Caring for Pet Companions

To the Editor:

Re “How Much Is Your Pet’s Life Worth?” (Pets special section, June 30):

Fifteen years ago I left my position as a board member at our local S.P.C.A. shelter and started a group called No Kill Lehigh Valley, now known as the Fund for Veterinary Care. Our mission is to raise money to pay for veterinary care for animals whose families cannot afford it.

While at the shelter, I witnessed people dropping off beloved pets for relinquishment because they were sick or injured and the family could not afford veterinary care. This was a horrible situation for everyone concerned — especially the animal that, on top of being sick or injured, now found itself in a strange and scary place without the only humans it knew and loved.

Fifteen years later the need for our services has grown as the cost of veterinary care has increased. Every day I talk to people who are distraught, often in tears, sometimes hysterical. Their pet is part of their family, or the only family they have. And they are watching it suffer. These are people with few resources, often on disability or unemployed, frequently without transportation or any support.

I am also a social worker. I have seen numerous situations where the only thing that stands between a patient and suicide is their dog or cat. Companion animals are incredibly important, and their value to humans is growing.

I don’t begrudge the cost of veterinary care. My daughter is a vet, and I have seen how difficult and expensive it is to achieve that degree. The job is extremely demanding. She has coped with people raging, sobbing, desperate for help.

There is a need for more organizations like mine that can raise money locally through charitable giving to cope with this growing crisis. Animals will continue to be a vital part of human life. We must acknowledge this and provide the care they need.