NH Pet Aid offers grants up to $500 for emergency care on the Seacoast
DOVER — The cost of emergency pet care is often more than pet owners can afford. A new local non-profit is trying to take some of the financial bite out of providing that care.
New Hampshire Pet Aid (NHPA) is a non-profit serving pet owners in Rockingham and Strafford counties.
“Our goal is to keep cats and dogs from being euthanized, surrendered to shelters or suffering when their loving owners are unable to afford unexpected, urgent veterinary care,” reads the NHPA mission statement.
How NH Pet Aid can help
Board of director members Patty Cohen (president) and Diane Schaefer (vice president) sat down to talk about how NH Pet Aid came about and who they can help.
Cohen, who has long been involved with Womenaid in the Seacoast area, said the idea began to form in 2020.
“We worked with Good Work (goodworkseacoast.org), another Seacoast area non-profit,” she said. “Their mission is to help non-profits get started. We formed the 501c3 and were off to the races. We love what we can do.”
“We started fully funding cases in 2023,” Schaefer said. “We formed the 501c3 in 2021, and then we started raising money. We are an all-volunteer group. We have no office; no staff and we are committed to helping people care for their dogs and cats.”
A fundraiser is planned for mid-May at Margaritas in Dover.
Schaefer said the fundraiser for NH Pet Aid will be on Sunday, May 18, at Margaritas in Dover, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“When diners mention NH Pet Aid to their server, the restaurant will donate 20% of the bill to our organization,” she said. “At 4 p.m., our board members plan to be there in case anyone wants to learn more from us, or have questions answered.”
Cohen said eligible cases must be for emergency care and those with a favorable diagnosis/prognosis. She said they cannot, at this time offer aid to owners whose pets have chronic conditions.
Among the conditions considered are accidents, wounds, poisoning, eye disease, trauma, and foreign object ingestion.
Applications can be submitted to the NH Pet Aid website at www.nhpetaid.org/donate. Grants are up to $500, and the application will explore the financial need, the reason for the request and must include a treatment plan from a veterinarian and proof of residency in either Rockingham or Strafford County.
“We bring the request to our decision team, who will vote on the application,” Cohen said. “In the case of severe emergencies, we have been able to return a decision in as little as 20 minutes.
Emergency veterinary care is expensive
Veterinary care can be as expensive as medical care for people, so $500 may not seem like a lot, but it can help.
“At the very least, the money can buy the pet owner time,” Schaefer said. “It can give time to figure out their next steps, to start a GoFundMe, or to seek help from family or friends.”
“We are currently working with about 30 veterinarians in the area,” Cohen said. “But as long as the person is a resident of Rockingham or Strafford Counties, they can choose the vet they feel comfortable with.”
In April NH Pet Aid helped 18 pets.
According to their 2024 status report, NH Pet Aid received 171 inquiries, had 119 completed applications, and qualified 105 people for grants, those coming from 28 communities in both counties.
In addition to the Margaritas fundraiser, other fundraisers can be held as house parties, or through companies. Cohen said last year, they were the beneficiaries of Lonza’s annual golf tournament fundraiser.
“That raised a lot of money, but every effort counts,” Cohen said. “They are all important to us so we can keep helping families and their pets.”
To learn more, or to donate, visit www.nhpetaid.org.
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