We have some paws-itively exciting news.
Pets Of The Homeless has been awarded $60,000 through the latest round of Victoria's Animal Welfare Fund Grants Program, and we couldn't be more thrilled.
This funding means we'll be able to take our Fix-A-Friend low-cost desexing program to even more communities across Victoria, reaching pet guardians in six regional areas alongside our existing metropolitan clinics.
Over the next 12 months, this grant* will enable us to run 30 subsidised desexing days which will help spay and neuter approximately 430 pets.
*The grant will cover a portion of the program costs, with the remaining funds raised through our own fundraising efforts.
With subsidised desexing programs not readily available in many regional communities, and with veterinary care often costing more, we recognised a significant gap in access for pet guardians experiencing financial hardship.
We wanted to help improve equitable access to essential veterinary care by bringing this initiative to regional areas, where the need is greatest.
By addressing these inequities, we aim to improve animal welfare outcomes, reduce the incidence of unplanned litters, address pet overpopulation and strengthen the capacity of vulnerable pet guardians to keep their animals healthy and in their care.
Since we launched Fix-A-Friend in 2022, we have been able to help hundreds of Victoria access vet care they otherwise may not have been able to afford.
Together with our amazing vet partners, we've held 63 desexing days, supported 874 pets to be desexed, vaccinated and microchipped, and subsidised a whopping $129,586 in vet costs!
We're incredibly thankful to Animal Welfare Victoria and the Victorian Government for supporting practical, preventative initiatives like ours, helping ensure that geography and financial hardship are not barriers to responsible pet ownership and keeping people and their pets together.
We can't wait to get started.
