F.A.C.E. SAVES PETS LIVES WHEN OWNERS CAN’T AFFORD SURGERY: KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER

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Hear our interview with Brooke Haggarty, executive director of Foundation for Animal Care and Education (FACE) , originally aired on KNSJ Radio. 

Listen now:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

May 17, 2015 (San Diego) – “What we do is give families hope when they are about to lose their best friends, their furry family members. We are able to keep them together,” says Brooke Haggarty, executive director at Foundation for Animal Care (FACE). 

The San Diego-based nonprofit  provides funds to help families save the lives or health of pets with life-threatening injuries or conditions. Unlike some other organizations, FACE does not require owners to give up their pets to get help. Instead, FACE partners  with over 100 veterinary hospitals countywide to negotiate discounts of 25% or more and pay most of the remainder for families that can’t afford care.

The organization started in 2006 after veterinarians saw an increase in euthanasia of pets because owners couldn’t afford life-saving surgeries or treatments.  FACE helps with immediate life threatening situations where there is a  good prognosis, such as a dog or cat that has ingested a sharp object and needs surgery, or an animal hit by a car that needs wounds treated immediately. FACE will also help when surgery is needed to assure that an animal will not be left paralyzed.  

The organization cannot help in situations where a positive outcome is unlikely, such as with terminal cancer cases. 

There is no minimum financial threshold to qualify.  Applicants do need to show proof of financial need, but each applicant is reviewed on an individual basis depending on their specific family circumstances and expenses. Owners are asked to pay what they can, typically a small amount, and FACE covers the rest after negotiating a discount with veterinary providers.

“We have saved 1,130 pets as of today,” Haggarty told East County Magazine in a radio interview in April.  “We couldn’t be prouder of the work we are doing and the good we are doing for the community.”

FACE also offers youth humane education programs.

For information on how to apply for funding for treatment of an ill or injured pet, or to make a donation to FACE, a 501c3 nonprofit, visit www.FACE4PETS.ORG

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