Mission
Our mission is to provide non-emergency, surgical and dental procedures to the companion animals of low-income seniors, low-income Vermont veterans, low-income disabled first responders, unhoused individuals, and survivors of domestic violence.
Often, the animals we help are the sole emotional support system to their owner. Preventive care like dental cleanings and physical exams frequently become a costly burden to our low-income clients. We want to support our neighbors and their four-legged family while they are enduring economic hardship.
The Mitzvah fund also tries to provide sanctuary to Mitzvah Fund recipient animals when their owners can no longer care for them. We help respond to owner relinquishment requests with needed veterinary care and boarding until re-homing is secured. We attempt to find resolutions and homes for any animal that has received our care.
Partnerships
The Mitzvah Fund is proud to help other local rescue organizations and shelters to treat complicated medical cases. By helping them treat these animals quickly, it not only relieves the animal's discomfort, but it allows them to be ready for adoption faster. This in turn will open space up for the rescue group to help more animals in need.
We also help social services, law enforcement, and mental health facilities. Whenever they have animals in need, because their human has come up against hard times, we will assist in the medical care of those animals. We try to provide some relief to already stressed social systems when they have a client that could use our assistance.
In late 2022, we partnered with the Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) to provide mobile veterinary care to older adults with funding from Meals on Wheels America in partnership with PetSmart charities. The mobile clinic visits, in collaboration with CVCOA, take place at nutrition meal sites throughout Central Vermont. During these events we provide veterinary care for animal companions of people age 60+ who otherwise have difficulty paying for preventative and sick care for their pet.
Additionally, the staff at the Mitzvah Fund collaborates with a number of regional organizations dedicated to preventing and responding to animal abuse cases. If you are a non-profit looking to collaborate with us, please email info@themitzvahfundvt.org.
