emergency vet care coverage

Happy Sunday, Weirdos! Today we wanted to tell you a little bit about our emergency vet bill assistance program and the guidelines we follow. As you know from previous blogs, one of our goals is to document policies and procedures for all areas of the non-profit. This allows us to ensure transparency and fairness is our dealings with all pet parents in need. It also helps us to make sure that we have a sustainable model that will keep things running smoothly for many years to come.

As you know, we are often called upon when a pet parent has a pet who falls ill suddenly or sustains an injury due to an accident, etc… Below are the policies and procedures that Leadership will be using in each instance. In all situations, until we have grant money coming in and our accounts are more substantial, we will create an emergency post, asking our Weirdo family for assistance in covering the emergency costs.

First, we need to determine if the member’s cat has an immediate emergency need. An emergency need is defined as an event which is life threatening and requires medical care within 24 to 48 hours. If the issue is determined not to be an emergency, the pet parent will be referred to our resource page to locate low cost veterinary care options or to find other support, depending on their need.

Moving forward we will ask that in all cases, members will be required to complete an emergency care application. If they are already at a veterinary practice when they reach out, a member of the Leadership Team will ask the questions of the pet parent, rather than having them fill out the application online themselves.

The Weirdos are happy to help our Weirdo family as much as possible, however we do ask that pet parents a) pay what they are able (this amount will be discussed and agreed upon up-front); and b) pet parents must apply for Care Credit and if approved, use that to cover whatever portion they are able. The Weirdos will discuss and determine what portion of the bill we are able to pay based on the needs of the cat, the pet parent’s financial situation and the cost of the procedure(s) involved.

A few other items of note, as it relates to emergency vet care needs are as follows:

• Members are eligible for assistance only once in any 6 month period. 
• All funds must be paid directly to the animal hospital. No funds will be given to the individual.
• Funds will not be paid on existing vet bills, nor will they be paid for any elective procedures or routine care (i.e. vaccines)
• The pet parent must be a member of the Weirdo Cat Lovers of Cleveland Facebook page for at least 3 months prior to application.
• Bills will not be paid for cats currently in surgery.
• Any member located in Ohio is eligible to apply.

If you have questions or concerns, please let us know!

Best Wishes & Purrs,
Amber