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This page contains general information on Orthodogs' Silver Lining Foundation (OSLF) veterinary funding assistance. Please also review the information contained
in the separate funding pages for Service
Dogs, Orthopedic Cases, and Shelter/Rescue
Groups for criteria specific to those types of assistance.
Prior to applying for OSLF funding, caregivers should
first discuss with their veterinarian any concerns they have about
expenses, as many clinics offer assistance packages
such as Care
Credit. It is expected that the caregiver will contribute to
the cost of treatment to the extent possible.
Who Will Qualify for OSLF Funding?
OSLF will accept applications from any group or
individual who is in need of financial assistance for the purpose
of providing medical treatment for any orthopedic
condition or injury for their dog.
In the case of Silver's Cause,
OSLF will accept applications from any individual who is in need
of financial assistance for the purpose of providing medical treatment
for any medical condition or injury experienced by their Service
Dog. Silver's Cause does not limit applicants to financial assistance
for orthopedic conditions or injuries.
Applicants should consider OSLF as their last resort
to obtain financial assistance, and should have exhausted all other
possibilities. In most cases, applicants will be asked to provide
a summary of their attempts to obtain other funding, which may include
a loan denial from Care Credit. Applicants will be asked to provide
proof that they do not have the resources necessary to provide medical
care for their dog.
OSLF Funding Categories
Prior to submitting an application, caregivers
should determine under which category they qualify for assistance.
There are three main categories
to which groups or individuals may apply for financial assistance:
- Orthopedic Cases – This category is best
suited to individuals or families who have a companion dog that
has been diagnosed with an orthopedic condition or injury, which
requires medical treatment that the caregiver cannot afford. The
goal for this category is to allow families to provide medical
care for their pets without incurring insurmountable expenses.
- Shelter/Rescue Dogs – This category is
for dogs who are in a rescue situation and have been diagnosed
with an orthopedic condition or injury that requires medical treatment.
Groups applying for assistance under this category must be nonprofit
tax-exempt animal welfare organizations. The goal of this category
is to increase the adoptability and quality of life of rescue
dogs.
- Silver's Cause – This category is for
Service Dogs and will provide financial assistance for any
medical condition that poses a threat not only to the dog's quality
of life, but to the ability of the dog to perform it's duties.
The goal of this category is to allow a disabled person and their
service dog to maintain their partnership despite costly medical
treatments.
What Types of Assistance Are Available?
- Fundraising – This option should be reserved
for those dogs to whom no harm would come if their surgery and/or
treatment were delayed while awaiting funds to become available.
The ability of the dog to await funding should be determined by
a veterinarian and/or specialist. If it is determined that the
dog would suffer no ill effects from waiting then the dog will
be given a place on OSLF in the Pets
In Need section, and donations and fundraising from
outside sources will be the primary sources of assistance. The
dogs will be allowed to remain on OSLF until all funds are raised,
or for a predetermined length of time specified by OSLF during
the approval process. If fundraising efforts do not provide all
of the money required for surgery and/or treatment, other options
may be made available. Each case will be examined individually
to determine eligibility for alternative funding.
- Sponsorship – This option will be reserved
for dogs whose medical condition requires care on a long-term
basis. The dog's medical condition must be assessed by a veterinarian
and a determination made that continued treatment is required
to maintain the dog's quality of life. A dog accepted for Sponsorship
will be given a place on OSLF in the Pets
In Need section, and funding from sponsors will be
the primary source of assistance. The dog will be allowed to remain
on OSLF until full sponsorship is achieved, or for a predetermined
length of time specified by OSLF during the approval process. If
full sponsorship is not achieved, other options may be made available.
Each case will be examined individually to determine eligibility
for alternative funding.
- Immediate Need/Emergency Funds – This option is reserved for dogs whose life and/or quality of life is severely and immediately threatened by their injury and/or condition. OSLF defines an emergency as either, a) an injury and/or condition in which the dog is experiencing debilitating pain and that pain cannot be controlled with medications alone (e.g. broken or shattered bones requiring surgical repair), or b) an injury and/or condition that is life threatening (e.g. osteosarcoma requiring limb amputation). The emergent status of the dog must be assessed and documented by a veterinarian and it must be established that immediate treatment is the only option to either alleviate the dog's pain or save the dog's life. If it is determined that the dog is in an emergency situation and is therefore not an ideal candidate for a fundraising campaign, OSLF will make every attempt to provide assistance through Sadie's Gift Emergency Fund. If funds are not available, the dog will still be eligible for fundraising and/or sponsorship and will be given a place on our Pets In Need page. For any emergency case, OSLF will only provide a maximum of 50% of the total estimated bill in advance. The remainder of the bill may subsequently be paid out of the Sadie's Gift Emergency Fund or raised through a fundraising campaign. Each case will be assessed by the OSLF Board of Directors and any approved funding will be based on availability of funds and other existing case commitments. In all emergency cases a completed application and all supporting documentation must be received by OSLF before any determination can be made. Each emergency case will be assessed individually and OSLF will make every attempt to either provide immediate funding, or raise the needed funds.
How Are Funds Distributed?
In the majority of cases, funds will be distributed
directly to the treating veterinarian. This will
be in the form of a check generated by OSLF and made payable to the
veterinarian. Your vet must fax, or mail a bill at the completion of treatment. Once OSLF has received the bill, a
check or bank transfer will go out within 15 days. The check will be
for the amount pledged by OSLF, including any donations made to your pet's fund.
In cases where treatments are not necessarily required
to be provided by a veterinarian, distribution of funds will be
at the discretion of OSLF. This may include payments
made directly to individuals or payments made to companies providing
a service or product for the dog in question.
OSLF will not provide
financial assistance in the form of reimbursement for medical bills,
or for treatment that has already been administered and the veterinarian
is awaiting payment. OSLF will only provide financial assistance
for the conditions or injuries listed on the submitted and approved
application.
If OSLF makes a pledge from our general fund, any donations that are received as directed for that particular case will be included in the final pledge amount, and not added to the pledge. Pledges become the maximum amount that OSLF will pay out for a particular case.
General emergency funds will be distributed to individual dogs at the discretion of
OSLF, and distribution will be based on need and
eligibility. In Sponsorship cases, all funds coming in will
be applied directly to the dog to which Sponsorship has been granted.
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