Nevada
One Nevada non profit is working to keep pets with their families
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -They say dogs are mans best friend. But for many, pets are considered to be more like family, and one Nevada non profit is working to keep pet families in tact.
Jessica Kirkpatrick, the founder of Best Friends Together, started the non profit out of her love for animals and a desire to help the people that love them.
“I would see people on Facebook where they couldn’t afford to get their pet to the vet and my heart would break for the person who loved that animal, and the animal itself, who is helpless in all this,” Kirkpatrick said.
The average unexpected vet bill is around $800 to $1,500 depending on location. Kirkpatrick says 39% of Americans cant afford a thousand dollar emergency so when pets get sick or hurt some families are forced to give their loved one up, or worse. The choice to euthanize or surrender a pet for financial reasons can also come with enormous guilt and trauma.
“I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to euthanize or surrender a pet because you couldn’t afford it,” Kirkpatrick said.
Best Friends Together is working to change that by assisting with vet bills for pet parents who are in financial distress by bridging the gap between what low-income pet parents can afford and the cost to save their pet.
“It’s not just helping animals, it’s helping people because there is that connection, there is that companionship,” said Kirkpatrick.
While cats and dogs tend to be the most common pets, Best Friends Together believes every living creature is worth saving from bunnies to reptiles and birds, because no one should have to choose between money and their best friend.
To qualify for assistance, pet owners must be Nevada residents earning less than 55k a year for married couples or 32k for single people. Additionally, pet owners with higher incomes can show proof of recent financial hardship to qualify.
To donate or apply for assistance visit their website here.
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