Working in an animal emergency hospital, several board members and I have seen first-hand the heartbreak when owners do not have the financial means to treat their furry family members. Often times it’s the people who need the love and companionship of their cats or dogs the most - the elderly, those with a disability or families on a fixed income.

In circumstances when they cannot afford treatment, owners must decide to surrender their pet, euthanize, or forgo treatment - none of these scenarios is what’s best for the pet. I’ve always thought that I wish there was a way to help these people and their pets.

One weekend, night shift… I will never forget when an elderly woman called because her cat was sick. She was on disability and had no money. She had no car so she would have to put any money she did have into the Uber ride. I gave her a couple of financing options- Care Credit and Scratch pay to try, but she would not qualify because of her limited income. This woman was in tears for her cat and I was near tears for her. She called several times crying and asking for advice. We did our best to give her suggestions and even some other financial aid charities, though those are limited and often have specific conditions.

That was the night I decided to put my idea into action! Named after my neph-cat, Simba, who has sadly passed… Simba’s Helping Paw Foundation was started, with a group of like-minded animal lovers, to meet the need in our New Hampshire community of pet owners for help with the cost of emergency care.