Grant to Offer Veterinary Services for Low-Income Families

Program for Pet Health Equity, an initiative through the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been awarded a $3.4 million grant. This grant will enable the program to offer increased veterinary services to people who cannot access services. Specifically, the grant will go to work in developing their pilot program AlignCare, which would create a healthcare system similar to Medicaid for animals.

For anyone looking for similar grants, GrantWatch has a category specifically for Pets/Animal/Wildlife grants. For example, GrantWatch has grants of up to $5,000 available to nonprofit organizations for animal care and protection.

This particular grant was awarded by Maddie’s Fund. According to their website, the organization was started in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield as a way of commemorating their dog, Maddie.

“Thanks to Maddie, the PPHE will be able to continue the groundbreaking work of AlignCare,” said Michael Blackwell, program director and founder of PPHE and AlignCare. “Following the development and testing of AlignCare, these funds will now help ensure further improvements and implementation of community ownership to achieve the sustainability a health care system requires.”

GantWatch also has funding available to U.S. nonprofit organizations for animal care and protection. Specifically, funds of up to $5,000 are available for organizations for programs that benefit animals and their caregivers.

The Importance of Providing Eqiutable Veterinary Care

Michael Blackwell, the program director and founder of PPHE and AlignCare, said this expansion could mean a lot for families.

“Collaboration amongst social service and public health agencies, veterinary practices, veterinary social workers, and funders is key to ensure families receive the care they need,” says Blackwell.

According to Sociologist Arnold Arluke, the author of “Underdogs: Pets, People and Poverty,” an estimated 66 percent of pets in families facing poverty have never even seen a vet.

What Aligncare does is connect families who may have trouble affording care with veterinary services in their area. This could be life-changing for so many families struggling to afford the high cost. Additionally, Aligncare will bring together other community services and resources to assist the entire family.

GrantNews Notes:

If you are also looking for other types of grants? GrantWatch has thousands of listed active and ongoing grants aimed at helping nonprofits and other organizations to reach their goals.

And make sure to sign up for a paid subscription to GrantWatch. By subscribing, you can gain access to all of our resources for grant seekers like the exact-key-word search function. This tool will allow subscribers to narrow their search for grants towards more specific ones.

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