Frequently Asked Questions - Receiving Gifts
How do I request funds?
Funds are provided when a team member at Bellalago Veterinary Hospital feels the need exists and the patient is deserving. Team members request the funds on your pet’s behalf and serve as a champion for your pet. Each individual team member has his or her own personal criteria for making the request.
Is this a charity that essentially gives handouts to people who cannot afford their pets?
The Angel Fund is not a handout. Clients must contribute towards the costs of treatment with the Fund making up the difference. Additionally, owners must exhaust all other means of payment including Care Credit and ScratchPay prior to applying for Angel Funds.
Many people can afford regular treatments and services, but emergencies and extraordinary circumstances can result in costs for treatment that even the most prepared owner might not be ready to cover. The Angel Fund helps in these extraordinary situations.
I’m not sure what’s wrong with my dog. Can the Angel Fund help me figure out what’s going on?
The Angel Fund is for helping provide treatment to pets who desperately need it and have a good prognosis for recovery. Unfortunately, we don’t know if a pet desperately needs treatment until they have been diagnosed.
The veterinarian said that the treatment may not fix the problem my pet is having. Can the Angel Fund pay for it?
Unfortunately, the Angel Fund is for cases when there is a good prognosis for recovery. While we’d love to save every pet, our funds are very limited so we have to use them where they are most likely to make the biggest difference. These are literal life and death situations where the difference between outcomes is financial.
My pet has been diagnosed with a lifelong ailment. I can’t afford this for the rest of my pet’s life. Can I request Angel Funds?
Unfortunately, no. There are many charities and funds out there that already serve this purpose. The Angel Fund is to provide funds for a single critical treatment when there is a prognosis for full recovery.
I received a gift from the Angel Fund but don't want my pet to appear on Facebook. Is that allowed?
Facebook posts and other forms of marketing are made in order to try and get more donations to help more pets. Your pet's story helps us show people just how valuable those donations are and how people can make a big difference in a pet's life. We make every attempt to ensure that a patient's privacy is protected and a client's privacy maintained; however, we consider willingness to help with such marketing efforts to be a requirement. Without your pet's story, the Angel Fund may cease to exist!
Where can I use the funds?
The funds can only be used at Bellalago Veterinary Hospital. Funds cannot be transferred to other hospitals or emergency clinics.
Is there any maximum to the amount the Angel Fund will provide?
The Angel Fund has extremely limited funds. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to provide gifts above $300. Please consider donating today so we can raise this limit!
My pet isn’t up to date on his/her shots. Can my pet still receive funds?
No. Pets who receive funds should be up to date on their shots and be receiving regular care for all basic needs.
I’m not a client at Bellalago Veterinary Hospital, but my pet is having an emergency. Can I request funds?
Only existing clients can receive funds as we have to confirm basic care is being provided. Unfortunately, we can only do that by looking back through medical records. As outside records can take days to acquire, hours to go through (as every hospital’s records are slightly different), and are often incomplete, in order to streamline the process we require that the pet be an existing, regular patient at Bellalago Veterinary Hospital.
My pet was nominated for funds and was denied. Does that mean the team working with me doesn’t care for my pet?
Not at all! Team members who are working with your pet care a lot but are only able to initiate the process. Beyond that, there is a direct conflict of interests if they are involved. As such, no team member who is currently working with your pet can vote for or against the issuance of funds. While there are many criteria for awarding a gift, many of the criteria are outside the control of the team including the availability of funds and the prognosis of full recovery. Unfortunately, it is often a lack of donations that prevents us from providing assistance. Please consider donating today!