Ender's Wish Foundation

Emergency Veterinary Aid

Helping When It Matters Most

When an animal is facing a critical medical emergency, finances shouldn't be the only thing standing between them and lifesaving care.

Ender's Wish Foundation may provide financial assistance toward emergency veterinary care for qualifying animals when other reasonable financial resources have been explored and a funding gap still remains.

Our goal is to help bridge that gap and give animals a fighting chance.

Submitting an application does not guarantee financial assistance. All assistance is based on eligibility, urgency, verification, and available foundation funds.

Who May Qualify?

Emergency Veterinary Aid is intended for urgent or critical veterinary situations where an animal requires immediate or time-sensitive medical treatment. Priority may be given to cases involving:

  • Life-threatening illness or injury
  • Emergency stabilization
  • Serious trauma
  • Urgent surgery or procedures
  • Conditions where delaying treatment could significantly affect the animal's health or survival
  • Other critical situations reviewed individually by Ender's Wish Foundation

This program is generally not intended for routine or preventative veterinary expenses, including:

  • Routine wellness visits
  • Vaccinations
  • Routine spay/neuter procedures
  • Grooming
  • Elective procedures
  • Routine dental care
  • Non-urgent veterinary services

Exceptions may be considered at the discretion of Ender's Wish Foundation when extraordinary circumstances exist.

Before Applying

Ender's Wish Foundation has limited emergency funds and relies on donations from our community. To help those funds reach as many animals as possible, applicants are expected to make a reasonable effort to explore other available financial resources before requesting assistance from Ender's Wish Foundation.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include exploring:

  • CareCredit
  • Scratchpay
  • Payment plans or financing offered by the veterinary hospital
  • Veterinary hospital hardship or charitable funds
  • Pet insurance reimbursement, if applicable
  • Local or national veterinary assistance programs
  • Assistance from other nonprofit organizations or rescues
  • Personal resources or contributions available toward the veterinary bill

Applicants may be asked to provide documentation showing which resources they have applied for, received, or been denied.

Being denied CareCredit, Scratchpay, or another financing option does not automatically disqualify you from receiving assistance. In many cases, this is exactly where Ender's Wish may be able to step in and help bridge the remaining financial gap.

We understand that every emergency and every family's situation is different. Not every resource will be available or appropriate in every case.

How Emergency Veterinary Aid Works

1

Seek Veterinary Care

If your animal is experiencing a medical emergency, please seek veterinary care immediately.

Do not delay emergency treatment while waiting for Ender's Wish Foundation to review your application.

Your animal should be evaluated by a licensed veterinary provider before Ender's Wish can determine whether assistance may be available.

2

Explore Available Financial Resources

Before requesting assistance, applicants should make a reasonable effort to explore available financing, payment plans, charitable programs, and other resources.

Our goal is to determine what resources are already available and what financial gap remains.

3

Submit an Application

Complete the Emergency Veterinary Aid application. Applicants should be prepared to provide information including:

  • Owner/contact information
  • Animal's name
  • Species
  • Breed, if known
  • Age
  • Current medical emergency
  • Veterinary hospital name
  • Veterinary hospital contact information
  • Diagnosis or suspected diagnosis
  • Recommended treatment
  • Written veterinary estimate or current invoice
  • Total estimated treatment cost
  • Amount the applicant can personally contribute
  • CareCredit application status/result
  • Scratchpay application status/result
  • Available veterinary payment plans or hardship funds
  • Assistance received or requested from other organizations
  • Pet insurance information, if applicable
  • Remaining amount needed for treatment

Additional documentation may be requested during the review process.

4

Veterinary Verification

Ender's Wish Foundation may contact the treating veterinary hospital directly to verify information related to the assistance request. This may include verification of:

  • The animal's identity
  • Current medical condition
  • Diagnosis
  • Urgency
  • Recommended treatment
  • Estimated treatment cost
  • Current balance
  • Treatment status

Applicants may be required to authorize the veterinary provider to release information necessary for Ender's Wish Foundation to evaluate the financial assistance request.

5

Application Review

Each application is reviewed individually. Factors considered may include:

  • Medical urgency
  • Eligibility under the program
  • Available Ender's Wish funds
  • Veterinary verification
  • Financial resources already explored
  • Applicant contribution
  • Assistance available from other sources
  • Remaining funding gap
  • Likelihood that Ender's Wish assistance will help the animal receive necessary treatment

Ender's Wish Foundation may approve an application in full, approve partial assistance, request additional information, or decline an application. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

6

Approved Assistance

When financial assistance is approved, Ender's Wish Foundation will generally make payment directly to the treating veterinary hospital or veterinary provider. Funds are generally not paid directly to the animal's owner.

Assistance may cover only a portion of the veterinary bill. Approval for one expense does not automatically mean Ender's Wish Foundation will cover additional hospitalization, procedures, medications, follow-up treatment, complications, or future veterinary expenses. Any additional assistance must be separately approved.

One Grant Per Household Every 12 Months

To use our emergency funds responsibly and help as many animals and families as possible: Emergency Veterinary Aid is generally limited to one approved grant per household within a 12-month period.

The 12-month period begins on the date assistance is approved. Additional requests from the same household during that period will generally not be eligible for funding.

However, Ender's Wish Foundation reserves the right to make exceptions in extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the Foundation.

Eligibility after the 12-month period does not guarantee approval of another request. Every application is still subject to program eligibility, veterinary verification, financial due diligence, urgency, and available funding.

Important Program Information

Ender's Wish Foundation:

  • Cannot guarantee financial assistance for any application.
  • May provide full or partial assistance depending on available funding and the circumstances of the case.
  • May establish or change maximum assistance amounts based on available resources.
  • May prioritize cases based on medical urgency and available funding.
  • May request additional information or documentation before making a decision.
  • May contact the treating veterinary hospital directly to verify information.
  • Generally pays approved assistance directly to the veterinary provider.
  • May coordinate assistance with other nonprofits, rescues, veterinary programs, or funding sources when appropriate.
  • Reserves the right to approve or decline any request based on program guidelines, available resources, and the circumstances of the individual case.
  • Does not provide veterinary diagnoses, medical advice, or treatment recommendations.
  • Does not replace the relationship between an animal owner and their veterinary provider.

If Your Animal Is Experiencing an Emergency

If your animal is experiencing symptoms that may indicate a medical emergency, please contact a veterinary professional or emergency veterinary hospital immediately. Do not wait for Ender's Wish Foundation to respond to an application before seeking necessary veterinary care.

Ender's Wish Foundation is a charitable organization providing potential financial assistance and is not an emergency veterinary provider or veterinary medical service.

Ready to Apply?

If your animal is currently experiencing a qualifying veterinary emergency, you've explored available financial resources, and you still have a financial gap preventing necessary treatment, you may submit an application for consideration.

Please have your veterinary estimate, veterinary hospital information, and information regarding the financial resources you've already explored available before beginning your application.

Submitting an application does not guarantee approval or financial assistance. Funding is dependent upon eligibility, verification, medical urgency, and the availability of Ender's Wish Foundation funds.

Ready to Apply?

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Request Emergency Vet Aid

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