Have Questions?

NOTE: for Pet Owners

Pet owners cannot apply directly for funding. All applications are made by veterinarians on behalf of pet owners. If you’re concerned about the health of your pet, or are looking for assistance for your pet, please speak with your regular veterinarian.

  • 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.

Need more information for pet owners? Click here. 

If you do not have a regular veterinarian, you can find one here.

Contact The Foundation

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mark Patrick, Executive Director

by email:  media@tailsofhelp.ca

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.

If you have any other questions, please contact us

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