Aviva Community Fund provided £4,276 of match funding
Veterinary Help Scheme
Bedford, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To help members of our community that are financially struggling by providing and financing emergency vet care, ensuring no animal suffers.
Our Branch's main aim is to rehabilitate and rehome animals that come into our care. These can come to us for a huge range of different reasons from either National RSPCA Inspectors, or from directly within the community.
As we are a small Branch with limited space, volunteers and funds, we predominately take in cats and small animals; such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds etc but this doesn't mean we turn away dogs. We offer as much help as we can, before networking them out to our bigger neighbouring Branches.
However, since the covid pandemic we have had a large increase in calls from people struggling to fund or find veterinary care for their pets. There are so many different reasons for this, but to name a few, some are now struggling financially; some are now looking after a relative's pet due to illnesses; some have new pets brought during lockdown; some veterinary practices are just so overwhelmed, they are unable to take on new clients.
Our first priority is to treat animals that have been placed directly into our care, which takes up the majority or our time and money, but before the pandemic hit we would always help members of the public with their pets wherever possible and when funds allowed. This would include things such as arranging and funding vet consults, paying for neutering costs or contributing to large vets bills. Due to the increase in requests for help like this, we can no longer afford to support all the pets within our community, which in turn can sadly occasionally mean the pet then gets signed over into our care.
We are hoping to raise money to help support those pet owners most in need. By funding much needed vet treatment we hope to keep pets healthy in their family homes, relieve some financial strain or mental suffering, and prevent animal neglect and abandonment.
We have a vet we work very closely alongside who will help support us in this mission, meaning we will get the most out of any funds raised, therefore helping more pets and their owners.
This project successfully funded on 7th December 2021