OSLF Fund for Shelter and Rescue Groups

The intent of this Orthodogs' Silver Lining Foundation (OSLF) fund is to provide financial assistance to already overburdened rescue groups who are faced with expensive orthopedic surgeries for their rescue dogs. By assisting with these costs, Orthodogs' Silver Lining hopes to free up the rescuer's limited funds so they can be used for other rescue expenses.

Eligible Expenses

Orthodogs' Silver Lining will assist with funding for any orthopedic surgery for any dog who is currently in a rescue situation. The dog must be assessed by a veterinarian who has determined that the dog's quality of life and adoptability will be significantly improved with surgery. It should also be shown that surgery is the only option for the dog and all other viable alternatives have been ruled out.

Ineligible Expenses

OSLF will not assist with routine veterinary visits, diagnostic procedures, or with non-surgical treatments of orthopedic conditions and/or injuries. Conditions or injuries that have been assessed by a veterinarian, and determined as being non-orthopedic in nature, will not be considered for financial assistance. Dogs which have already been placed in a permanent home do not qualify under this category, but their new owners can apply for assistance through our Orthopedic Cases category.

OSLF will not provide financial assistance for chemotherapy or radiation treatments for dogs who have been diagnosed with cancer. There are two other groups who may assist an applicant in raising funds for cancer treatments: Canine Cancer Awareness and The Magic Bullet Fund.

Qualified Organizations

In order for a shelter or rescue group to qualify for OSLF financial assistance, it must meet all of the following prerequesites:

Non-Profit Status. OSLF will support established rescue and shelter groups located in the United States that are classified by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt organizations. If you are a non-profit animal welfare organization located outside of the USA, please contact us for qualifying criteria.

No-Kill Organizations. Animal welfare groups seeking funding must follow a "No-Kill" philosophy, provide comprehensive medical treatment and behavior rehabilitation for all animals under their management, and guarantee to find these animals loving homes.

Is Your Situation An Emergency?

In the event of an orthopedic emergency, in which the condition or injury is causing immediate and severe disability, OSLF will make every attempt to provide assistance from our emergency fund, provided the dog has been assessed by a veterinarian and it has been determined that surgery is the only option to improving the dog’s quality of life and adoptability. Please visit our Emergencies page for more information.

What You Need To Provide

OSLF hopes to help as many dogs as possible but unfortunately not all who apply will qualify for assistance. When applying for assistance for a shelter/rescue dog, the following documentation must accompany your application:

1. A recent and clear photograph of the dog
   
   
2. Name, address and phone number of any veterinarian or specialist who is currently involved in the dog's care or who will be providing future medical care to the dog.
   
   
3. Written documentation of a veterinarian's assessment of the dog's medical condition and/or injury. It must be determined that an orthopedic condition or injury is the major health issue for the dog. This documentation must be on letterhead from the veterinarian's clinic.
   
   
4. The dog must be symptomatic. This must be verified and documented by a veterinarian and must include a detailed description of the clinical symptoms observed by the veterinarian.
   
   
5. A written estimate for the cost of medical treatment and/or surgery. The written estimate must be on your veterinarian's letterhead and should include the following:
   
   
• Confirmation of your dog's diagnosis and an outline of the required treatment;
  
• The urgency of your dog's condition;
  
• Confirmation from your veterinarian that they are willing to work with OSLF in accordance with our payment policy.
  
  
6. Applicant is responsible for obtaining a signed OSLF Veterinarian Waiver [PDF], and proof of liability insurance, from the treating veterinarian. This signed waiver may either be submitted with the assistance application, or may be submitted directly from the treating veterinarian's office, but must be received by OSLF within 48 hours of original application submission.
   
   
7. If OSLF does not have the group’s most recent financial statement or IRS Form 990 on file, this will have to be provided with the application.
   
   
8. The group must provide details of the circumstances surrounding the rescue and provide documentation that the dog is in a rescue situation.
   
   
9. The dog has been deemed adoptable, independent of the orthopedic condition and/or injury.
   
   
10. You must provide an e-mail address and have daily access to this account.

Ready To Apply?

Please refer to the General Information and Approval Process pages for additional information that may be important to your application for financial assistance.

OSLF should be considered the last resort source of funding. If you have other resources, or are eligible for other funding through a breed or other rescue organization, those resources must have been denied or exhausted before applying to OSLF.

In all situations, funding applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the severity of the illness/injury and the details of the case. The fact that OSLF may have funded a similar case in the past is not in itself a guarantee that funding will be granted.

If you want to speak to someone about applying for financial assistance for a dog in your care, the answers to most of your questions can be found on our website. We understand that there is a lot of information to read through, however, it is important that you take the time to do so. Please keep in mind that a request for telephone communication will not speed up your application process, and that submitting a complete application package is the fastest way to get an answer to an assistance request. OSLF representatives are readily available via email at info@oslf.org.