BANFIELD FOUNDATION GRANT 2018

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Fredericksburg SPCA

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540-898-1500×15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

8/30/2018

Medical Veterinary Assistance Grant Provided By Banfield Foundation

Fredericksburg, Virginia – The Fredericksburg SPCA is thrilled to announce that our organization was awarded a Veterinary Assistance Program Grant provided by the Banfield Foundation in the amount of $6,000.00.

United Ways of Virginia study of financial hardship states that “While  the Federal Poverty Level reports that 11 percent of Virginia households  faced financial hardship in 2015, an additional 28 percent (859,079 households)  qualified as ALICE. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.  The ALICE population represents individuals and families who work hard and earn more  than the official Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living. ALICE  struggles to afford the basic necessities, including housing, food, child care, health care,  and transportation.”

Many in our area are struggling to provide all the basic needs of living to their families, and nowadays the umbrella of family falls to our companion animals. We believe in keeping pets with the people who already love them, so the Fredericksburg SPCA has been pioneering many initiatives in the greater Rappahannock Region to answer those needs. Our goal is to divert owner surrenders from the shelters in our area who are already strained and over populated by providing access to much needed support.

We offer many programs to help those who are faced with the real possibility of losing a family member should something out of the ordinary come up. For help with basic needs like food and supplies, the Fredericksburg SPCA has launched their P.E.T.S Program (People Empowered Through Support). The Pantry Program was created to provide free pet food and pet supplies available to pet-owning families in need in the Rappahannock Region to reduce the financial burden associated with pet care.

On October 2nd 2018, the Fredericksburg SPCA will be opening the doors to our Community Medical Center to help provide the community with low cost veterinary services. The scope of our center includes affordable medical care for all pets in need! We are excited to offer our services to those who are facing hardships and financial constraints to help keep families together and healthy.

Deputy Director Dalia Salah from the Fredericksburg SPCA fields several requests for assistance  “I receive 10-15 requests for medical assistance each week, until receiving this grant, our most common response was a resources guide. This life-saving grant will allow us to say “yes, we can help” and provide families with immediate financial support.”

Banfield Foundation is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations that provide veterinary assistance to pet owners and work to keep pets in homes with their families. Through this life saving grant, the Fredericksburg SPCA is able to make this a reality for the Rappahanock Community we serve.

For more information, or to apply for our Medical Assistance program, visit FredSPCA.org/Medicalassistance

About the Banfield Foundation®
At the core of the Banfield Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the belief that all pets deserve access to veterinary care. In support of this belief, the foundation funds programs that enable veterinary care, elevate the power of the human-animal bond, provide disaster relief for pets, and advance the science of veterinary medicine through fostering innovation and education. It also leverages the expertise and passion of Banfield Pet Hospital associates to care for pets in need. At the Banfield Foundation, we are committed to making a better world for pets because they make a better world for us. For more information, visit BanfieldFoundation.org.