Emergency Medical Fund
Helping low-income pet owners through our Emergency Medical program has always been a part of our mission, so you can imagine the flood of requests for help we’ve received lately. When low-income pet owners are faced with a pet’s medical emergency, a small amount of money can literally mean the difference between life and death. The cost of treating simple illnesses and injuries can be a real hardship for someone just barely getting by, and finding the money to repair something like a broken leg can seem impossible. No one should be faced with the agonizing decision to have to euthanize a beloved pet because there isn’t enough money for lifesaving medical care.
If a pet already has a loving home, and a little help during an emergency will keep the pet in that home, we want to help. When people are struggling financially, they need the comfort of their pets more than ever. By helping pet owners through a temporary emergency, we also keep their pets out of already overcrowded animal shelters. Our local vets prescreen clients for us to make sure that the financial need is genuine. Most pet owners pay part of the cost at the time of the emergency, others repay us over time, and others can’t contribute financially but help in other ways. They are all genuinely grateful and we’ve gotten some heartwarming thank yous over the years.
Manna Serving
It’s no secret that tough economic times have hit hard here in rural Georgia. Circle of Friends has always believed in helping not only pets, but also pet owners, is an important part of our mission to create a more humane community. In 2007, COFAS extended even more help to low-income pet owners to help keep pets in their homes.
On the third Saturday of every month, Circle of Friends participates in the monthy Manna Serving run by Point of Care Ministries for low-income families in Union Point. This food bank, which has been operating for several years, offers grocery staples to more than 300 local families in need. Circle of Friends now provides food for their pets as well.
It takes approximately 800 pounds of food each month to ensure that each pet owner goes home with at least a small supply of pet food. We take advantage of every discount we can find to round up the food every month but we have our own rescued animals to feed. This is a challenge for our small organization and we hope we’ll be able to continue to do it. We gladly accept donations of unopened dry or canned pet food in quantities large or small.
If you’d care to assist in the monthly Manna Serving with a donation of food or would like to volunteer at the event, please contact us via email at info@cofas.org. Please specify “Manna Serving” in the subject line. Thank you!
Project Dawghouse
Our local animal control officers often come across owned dogs who have no shelter or who have primitive, unsafe dog houses that do not protect them from the elements. Circle of Friends would like to continue our mission to assist low-income pet owners by providing dog houses for outdoor dogs whose owners can’t afford to buy them.
Dog houses are as necessary in warm weather as in cold. They provide shade from the hot summer sun, protection from rain and storms, and a comfortable place to sleep. A dog house with a floor gives a dog a sanitary place to rest when the ground is wet and helps keep parasites that live in the ground from attacking the dog. Plastic dog houses are easily cleaned and cannot be infested by fleas.
The doghouses cost approximately $40-60 each, depending on their size, and Circle of Friends is always looking for them at discounted prices. Please consider making a donation to Circle of Friends so we can meet this most basic need for dogs. We are also happy to accept donations of dog houses of any size, either new or gently used.
No dog should have to live its life exposed to the elements without shelter. Please help us provide dog houses in our community this year!
Circle of Friends Animal Society, Inc 