Brody and his little sister

It’s hard to leave the house these days without being confronted by the cost of living crisis. 

Whether it’s groceries or gas or going to a movie, British Columbians are feeling the pinch every day. 

Some of the impacts of those financial stresses are obvious, but others aren’t so visible — as in the case of our furry, but voiceless friends. 

For example, did you know that inadequate access to veterinary care is the number one welfare in British Columbia today?

While intentional acts of cruelty and neglect, while horrific, affect far fewer animals than the day to day suffering brought on by a lack of proper veterinary care. 

According to a recent survey by pollster Gallup, 95 per cent of Canadian veterinarians say clients’ finances limit their pets’ care at least some of the time — with 44 per cent saying they see the problem often. 

Those are daunting numbers, and they are exactly why we at Paws for Hope started our Better Together program. 

It is one of our most important initiatives, and works by providing ongoing subsidized veterinary care to ensure pets get the preventative and emergency care they need and, crucially, so that their families don’t have to surrender the animals they love. 

In February of this year we were able to ensure that 78 pets enrolled in the program received veterinary funding support, and nine pets received one time emergency funding. 

Those numbers include Brody the dog, pictured with his sister above, and Arlo the cat, pictured below. Don’t they look happy?

Their guardian is a single dad who lives on a fixed income and he was very grateful to receive subsidized veterinary care for the pets that are a part of his full and loving home. 

February marked a significant increase from the 45 pets we were able to help in December. But every month we are still forced to turn away pet families who need help because we simply do not have the funds we need to meet the ever-rising demand. 

It’s why we turn to you, our incredible community for help. Would you consider making a special gift to help more pet families?

This is what your support makes possible. It gives families breathing room. It gives loved pets like Arlo and Brody the care they need.

Thank you so much for caring for families and the loved pets who mean everything to them.