What If You Can’t Afford Vet Care? How San Francisco Aid for Animals Keeps Pets and People Together
Johnny and Peggy’s beloved rescue dogs, Daisy and Toby, support the SFAfA mission. photo: SFAfA
As any animal lover knows, vet care can be expensive. In 2011, a group of Bay Area veterinarians were tired of feeling powerless when they saw families struggling to cover costs for their pets’ unexpected injuries or illnesses, especially when it resulted in an animal having to be put down or surrendered and separated from their families.
While these vets wished they could just donate all their services, they knew that would be a bottomless pit of expense. Instead, they enlisted the community to help and formed San Francisco Aid for Animals (SFAfA).
The SFAfA organization provides grants to local veterinarians in order to help with medical expenses for families who are struggling to pay. The program requires that the veterinarians themselves provide matching donations in services, which effectively doubles the impact of the donated dollars. This allows SFAfA’s veterinarian partners to help animals and families in need during times of stress.
Today, SFAfA's team is dedicated to providing access to affordable, life-saving veterinary care to all companion animals in the Bay Area. The program is founded on a few core beliefs:
Every animal deserves access to quality medical care.
No one should have to choose between their beloved pet and their financial stability.
By working to make veterinary care more accessible, the world can become a fairer, better place for all animals and the families who love them.
The all-volunteer team at SFAfA works tirelessly year-round to raise funds through events like the Bow Wow Film Festival, Thankful Tails Trot, and Valentine’s Wags & Wine. Coming up this September is the annual Tips for Change event, where SFAfA’s fun-loving volunteer board members will compete for tips while serving delicious Italian food. Although in-person events have slowed during the Covid pandemic, the fun and the work have not stopped. Now more than ever, families and animals are in need of SFAfA’s help.
SFAfA On The Ground
What does this program look like in practice? Here’s a recent success story:
Oliver came to his adoptive mom, Tahra, from the streets of Iran via a Turkish animal rescue group that brought 10 cats to San Francisco to people who had committed to adopting them. Tahra soon noticed that Oliver’s appetite was declining. Very concerned, she brought him to her vet who located a painful abscess in Oliver's mouth. They also discovered that Oliver had Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), making him immunocompromised. This meant his abscess could easily get infected and cost Oliver his life.
The quote to pull Oliver’s teeth and treat the abscess was over $3,000. Tahra was already deeply in love with Oliver and promised she would do everything in her power to make sure he got the care he needed. Her first plan was to go through a foster care group that could treat him, but their vet was located several hours away in Sacramento, and Oliver, apparently, didn’t want to leave his safe new home after being moved, literally, around the world from Iran. At 4 a.m. on the morning of the appointment, as Tahra was trying to get him into the car for the long road trip, Oliver escaped and hid in the woods for several days.
After some long fearful nights, Oliver finally came home. But by now, Tahra knew she had to find another solution that did not involve a multi-hour drive. After scouring the internet and making countless phone calls, she finally found a vet who partnered with SFAfA. Tahra was able to raise $1,500 from friends and family for Oliver’s treatment, and the veterinarian and SFAfA funded the rest.
Oliver’s surgery was a success, and Tahra has noticed even more positive behavioral changes. "Oliver is doing great!” she reports. “He still has his two front incisors, and he’s more playful and more confident. His personality completely changed and that probably meant he was so uncomfortable before."
With his abscess resolved, Tahra and Oliver are on track for a great life together (studies show that FIV+ cats, if cared for correctly, can live normal, happy, healthy lives). “Oliver has made such a difference in my life,” says Tahra. “He is my love, my joy, and my everything. I love him so much. I'm so grateful for finding SFAfA!"
SFAfA’s passionate donors, volunteers, and veterinarian partners make stories like Oliver’s possible. The SFAfA team is always looking for more support and veterinarian partners so please consider a donation today and help spread the word. Together, we can keep beloved pets happy, healthy, and with their families where they belong.