need to send the estimate to us BEFORE care is provided in order to be considered for a pledge.

STEP 3

Submit an OC Animal Allies Application

While you are working on the other required steps, you may submit an application for OC Animal Allies to help. Remember, we must have the estimate BEFORE care is provided. You may also download the application (Descargar la aplicación en español) and fax or email it to us, but doing so will delay processing of your application.

Once we receive the estimate and your application, we will contact you via phone or email to discuss your case.

Emergency Financial Aid- Online Application

What to Expect

Once you have completed and submitted the application, and have provided a copy of the treatment plan you can expect to hear from us to further discuss your case. Remember to always answer your phone so that you do not miss returned calls! Priority is always given to critical and life threatening cases. You should also contact other organizations and seek additional assistance from them. Please note that if your case qualifies, organizations will pledge between $50-$200, so we suggest that you also ask friends and family for help as well. For larger surgeries, you can fundraise through sites like Waggle or GoFundMe.

For a list of other organizations to contact, see our Financial Aid Groups page. Keep a notebook handy so that you can keep track of which groups you contacted and other important information.

Emergency Vet Care Assistance