Actors and Others for Animals is a Southern California community-based organization serving the greater Los Angeles area. Among other services, the organization provides financial assistance for emergency medical procedures for those of limited income.

Requirements to receive help:

• You must live in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange or Ventura counties in the State of California.
• You must be the pet’s owner/guardian. We cannot help rescue or adoption organizations, nor those fostering an animal prior to adoption.
• Your pet must be spayed or neutered or can safely be sterilized at the time treatment is rendered. We will help pay for the spay/neuter surgery in addition to the medical assistance.
  • We understand that there may be times when the pet cannot be sterilized at the time of treatment due to age or the nature of the illness or injury. We will not be able to provide assistance in these cases. This includes puppies with parvo.
• You must have already obtained a medical opinion identifying what is ailing your pet, the likely course of treatment and outcome and a cost estimate. We do not pay for the veterinary office call to obtain this information.
• We do not provide assistance for vaccinations, routine care, grooming or kenneling.
• We do not provide assistance for injuries or illnesses that could have been prevented through standard routine care.
• We do not provide assistance if you have bred the animal, other animals in your care, or are an animal breeder of any kind.
• We do not provide assistance if the animal’s treatment has been completed, if the bill has already been paid and you are seeking reimbursement or if the animal has been released from the veterinarian.
• Due to the overwhelming number of applications received, we can only help you once every two calendar years.
• The veterinarian or veterinary clinic must agree to accept a verbal financial pledge from us and bill us when the procedure or treatment is completed.
• You must demonstrate financial need and provide us with a truthful dollar amount you will be able to pay towards your pet’s care at the time you fill out the application. If you write “don’t know,” “none,” or anything else, we cannot help you. You must provide the name and amount of any financial assistance provided from other organizations.
• We cannot help with cancer, cataracts, specialty procedures, ongoing treatments, or those costing thousands of dollars. We simply do not have the funds.
• Applications must be submitted online

The Helping Friends program gives seniors, people with disabilities, terminal illnesses, and individuals on fixed incomes the extra support they need to care for their animals, who often are their only companions. Our deepest appreciation goes to the individual donors whose generous support makes this program possible.

The Animal Assistance League of Orange County has a referral program for vet care, vaccines and low-cost spay/neuter services. Call their 24-hour phone line at (714) 891-PETS (7387).

We have a free email and telephone pet helpline that takes lost and found reports and advises owners of the necessary steps that will help them locate their pets. The pet helpline answers pet related questions and offers veterinary referrals for low-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations and pet care.

The San Diego County Foundation for Animal Care and Education provides grants for people who are unable to afford the cost of their pet’s emergency or critical care. 

Who qualifies for FACE funding?

FACE provides financial grants for pets in need of emergency veterinary care.

Pets must have been seen by a veterinarian and diagnosed with an immediately life-threatening condition. Pets must have a good prognosis with treatment.

FACE can only provide assistance to pet owners residing in San Diego County.

Please note that FACE cannot provide assistance for Initial exam/consultation fees.

• Routine or non-emergency care (i.e. ligament tears, etc.)
• Diagnostic tests (i.e. bloodwork, x-rays, etc.)
• Services or treatment completed prior to FACE approval
• Conditions requiring ongoing treatment (i.e. diabetes, etc.)
• Conditions with a poor or guarded prognosis (i.e. parvo, kidney failure, etc) 

10505 Sorrento Valley Road Suite #175
San Diego, CA 92121
M-F, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) provides assistance for pets of seniors and people with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses. PAWS provides comprehensive companion animal care services to over 800 clients and their 1,000+ animal companions free of charge.

Client services include:

• Pet Food Bank: On-site and home delivery of pet food and supplies
• Veterinary Services: Financial assistance for preventative, comprehensive and emergency veterinary care provided by our veterinary volunteers and partners.
• In-Home Support: Cat care, dog walking, transportation, and emergency foster care.
• Grooming

Low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Palmdale, Lancaster, Bakersfield, and Santa Clarita.

A credit card specifically for veterinary care, with possible no-interest payments.

Stray and feral cat spay/neuter services.

Lends traps and offers training on cat-trapping and release.

Lends traps and offers trainings on cat-trapping and release.

Free spay/neuter for cats & dogs belonging to qualified L.A. City residents.

Assistance Dogs International works with three types of Assistance Dogs:

• Guide Dogs – for the blind and the visually impaired.
• Hearing Dogs – for the deaf and hard of hearing.
• Service Dogs – for people with disabilities other than those related to vision or hearing.

Dogs for Better Lives’ mission is to professionally train dogs to help people and enhance lives while maintaining a lifelong commitment to all dogs we rescue or breed and the people we serve.

Autism Service Dogs of America FAQs

Does ASDA train and provide service dogs for all disabilities?
No. At this time, ASDA service dogs are specifically trained to assist individuals on the autism spectrum.

How long will it be before my child receives an ASDA service dog?
On average, twelve to eighteen months. Factors include the number of available dogs, how quickly an applicant completes the process and raises funds, and when the best match is made.

How old must my child be to receive a service dog?
ASDA does not place service dogs with children under the age of five. We recommend that applications be made early for families with children under the age of five.

How much does ASDA expect to receive in exchange for a service dog?
ASDA expects to receive $13,500 as a donation towards our general operating expenses. This money can be raised through family, friends, grants, and community organizations. Once the family’s contribution is received, your name will be placed in line for the next available and appropriate service dog.

Can ASDA train a family pet to be an autism service dog?
Unfortunately, pets have an established role within the family and a transition to service dog status is often unsuccessful. In addition, many breeds do not have the interest or aptitude to be a service dog. ASDA dogs must possess a particular temperament, intelligence, health, age and weight, and are raised from puppy-hood in our extensive training program for their important job.

Why are there two phases of training, one in Oregon, and one in my town?
While other agencies have either off-site training (at the agency headquarters), or on-site training (in home), ASDA does both. We require the primary caregiver to train with us at ASDA headquarters so that they can learn to handle their service dog, become an ADA certified handler, and begin initial bonding. Phase two takes place with our trainer, but in the environment that the dog will actually live and work in. Both phases are essential for long-term success.

The Paw-tism Program is under the auspices of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency C.A.R.E., Center for Autism Resources & Education. Debbie Clark, a Certified Service Dog Trainer, will evaluate and train your dog to be an autism assistance dog or select and train a temperament-tested dog to assist with specific tasks for your child in order to help mitigate his or her disability. Trainer is a mom w/2 sons on the autism spectrum and a volunteer dog rescuer.

For Little Angels Service Dogs to be the right fit for you, you must …

• Have a child with autism to the extent that the disability hinders the aspects of day-to-day life.
• Be willing to be the handler and leader of the dog, for your child. Your child cannot handle the dog alone.
• Have a family that loves dogs.
• Have patience to work through problems. (Even a trained dog is still a dog.)
• Have finances to provide your dog with veterinary care and maintenance for the next 10-12 years.
• Be willing to travel to San Diego, California for handler training, preferably with your child.

What are the steps involved for receiving an Autism Assistance Dog?

Step 1: Request an application through our Apply For A Dog page.

Step 2: Return the application for review. Your application is received via email, and you will receive
a response within 10 business days.

Step 3: If accepted we will contact you to schedule a phone consultation. The consultation is an average of 60 minutes where we discuss realistic expectations of how a service dog can assist you, and to make sure you are a good fit for one of our dogs.

Step 4: Agreement. If we believe one of our service dogs can assist you we will write out a customized agreement and ask you to review your final decision 
with friends and family.

Step 5: Return your agreement with your $500.00 deposit, to be added to our waiting list. The deposit is your sign to us that you are committed to the program. Once this is received we begin fundraising for the costs associated with your dog. Some recipients also choose to be added to our website under the Donations page — this is a personal decision and is not a requirement.

Step 6: Fundraising. Organizations nationwide spend an average of $30,000.00-$40,000.00 on each assistance dog trained. The average service dog graduates with over 600 hours of training, and with that expense also comes veterinary care, boarding, grooming and training supplies. Because of the commitment of all our wonderful volunteers Little Angels spends a fraction of that, at $24,000.00 per dog. This is an expense covered through fundraising. If possible, we ask each recipient to be involved in the fundraising process when they can, but it is never a requirement.

Step 7: Dog Selection and Specialized Training. Once the funds are met, regardless of how the funds were raised, we move you to the second part of our waiting list where you are a priority for dog placement. This is when we choose a dog from our training program that has the natural propensities to assist in the ways needed for your disability, and we continue any additional specialized training needed specifically for your needs.

Step 8: Handler Training. During handler training we work with you, one-on-one, and show you how to reinforce the training your dog has already had. Once you and your dog graduate our program we stay in daily contact for the first month, followed by monthly, and bi-yearly consultations for reports on your dog’s ability to continuously provide assistance to you and your child. Handler training takes place in San Diego, California.