Apply For Animal Grant Assistance

We help prevent suffering and euthanasia by providing financial assistance for emergency veterinary care if your companion animal is in medical crisis. We have financial resources that can provide additional funding for certain demographics, such as Seniors, and specific counties. Please let us know if you are currently experiencing any situation where you feel socially vulnerable. If you are experiencing a language barrier, we also can help.

If you are visiting this page, we understand that you may be feeling overwhelmed and anxious about the health of your furry family member and your ability to care for them. We are here to help. Please read our requirements and instructions and let us know if you need any assistance. The button on the right offers additional resources.

Para una solicitud en español, por favor haga clic aquí.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. FAILURE TO SUBMIT ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS MAY RESULT IN DENIAL OF YOUR APPLICATION. YOU WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION – RESPONSES MAY GO INTO SPAM OR JUNK EMAIL FOLDERS SO PLEASE CHECK THOSE FOLDERS. Printable FAQs are here.

Your pet must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

  • Be a companion animal

  • Have an immediate life-threatening/life-compromising injury or illness

  • Have a good to excellent prognosis after this single treatment (short-term and long-term)

As a condition of a grant, your pet must be or able to be:

  • Spayed/neutered

  • Microchipped

  • Current on vaccinations

The grants cannot be used for the following:

  • Initial exam/consultation fees

  • Diagnostic tests – such as bloodwork, radiographs, or anything needed to diagnose the pet’s condition

  • Routine visits 

  • Non-urgent care

  • Ongoing/Chronic conditions

  • Veterinary services that have already taken place and/or treatment completed prior to grant approval. If you have already signed an estimate and approved care to be delivered by the veterinary clinic, we cannot cover those services listed.

Pet parents or guardians must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

  • Be a resident of one of these California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma

  • Be 18 years or older

  • Have not received any previous assistance from SAGE Compassion for Animals

  • All eligible family members have been rejected from Care Credit and ScratchPay (if your veterinarian accepts this) or approved with insufficient credit to cover the cost of treatment (must upload proof of denial as part of the application process – DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ARE ON APPLICATION). 

  • If you are approved for credit from Care Credit and/or ScratchPay, that credit MUST be used towards any tests for diagnosing your pet prior to applying for a grant, and/or used towards your pet’s procedure. Our grants can fill in a gap between what credit has been offered through these services and your veterinarian’s estimate, but cannot be used instead of using any credit line offered.

  • Must contribute a portion of the total cost of services for which the grant is provided.  

  • Allow SAGE Compassion for Animals to publish a story for marketing and fundraising purposes (which may include interviews and photographs)

Animals that are disaster victims (these animals have no known guardian) may also be eligible for a grant that can be applied for directly by the veterinary care provider.

Meet Our Grant Review Team

Application Submittal:

Applications will be submitted via a secure method and stored securely. Sensitive information will be treated in accordance with reasonable privacy standards. Once your application has been submitted, you will be notified within 24 hours of whether the grant has been accepted or denied or if further information is needed. 

PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK AND SPAM FOLDERS IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN EMAIL WITHIN 24 HOURS. 

Incomplete applications will be denied, but there will be an opportunity to gather more information if needed, please communicate your timeframe for completing the application.  

If the grant is accepted, you and your veterinary care provider must sign a grant agreement document returned to SAGE Compassion for Animals. Once completed, a check for the amount of the grant will be sent directly to the veterinary care provider.

All medical communications and decisions will be between you and your veterinary care provider. This is a one-time-only grant. All follow-up care, including any complications, will need to be discussed between you and your veterinarian. 

You are responsible for future costs, including any costs associated with a future spay/neuter procedure. The grant was awarded based on the information given to us by your veterinarian regarding the prognosis.  Sage Compassion for Animals is not responsible for the outcome of the veterinary care provided and has no further financial responsibility regarding the care of your pet.

As part of the application process, you will need materials from your veterinary care provider. Veterinary care provider must provide all of the following:

  • A definitive diagnosis

  • A prognosis (long-term and short-term)

  • Medical records to support diagnosis and prognosis

  • A recommended treatment plan

  • A discount of 25% or greater as compared to their customary pricing

  • An itemized estimate for recommended treatment plan (listing both customary and discounted pricing)

  • Consent for Sage Compassion for Animals to publicize case for marketing purposes (Sage Compassion for Animals can withhold hospital name if requested)

  • Vanessa Wensing, DVM

  • Stephanie Boldt, BA, AS, RVT, EMT

  • Julie Smith, DVM, DACVS, CCRT, MBA

  • Lissa Richards DVM, DACS

  • Stephanie Garcia Gonzales, RVT

  • Lizz Varela, Coordinator

  • Renee Fernandez Lipp