A woman who almost had to give up her beloved dog because she could not afford his veterinary care is among hundreds of thousands of people that have been helped by a nationwide program that supports companion animals in underserved communities.
Christa, who is from Philadelphia had been struggling to provide veterinary care that her dog, Diesel, needed. The canine was suffering from a severe skin infection resulting from allergies. While not life-threatening, the condition was very uncomfortable and even painful.
In 2021, Christa reached out to a local animal shelter, which told her it would provide medical treatment for Diesel but only if she surrendered him.
Many animal service agencies and shelters require a pet to be surrendered in order to receive veterinary care. This is due to a variety of factors—from state regulations and local ordinances to industry norms and organizational policies.
"She agonized over the decision, but because she loves Diesel so much, she made the decision to surrender," Amanda Arrington, director of the Pets for Life support program, which is run by the Humane Society of the United States, told Newsweek. "Thank goodness that is when she met the PFL team in Philadelphia."
The Pets for Life program provides various services, such as veterinary care, spaying and neutering, grooming and behavioral training, as well as supplies for people and their pets in underserved communities across the United States at no cost.
The program, which uses 50 partner organizations all over the country, has helped more than 250,000 pets to date. In November, the program reached the milestone of having provided 1 million distinct services to pets and people in need.
PFL aims to remove barriers to pet services, which it says too many people in the country face. Its data indicates that 70 percent of pets have never seen a veterinarian before, largely because of systemic poverty and institutional barriers.
In the case of Diesel, PFL provided the veterinary care that Diesel needed at no cost to Christa. But she was evicted from her home in late 2021, forcing the pair to live in a van for months. During that time, the program supported them.
"Christa and Diesel mean everything to each other and belong together, so while they lived for months in a van with no electricity or running water, PFL provided food, supplies and ongoing veterinary care," Arrington said.
"Now Christa and Diesel are back in a home, and PFL will continue to honor and support their love," she said.
Another person PFL has supported is "Ms. Rosie" from New Orleans, who has a pet dog named Lizzie. Louisiana's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—a PFL program partner in New Orleans—met Rosie during door-to-door outreach work in the city's Lower 9th Ward.
"Like so many other residents in the community, Ms. Rosie was displaced years ago by Hurricane Katrina and had to rebuild her home," Arrington said. "Sixteen years later, Ms. Rosie had to leave her home again when Hurricane Ida hit."
"Ms. Rosie and Lizzie were away from their home for three months and are still rebuilding. Rosie has been very worried about Lizzie staying up to date on her vaccinations and about a skin issue she developed."
The Louisiana SPCA set up a veterinary visit at a local community clinic, where Lizzie was vaccinated and received free treatment for her skin condition in November 2022.
Sonia, a Los Angeles resident with three cats—Minnie, Grisi and Megara—has also been helped by the program. Pets for Life Los Angeles provided spaying and neutering services to all of the cats, as well as vaccinations. But in October 2021 Sonia noticed that Minnie was starting to have trouble breathing and reached out to PFL for support.
Veterinarians diagnosed the cat with asthma and provided medication that has helped to significantly improve the animal's health.
"I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for all the help you've given my Minnie," Sonia told PFL. "Again, I thank you for all you do for the community. God bless you."
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about pets? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
Correction 12/16/22 11:23 a.m. ET: This article has been amended to correctly identify the Humane Society of the United States.
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Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, ... Read more
