Will You Help Us During the Season of Giving?

Will You Help Us During the

Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has brought us and the changes we’ve all had to make to adjust to the new way of living and practicing, one thing did not change – the need in our statewide community for the programs administered by Animal Care PA, PVMA’s charitable arm.

Henry’s Helping Paws Program, our FEED initiative, saw a significant increase in the number of senior citizens applying for pet food and veterinary care for their beloved companions.

The Last Chance Program, our CARE initiative, experienced higher than usual usage, with a large portion of applicants being those who were affected by COVID-19 in some way.

The Scholarship Program, our EDUCATE initiative, had a new record number of applications received; however, we could only provide scholarships to a small amount of applicants.

While utilization of our programs increased during the year, donations and financial support are on the decline. We know this is a challenging time for everyone and we are relying heavily on donations during our Season of Giving to keep up with the demand for our community-based programs well into the new year.

Henry’s Helping Paws Program provides pet food and routine veterinary care for companion animals of senior citizens who demonstrate significant financial need. The pilot program, which started in Chester County, has expanded to include counties surrounding Chester. Our hope is to continue to expand the program throughout Pennsylvania in the coming years. Seniors receive food through several senior centers in their local communities or have it delivered directly to their homes through the Hills to Home program. Over 80 senior citizens are currently enrolled in the program, owning close to 150 cats and dogs. The program requires approximately $30,000 annually to support the current pet owners. With the expansion of the program across the state, we will need several times that amount to be able to help all of those in need.

My name is Mischief and I’m all of 16 months old. I can tell you for sure that my owner is more than grateful for Henry’s Helping Paws and the help we get. I got my name honestly by always getting into trouble and keeping my owner on her toes. My owner has Lymphedema in her arm and if I scratch her, I can put her in the hospital. So, I need my nails trimmed often. This is where Henry’s Helping Paws comes in. They pay for my nail trims every month. They also help with normal care vet bills and shots and pay for the exams I need. We are so thankful for Henry’s Helping Paws to be there when I need to see a vet! I know I have a very long life ahead of me and they’ll always be there for me! A sincere thank you from my owner too!!

Candie Ward with “Mischief”

The Last Chance (TLC) Program works directly with veterinary practices to assist owners in need of financial help with unexpected care and emergency procedures when no other means exist to cover the costs. Often, the grant helped save animals that would have otherwise been euthanized due to financial constraints. Many of the situations this year were directly related to COVID-19 and job loss. There is no cost for veterinary practices to participate in the program. Animal Care PA would like to see more practices participating so that more animals can be helped when no other financial means are available.

We were out for our morning walk when Rayah slipped out of her harness and ran right for the road. Sadly, Rayah got hit by a car. We immediately went to the emergency vet where it was determined Rayah had a broken leg and would need a surgical repair that was very costly. We were now faced with the options of the costly fracture repair or a full leg amputation and at only 1 year of age, we were struggling with the decision. When I called Animal Care PA and spoke with Katie, she told me about The Last Chance grant program that would offset the cost to repair her broken leg! It was such a breath of fresh air in a challenging time, and it meant that I could more easily afford the repair. Her surgery went well, and Rayah is now on the mend, getting better every day! We are so thankful for ACPA and all they did for our sweet girl! Thanks again!

Alicia Brown (Rayah’s owner)

Animal Care PA also administers a Scholarship Program, providing aid to veterinary and veterinary technology students who reside in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation, now Animal Care PA, was created with one sole purpose, to provide scholarships to students. Since then, the program has developed four scholarships: Veterinary Student Scholarship, Veterinary Technology Scholarship, Young Leadership Scholarship*, and a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Scholarship*. Every year we see an increase in applications and would like to see more applicants receive these scholarships.

* A joint effort with PVMA

I am honored to be the recipient of the 2021 Animal Care PA DEI Scholarship. I’ve lived in PA my entire life, still holding a strong connection to my PA community as I continue my education at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Being part of a minority group, especially in veterinary medicine, I’ve strived to work towards enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), not just in my hometown communities, but while pursuing veterinary medicine as well. I’ve helped with educational events as well as events that reach out into the community. This scholarship will allow me to continue my education towards veterinary clinical pathology with externships in my 4th year but will also allow me to continue educational events and help with events based around DEI while feeling a smaller financial burden. I am immensely grateful to Animal Care PA for this scholarship and hope to continue my goals in clinical pathology and DEI work. I want to thank you again for this scholarship!

Em Adam (they/them)

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

As you can see, the need is real. In order for these community-based programs that FEED, CARE, and EDUCATE to continue in Pennsylvania in 2022 and beyond, we need your help. Season of Giving is currently taking place, and the hope is to raise $20,000 to help continue the programs into the new year. This campaign will end on February 28, 2022. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to ACPA. You can quickly and easily donate online at AnimalCarePA.org, scan the QR code below, or send a check to our office at 8574 Paxton Street, Hummelstown, PA 17036. On behalf of the hundreds of animals whose lives are made better and healthier and the students whose debt load is lightened a bit, we thank you for your commitment to our mission and your generosity in giving.

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