By Genevieve Frederick | Founder/Presidnet
Hello! I'm Bellatrix, a 2-year-old female pug on a unique journey. Life with my dad in his truck has been our reality for the past 9 months. Despite our challenges, my dad works hard and relies on food stamps to get by.
Recently, things took an unexpected turn when I needed surgery to remove my eye. Thankfully, my dad discovered Feeding Pets of the Homeless through another organization. He reached out, and a compassionate case manager connected us with a local veterinarian who became our saving grace.
The vet confirmed the necessity of the surgery after a thorough examination and a Tonovet intraocular pressure test. Feeding Pets of the Homeless generously approved the procedure, covering a significant portion of the expenses. The surgery involved several crucial elements like respiratory monitoring, anesthesia, pain relief injections, hospitalization, pulse oximetry, blood pressure monitoring, sutures, and medications.
Thanks to the support of their donors, I've made a remarkable recovery and feel so much better now. Feeding Pets of the Homeless contributed $1,500 towards my care, and the veterinary partner even offered a $54 discount.
This success story illustrates that even with employment it sometimes isn’t enough for rent. Bellatrix stays in the truck while her dad works odd jobs when he can pick them up. Food stamps do not allow pet food to be purchased and we hope they are going to local food banks that distribute it.
We are compiling some preliminary 2023 reports:
Donations Sites provided 316,000 pounds of free, quality pet food and supplies that were distributed to homeless and low-income owners by food banks, pet pantries, homeless shelters and volunteers who deliver it out to homeless encampments. The fair market value was over $893,000. We purchased over 3,000 pounds of pet food at $4,800.
The Emergency Veterinary Care program is our most cost-intensive program. In 2023, we helped 1,645 pets at over $1,270,000 (after discounts of over $123,000 from hospitals). The number of people served was 1,518. 62% women, 8% veterans, 47% disabled, 75% receiving SNAP benefits (which do not allow pet food), 29% living in a vehicle and 15% in a tent on the streets. 67% of the cases we paid for were in California, a 29% increase over 2022.
Our three full-time case managers took or made over 25,000 calls; an increase of 11% over 2022.
At Wellness Clinics, 291 pets were seen at a cost of $2,500.
Our Veteran Pet Support program treated 91 pets of veterans who are in the HUD-VASH program at a cost of over $44,854. Another 53 pets of unhoused veterans were treated. A total of 120 veterans and 144 pets at a cost of over $92,000
Twenty-six crates for pets in three homeless shelters at a cost of over $1,600.
Our support is needed now more than ever because homelessness across the country has risen 12% in 2022 as reported to Congress by HUD, and the rising cost of veterinary treatment increased 18% over 2022. With the increase of 11% in calls we hired more staff which increased our payroll.
I am grateful for your past support, it has made a difference in the lives of pets. Please consider a recurring donation in 2024.
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