Emancipet Nonprofit Pet Clinics Can Provide Free & Low-Cost Vet Visits
Rebecca West
One of the reasons people are surrendering pets — besides the high cost of food and pet supplies — is the inability to afford ordinary veterinary care much less a crisis. It's a terrible feeling knowing your pet needs basic veterinary upkeep and there's nothing to be done about it because there's no money to cover it.
Many people even see to their pets' welfare before their own because our furry pals bring so much to the table and we can't imagine life without them. Who wants to be broke or borderline broke AND not have the love, companionship, and comfort of their bestie?
While many animal shelters are trying their best to cover what they can to keep pets and their people together (it's cheaper for them than having them surrendered), not all facilities can offer low-cost or no-cost services. One alternative to consider if your pet needs things like vaccinations and preventative care products is a nonprofit group called Emancipet.
According to its website, Emancipet is on a mission to make veterinary care affordable and accessible for everyone. They "manage an expanding national network of high-quality, low-cost clinics; offer customized training and consulting programs to animal welfare organizations nationwide; and advocate for strategies and public policy that improve the lives of pets in underserved communities."
Their clinics are staffed by licensed veterinarians and trained veterinary technicians, and their track record for sterilization procedures is pretty impressive. Since 1999, Emancipet has spayed or neutered more than 400,000 dogs and cats. In 2021, they provided more than 230,000 free and low-cost vet visits for pets.
So, how do you take advantage of the savings? The first thing you'll want to do is visit their home page and click on "Review Our Pricing & Services. If what you're seeing price-wise appears doable to you, you'll want to next click on Find Your Emancipet Vet Clinic for facilities nearest you.
It's important to stress that they are not a full-service veterinary clinic, meaning they do not treat sick or injured animals. They do note under Additional Services that special surgery procedures are done on a case-by-case basis. For dogs and cats, this is the info they provided regarding what qualifies:
"Any dog/cat that is determined by our veterinarians to have a soft-tissue related injury or condition that can be treated surgically. Currently, this service is offered at our Norwood Park clinic (Austin, TX) only."
As they are a nonprofit, they can always use volunteers and any donations people would like to contribute. If you want to get involved, that information is available on their website, too. Furthermore, they've got career opportunities if you're burned out at your job and thinking about going in a new direction.
