We Care Because You Care

Tails of Help is dedicated to providing financial assistance for pet owners who find themselves unable to afford essential health care for their ill or injured pet. Approved by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, Tails of Help assesses qualified applications and provides funds to assist with care of the family pet.

Applications are made by participating veterinarians, and are determined by available funds and meeting the program criteria for financial and medical need. If the application is approved, funds are disbursed directly to the treating clinic.

  • All applications for Tails of Help assistance are made directly by participating veterinary clinics.
  • We do not keep a listing of participating clinics.
  • Any Alberta clinic can participate at any time.
More Info

FAQ Topics

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Who Is Tails Of Help?
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Who Is Tails Of Help?

In 2013, Tails of Help was established as a charitable foundation with the approval of Council of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA). This foundation is arms-length to the ABVMA and has received Charitable Organization status with the Canadian Revenue Agency.

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How Does Tails Of Help Work?
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How Does Tails Of Help Work?

Tails of Help is dedicated to providing financial assistance for pet owners who find themselves unable to afford essential health care for their ill or injured pet. Approved by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, Tails of Help assesses qualified applications and provides funds to assist with care of the family pet.

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How We Help Veterinarians
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How We Help Veterinarians

Veterinarians are often faced with tragic situations where pets are surrendered or euthanized because of financial distress. Clinics provide significant pro bono services, but cannot bear the entire burden alone. Tails of Help is dedicated to providing financial support to qualified pet owners who find themselves in need of essential veterinary care.

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Volunteer
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Volunteer

Whether you have a few hours or time for a larger commitment, we’d be happy to have you join our cause.

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How We Help Owners
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How We Help Owners

Qualified Alberta pet owners who find themselves unable to afford essential health care for their ill or injured pet will be eligible for applications to be made by their veterinary clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tails of Help benefits Alberta pet owners and their animals and is supported by Alberta veterinary practices, veterinarians and animal health technologists who frequently encounter the situation where animals are surrendered or euthanized due to an owner’s limited financial resources.

Tails of Help charitable activities will be delivered through participating Alberta veterinary practices. Veterinarians and animal health technologists are essential to program success. As well, Tails of Help encourages ABVMA members, animal rescue and shelter groups to become involved as volunteers in the Tails of Help activities with respect to education, and the reduction of root causes leading to forced and unnecessary surrender or euthanization of pets due to an owner’s financial hardship.

Tails of Help has the objective to provide assistance to the Alberta pet owner facing financial hardship whose companion animal is ill or injured and requires essential veterinary care. Tails of Help also strives to educate the public on the cost and responsibilities of pet ownership, including disease and injury prevention. The goal is to help reduce the burden on animal shelters, humane societies and social services in the province by keeping pets healthy and with their loving families.

Too many Albertans are forced to give up a family pet because they can’t afford needed health care.

When financial hardship strikes, ill or injured animals are often left untreated, suffering, surrendered, or even euthanized.

Tails of Help strives to reduce the burden on animal shelters, humane societies and social services in the province by keeping pets healthy and with their loving families.

When you give, you can be assured your dollars are being used effectively to keep pets healthy and with their families. Tails of Help collaborates with participating veterinary clinics to determine medical need for the pet and financial need of the owner. This ensures that charitable activities serve qualified recipients with pets that face a good prognosis for recovery and treatment.

Tails of Help will be measuring results in this program and will report back to donors. We have developed rigorous standards of excellence for performance in all aspects of our operation as a registered charitable organization.

We support Albertans that own companion animals and who are below certain financial thresholds. Participating veterinary clinics are all members of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association.

During the start-up of this foundation, the initial costs (for CRA registration, website development and materials to promote awareness of our organization and for initial fundraising activities) were generously funded by private foundations, individuals and certain associations interested in supporting this initiative. The ABVMA has also generously provided certain resources at no material cost to its members and have engaged key veterinary members, with a passion to develop this worthy activity, to support an orderly and successful start-up of this foundation. It is our objective to keep all related administration costs below 20 per cent of the total funds raised in our first year of operation and to reduce this percentage as we develop our capacity and capability in the organization. For comparison, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) considers 35 per cent to be an acceptable standard.

Essential Care

We provide financial support for essential veterinary treatment of companion animals in the care of individuals of low income or with qualified financial need.

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