Community Veterinary and End-of-Life Care Assistance
At SPCA of Northern Nevada, we believe pets are family, and they deserve to stay with the people who love them. Todd’s Medical Fund provides financial assistance for qualifying pet parents who cannot afford necessary veterinary care.
This program supports acute (non-recurring) medical needs, including without limitation:
• Severe dental disease (grades 3 & 4)
• Lacerations
• Foreign body obstructions
• Level 1 Diagnostics: Diagnostics office visit fee, Routine blood work, Urinalysis, Radiographs (x-rays)
(See eligibility details below.)
SPCA-NN is not a full-service veterinary hospital. We do not provide veterinary care to the public. Accordingly, we do not provide emergency, after-hours, or weekend pet care.
If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency, please contact a local emergency veterinary clinic (e.g., BluePearl Emergency Pet Care or Animal Emergency & Specialty Care) immediately. Depending on the type of emergency, veterinary Urgent Care clinics may also be an option (e.g., Peak Pet Urgent Care or EVS Pet Urgent Care).
Please Note
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Todd’s Medical Fund cannot cover immediate emergency care.
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You must not delay care for your pet while waiting for application approval.
- This program is only available for individuals, not breeders nor rescues.
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Pet guardians are responsible for stabilizing their pet and covering any upfront emergency costs while the application is processed.
Do You Qualify?
Residency
You must be a permanent resident of one of the following northern Nevada counties:
Washoe, Humboldt, Elko, Pershing, Lander, Eureka, White Pine, Storey, Lyon, Churchill, Douglas, Mineral, or northern Nye.
Income-Qualified
Total combined household income must be $60,000 or less.
You’ll need to fill out an application to demonstrate financial need.
Eligible Procedure
You must be applying for:
• An eligible medical procedure, or
• Humane euthanasia (vet-recommended or end-of-life care).
Pet Age Limit
If applying for medical assistance, your pet must be 12 years old or younger.
Vet Estimate
A written cost estimate from your treating veterinarian is required for medical treatment applications.
(Not needed for humane euthanasia requests.)
Co-Pay Required
You must be able to contribute up to 60% of the vet's estimate.
If you need help, scroll down for additional resources.
Pre-Approval Needed
Your application must be approved before care begins so SPCA-NN can coordinate directly with your vet.
Please allow up to 72 hours for review.
Important Information for Todd’s Medical Fund
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Grant amounts vary depending on medical need, cost of treatment, and available funds. Generally, the fund can cover 40% to 60% of the final bill, including necessary vet prescribed follow-up care (coverage determined by SPCA-NN).
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Grant approval is based on:
- Eligibility
- Medical necessity
- Financial need
- Available funding (funding is limited and may not always be available)
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The following medical services are not generally covered:
- Diagnostic testing above level 1 (defined above)
- Care for pets with poor or terminal prognosis*
- Spay/neuter surgeries (view SNYPS page)
- Routine vaccinations (view Vaccine Clinic page)
- Cosmetic procedures
- Acupuncture
- Chemotherapy
- Laser therapy
- Any procedure deemed not medically necessary by SPCA-NN
4. We also cover end-of-life care (humane euthanasia and communal cremation)
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- For at-home euthanasia, schedule with our partner: Heal House Call Veterinary
- Communal Cremation is provided by West Coast Pet Memorial (communal cremation only)
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How To Apply
1. Medical Need
Your pet must have a treatable injury or illness that needs care in the immediate future.
We cannot assist with cases involving a poor or terminal prognosis.
2. Vet Estimate
Provide a treatment plan and written cost estimate from your veterinarian.
Your vet must agree to:
• Accept a verbal pledge from SPCA-NN
• Invoice SPCA-NN directly after treatment
*(We cannot reimburse pet guardians directly.)
3. Apply Online
Complete the online application and include:
• Proof of financial need (household income must meet HUD low-income limits)
• Proof of residency (e.g., ID or utility bill)
• Proof of income (e.g., tax return, Social Security statement)
• Proof you’re your pet’s legal guardian
4. Spay/Neuter Agreement
All pets must be spayed or neutered.
If not yet altered, you must agree to coordinate an appointment with SPCA-NN (unless medically unsafe, with documentation).
5. Photo Permission
You must grant SPCA-NN permission to use your pet’s photo and story for promotion and fundraising, so we can keep it going!
6. Funding Details
Support typically covers 40% to 60% of the vet’s estimate.
• One-time use only—you may not reapply after receiving assistance.
7. Review Time
We aim to review complete applications within 48–72 hours.
If approved, we’ll notify you and your vet to coordinate payment.
All applications will be reviewed without bias or consideration of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, or marital status.
This critical program is entirely dependent on generous donations from our community. Please share this page to help us raise enough money to ensure pets in pain can continue to receive the veterinary treatment they desperately need!
Other Financial-Aid Resources
Shakespeare Animal Fund helps pet owners with emergency veterinary bills due to accidents, sickness, and other emergencies, in 13 northern Nevada counties (and in North Central Florida).
Care Credit is a credit card company for health care, including veterinary care. They offer a comprehensive range of plan options, for treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, offering plans and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget.
ScratchPay provides pet parents with simple, transparent payment plans.
Speaking for Spot offers a robust list of organizations that offer financial assistance (categorized by region, etc).
The Pet Fund is a nonprofit organization that assists with veterinary care.
RedRover provides financial assistance, resources, and support to low-income individuals and survivors of domestic violence and their pets.
- GoFundMe (crowdfunding)
GoFundMe is a fundraising platform that enables individuals to raise money for various life events.
- waggle.org (crowdfunding)
Waggle is a pet-dedicated crowdfunding platform that partners directly with veterinary providers, nonprofits, and pet guardians to reduce economic euthanasia in pets.
*The inclusion of services, organizations, or programs listed above is not an endorsement or recommendation. It is the pet parent’s responsibility to make their own assessment.
Todd's Medical Fund FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Todd’s Medical Fund is a financial assistance program from SPCA of Northern Nevada that helps low-income pet guardians pay for urgent, treatable veterinary care. It is not intended for emergency or long-term care.
Todd’s Medical Fund covers acute, non-recurring medical procedures such as emergency surgeries, severe dental disease (grade 4+), lacerations, foreign body obstructions, and similar one-time treatments. Routine care—like vaccinations, spay/neuter, diagnostics, acupuncture, chemotherapy, laser therapy, or cosmetic services—is not covered.
Eligible applicants must be permanent residents of northern Nevada, demonstrate low to moderate income (within HUD limits, approx. $60K/year in Washoe County), and own a pet that has a treatable, non-terminal condition. You’ll need a vet estimate, proof of income, residency, and guardianship to apply.
Aid typically covers about 40% of the vet’s estimate, with grants ranging up to 60% based on need and available funding. Final determination is made case-by-case. This is a one-time grant per household.
No. Todd’s Medical Fund is a one-time assistance program. Once you’ve received funding, you cannot apply again.
We strive to complete reviews within 48–72 hours after your full application—including vet estimate and documentation—is submitted. If approved, we’ll notify both you and your veterinarian to arrange direct payment.
This fund cannot cover immediate emergency care or after-hours care. You must pay for initial stabilization upfront, then apply. For emergencies, call your local clinic (e.g., SVS or AESC) and apply afterward.
Yes, as long as your veterinarian agrees to work with SPCA-NN by accepting a verbal pledge and billing SPCA-NN directly after treatment.
Yes! Spay/neuter is required for funding. If your pet is not yet altered, you’ll coordinate with SPCA-NN. Medical exceptions require vet documentation.
Yes. A requirement of receiving grants is allowing SPCA-NN to share your pet’s image and story for fundraising and awareness. You’ll be asked to sign a simple media release.
Yes! Northern Nevada is home to several organizations that offer support for pet owners, including affordable spay/neuter services, low-cost vaccine and microchip clinics, behavioral help, and financial assistance for veterinary care. Click here to learn more!