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Guidelines for Grant Seekers The AAHA Helping Pets Fund (the Fund) is the benevolent arm of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Foundation, a nonprofit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund is the funding source for financial assistance to veterinarians and pet owners in the United States and Canada. This document provides guidelines for those interested in seeking financial aid for veterinary care for sick or injured pets. Eligibility AAHA-accredited veterinarians may apply for funding to support cases that meet certain client, treatment, and patient eligibility criteria. Client Eligibility To be eligible for grant award, a case must fit into one of the following categories of client eligibility, financial hardship or Good Samaritan.
Treatment eligibility The Fund will award a grant only for needed medical care (non-elective or emergency procedures) for sick or injured companion animals. Routine physical examinations, vaccinations, etc. will not be funded. General prophylactic dental care will not be funded. Spays and neuters will not be funded, unless it can be demonstrated that the procedure is essential to the continued health of the animal. Patient eligibility The Fund provides financial assistance to treat any animal whose primary purpose is companionship, without restricting the type of animal species. To be eligible, the animal must be sick, injured, or in need of emergency care. Funding Limits Due to limited funding availability, grants are only available through AAHA-accredited practices. Availability of funds is limited as follows: Veterinary Practices – Funding is limited to $500 per calendar year for financial hardship cases and $200 per calendar year for Good Samaritan cases. Practices may submit as many applications as necessary to reach the annual funding limits. Pet Owners – Each pet and family is limited to $500 per calendar year. Pet owners are limited to receiving a lifetime grant award total of $1,000. Application Process Determining need In considering whether to apply for a grant from the Fund, veterinary practices are encouraged to ascertain fully whether a client can afford all or part of the expected cost of care. Only once it is determined that a client is truly unable to pay should the option of applying for an AAHA Helping Pets Fund grant be introduced. In this way, practices can help ensure financial support is available for those most in need. Submitting an application Veterinarians may apply for a grant from the Fund by submitting a completed AAHA Helping Pets Fund application either via fax or regular mail. Applications must include sufficient information to clearly determine client and treatment eligibility, including client eligibility and patient diagnosis and treatment information. All applications must be accompanied by a detailed cost estimate showing fees for required treatment. Application status notification For documented financial hardship and Good Samaritan cases, the Fund will make every effort to notify the veterinary practice of application status within 24 hours of receipt of a completed application, or the next business day if the application is received when our office is closed. For temporary financial hardship applications, notification of grant application status will be made within one month of receipt of a completed application by the Fund. Upon notification of grant approval, practices are required to complete Internal Revenue Service form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, and submit it to the Fund. Application deadline Completed applications must be received by the Fund no later than three weeks following the start of treatment. For ongoing treatment, applications must be received no later than three weeks following initial treatment. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible prior to scheduled treatment. The Fund recognizes that in emergency situations it may not be possible to collect all required eligibility information to submit a completed application prior to treatment. In such circumstances, veterinary practices will have to decide whether to proceed with the treatment and subsequently submit an application. The Fund cannot approve funding without a completed grant application. The Fund shall have the discretion to deny any grant application it deems inappropriate or that does not maximize benefit from the financial resources of the Fund. Payment Once treatment is provided, the veterinary practice submits a detailed invoice showing required treatment and fees to the Fund by fax or regular mail. Payment will be made directly to the veterinary practice. The Fund will pay in full invoices that do not exceed established funding limits (see Funding Limits section above). For invoices exceeding established funding limits, the Fund will pay the annual funding limit. The veterinary practice may make arrangements with the client for payment of any balance above the annual funding limit or write off the balance. If you are an AAHA Accredited Practice, click here for a grant application form (AAHA Login Required). Thank You!
AAHA Helping Pets Fund
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