The FACE Foundation – a San Diego-based not-for-profit animal welfare organization that provides financial grants for pet parents who are unable to afford the cost of their pet’s emergency or critical care – was recently awarded a $20,000 lifesaving investment from national nonprofit organization Petco Love to help fund cancer treatments for pets in the San Diego region and in Oahu. In this effort, FACE is launching a matching fundraiser to double the cancer-fighting fund with additional donations from both communities.
Currently, FACE is helping Bart, a trained search and rescue dog who volunteers with his pet parent, Debra, a first responder in San Diego County. The dedicated Labrador Retriever earned many training awards on his way to becoming a search and rescue dog. He loves helping find lost people and celebrating his wins with praise and a treat! Just before Bart’s 10th birthday, a mass on his right thigh and flank proved to be cancer. With radiation therapy, Debra hopes Bart will have more time to work search and rescue and enjoy his loved ones. In addition to Bart, the FACE Foundation has also recently helped Harmony, Sierra Squirrel and Gracie, in the fight against cancer.
Petco Love lifesaving investments are used to fund veterinary care for pets diagnosed with cancer when their families are unable to afford cancer treatment. FACE Foundation’s Save-A-Life Program was established to support only emergency medical conditions that do not require ongoing treatments. The continued support from Petco Love for cancer-related cases has allowed FACE to also help a limited number of beloved pets with cancer. FACE partners with veterinarians and veterinary oncologists to determine whether a pet will benefit from a cancer grant to fund treatment.
Since the inception of FACE Foundation nearly 18 years ago, its vision has been “to create a world where no family pet dies due to financial hardship.” In 2019, Dr. Erica Sox (Hawaii) approached FACE and offered to start a pilot program at her practice, Ethos Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center (VERC) to save beloved pets in need of life-saving care in Oahu, Hawaii. After operating a small, successful pilot program for the past five years, FACE launched a Hawaii Program in October 2023, the Foundation’s first expansion to a new region.
FACE received its first grant of $10,000 from Petco Love in 2014. They increased their annual grant to $15,000 last year (2023) and in April 2024, Petco Love approved a new grant of $20,000. Increased support will allow FACE to assist more pets with cancer in both San Diego County and Oahu, Hawaii.
Pet parents who receive assistance from FACE are typically low-income families, veterans, senior citizens, individuals experiencing homelessness, single-parent households, widow or widowers, students, those experiencing unemployment, or individuals who work hard, but struggle to live paycheck to paycheck. The FACE Foundation screens applications for support from the Petco Love Cancer Treatment Fund using the same process established for the Save-A-Life Program, with trained, compassionate staff reviewing and responding to each request for assistance. Application instructions are available on the FACE website, in English and Spanish.
“In order to prevent ‘economic euthanasia’ of pets diagnosed with cancer, FACE needs sufficient resources to support the steady increase in the number of pet owners seeking assistance,” said Stash McCollough, executive director of the FACE Foundation. “We are grateful for the increased and ongoing partnership with Petco Love, which also is now inspiring others to make contributions to help FACE fund more cases that will prolong pets’ lives and keep them with their families.”
Since the FACE Foundation’s partnership with Petco Love began in 2014, families have received assistance to provide treatment for 105 pets with cancer.
“In the coming weeks, we will be sending regular updates to FACE supporters throughout Bart’s journey,” said McCollough. “The matching fundraiser will help FACE raise additional funds to help Bart and other pets struggling with cancer.”
For more information on the Foundation, their programs, or to donate, visit www.face4pets.org. For more details about Petco Love, visit petcolove.org. Additional information on pet cancer, can be found here: petcolove.org/care/pet-cancer-awareness/.
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