If you find yourself in a difficult spot and are in need of financial assistance for immediate veterinary care:

• BE PROACTIVE.
• The first step is to ask your vet if they offer a payment plan.  If they don’t, perhaps they can be encouraged to offer one through a company like VetBilling.com.
• Many veterinarians accept CareCredit, a financing option specifically for health-related care, including veterinary care for your pet; and/or ScratchPay, an option just for veterinary care.  These are immediate and therefore extremely useful resources, but be mindful of the interest rates.
• You might also ask your vet if you may be able to do some work for them, such as cleaning kennels, answering phones, walking the dogs, etc. in lieu of cash payment.  An unorthodox approach, but you never know until you ask.
• Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for help at a time of need – you might even consider starting your own fundraiser with a platform like YouCaring, GoFundMe, FundRazr, etc.
• If you live near a university that offers degrees in veterinary medicine, contact them to see if they offer low-cost services through their programs.  You can search schools by state at the AVMA.
• Contact your local animal welfare organizations and advocacy groups.  Even if they cannot help you directly, they may be able to point you in the direction of other organizations in your area that offer financial assistance for veterinary bills.

There are quite a few non-profit organizations that offer financial assistance for veterinary needs. Below is an alphabetical list:

NOTE: Within the list, there are three organizations that are Dachshund-specific: Dachshund Friends in Deed, Dachshund World Charities, and Dollar for Doxies. 

Actors and Others for Animals: www.actorsandothers.com
All for Pets WNY: www.all4petswny.org
American College of Veterinary Surgeons www.acvs.org
The Big Hearts Fund (financial assistance for the diagnosis and treatment of canine and feline heart disease): bigheartsfund.harmonyapp.com
The Binky Foundation: www.binkyfoundation.org
The BirchBark Foundation: www.birchbarkfoundation.org
Brown Dog Foundation (prescription medications): www.browndogfoundation.org
Canine Cancer Awareness: www.caninecancerawareness.org
Dachshund Friends in Deed: www.dfindeed.com
Dachshund World Charities www.dachshundworldcharities.com
The Dog & Cat Cancer Fund: www.dccfund.org
Dollar for Doxies: dollarfordoxies.com
Dylan’s Hearts: dylanshearts.com
FACE Foundation: face4pets.org
Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance: fveap.org
Fetch a Cure: fetchacure.org
For the Love of Alex, Inc. fortheloveofalex.org
Frankie’s Friends: frankiesfriends.org
Furry Faces (Oliver’s Fund): www.furryfaces.org/programs.html
God’s Creatures Ministry Veterinary Charity: www.all-creatures.org
Handicapped Pets Foundation: hpets.org
Hearts United for Animal:s www.hua.org
Help-A-Pet: www.help-a-pet.org
Magic Bullet Fund (cancer-specific): www.themagicbulletfund.org
MaxFund (for animals with no known owner) www.maxfund.org
The Mosby Foundation: themosbyfoundation.org
NYSave: www.nysave.org
The Onyx & Breezy Foundation: www.onyxandbreezy.org
Paws 4 A Cure: www.paws4acure.org
Pet Food Bank: www.petco.com
Pet Food Stamps: www.petfoodstamps.org
The Pet Fund: www.thepetfund.com
Pets of the Homeless (pet food and veterinary care assistance for homeless): www.petsofthehomeless.org
RedRover Relief: www.redrover.org
Rose’s Fund: www.rosesfund.org
Save US Pets: www.saveuspets.org
Shakespeare Animal Fund: www.shakespeareanimalfund.org
STARelief: starelief.org
Waggle waggle.org

Link to assistance list at Best Friends, which may include more organizations/or be more updated: https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/financial-aid-pets

If you find yourself needing help, reach out to every available resource.  Your faithful four-legged companions deserve medical care when they need it, and they are completely dependent on you to provide it.  If you know someone who needs help, reach out and lend a hand (or a paw), and spread the word.  No animal should suffer simply for the lack of funds.

If you can afford it, one way to plan ahead for future expenses is pet health insurance.  Monthly premiums can definitely add up if you have multiple pets, and you will have to determine if the monthly expense is cost-effective for your pack.  But if you just have one or two, and you’re wanting to guard against sudden, catastrophic expenses, insurance can be well worth it!  I am hesitant to recommend one insurer over another, but there are many pet insurance review and comparison sites out there to research before deciding on which company and plan would best suit your needs.  The two most important things to know about pet insurance are: 1) no pet insurer covers pre-existing conditions, so if insurance is in your budget, get it before an illness or condition develops; and 2) pet insurance works differently from human health insurance in that you must pay the vet first, then submit a claim to the insurer, and then you are reimbursed.  So if your pet needs an expensive surgery; you will need to pull that money together first, which may mean borrowing.  On the upside, family and friends are often much more willing to pitch in and loan some money to help out when they know you’ll be able to pay them back as soon as you’re reimbursed.  

PLEASE NOTE: This page includes a list of organizations you may contact for help.  Please understand that I am just a regular person and cannot personally offer direct assistance, as much as I wish I could.

[This page was excerpted from the original post When You Can’t Afford the Vet.  I copied the pertinent information to this page in an effort to make it easier to find.]