Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission

Avoiding Emergencies: Know Which Spring Flowers are Toxic to Pets

2010-04-14T21:21:00.003-04:00

Spring toxin 1: Tulips and hyacinths
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/663977

Spring toxin 2: Daffodils
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/663978

Spring toxin 3: Lilies
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/663981

Spring toxin 4: Crocuses
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/663980

Spring toxin 5: Lily of the valley
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/663982

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Poison Control Hot-Lines (for animals):

(1) ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (Click name to go to web site)
(888) 426-4435The best-known, and most-widely used Animal Poison Control Center in the country. In 2009 alone, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic substances.

"Available for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call (888) 426-4435. A $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card.

"The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is staffed by 30 veterinarians, including 13 who are board-certified in general and veterinary toxicology. In addition, our experts use Antox, our unique veterinary medical database system of more than one million animal exposure case histories. With the combined knowledge of our experts and our medical database, we are able to provide the most timely and accurate information on the potential effects of poisons and how to manage exposures to them.

"Our consultation fee covers as many additional calls pertaining to your pet's current case as are needed to provide the best care and answer any questions that you or your local vet may have. During your initial call, you or your vet will be provided with a special follow-up telephone number to use should you need any further assistance with your pet's case."

(2) Pet Poison Helpline™ (800-213-6680) (Click name to go to web site)
"provides:
•24/7 access to experts in pet poisonings.
•Experience. We have managed over 750,000 cases involving pet poisonings.
•Specialists. We're the only poison control with board-certified veterinary internal medicine (DACVIM) and emergency critical care (DACVECC) specialists - which is imperative if your pet is critically ill!
•Cost-effective. We're the most cost-effective pet poison control out there, which is helpful in this current economy.
•Follow up consultations. Our staff will follow up with veterinarians or pet owners to ensure appropriate recommendations can be made throughout the treatment of the pet.
•Treatment advice for all varieties of pets. Not only do we manage canine and feline poisonings, we also assist in the treatment of avian, small mammals, large animal and exotic species (on a per incident fee basis)."

We are Taking Ideas and Suggestions for our First National Spokespet Contest for VEFM

2010-04-13T12:39:00.002-04:00

It is high time that The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission had a Spokespet!!! The general purpose of a spokesperson (for us, a "spokespet") is to "frame a company or organization's strengths and products to the public and investors while managing media coverage...." For the complete article, which beautifully explains this concept, click on this link:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5382539_job-media-relations-company-spokesperson.html

Here are several contests that will give us ideas for how we can run ours. I hope many of our supporters will participate in this brainstorming-session. Please leave your ideas and suggestions in the "Comments" section, below.

(1) Spokesperson search for "Young and Free."
---[A] Purpose of the spokesperson: http://www.youngfreealberta.com/media-center/credit-union-competition-looking-for-youth-spokesperson.html ;
---[B] Description of the contest: http://www.youngfreealberta.com/2010-search-archive/;
---[C] Rules/Regulations: http://www.youngfreealberta.com/storage/YF-Alberta-Rules-Regs-2010-Spokester-Search.pdf
(2) Junior Beef Spokesperson Contest for Colorado CattleWomen, Inc.
---[A] Purpose and description of contest:
http://brianallmerradionetwork.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/04-05-10-colorado-cattlewomen-host-beef-spokesperson-contest-in-briggsdale-april-17th-enter-today/
---[B] Application for contest: http://brianallmerradionetwork.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/april-5.pdf
(3) Contest for the New Media Celebrity Spokesperson (for video introductions and trailers for the Cable Muse Network)
---[A] Press release describing contest: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/02/prweb3662504.htm
---[B] Official description of contest: http://cablemuse.com/id86.html
---[C] Sample, with previous year's top two entries: http://cablemuse.com/id100.html
---[D] Consent form: http://cablemuse.com/id87.html

What's New for VEFM - The National Agenda

2010-04-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, much of the discussions in the past 2 months have been about the Pet Fair fundraiser on Cape Cod. However, there is a specific plan for what VEFM needs, as far as non-local supporters go. The closer we get to having a fully-functional unit in southeastern Mass., the closer we get to starting sister-organizations in other locations. As I have mentioned before, we are establishing VEFM first in SE Mass., so that we can use it as a template for other communities. The long-range goal is to have community-based VEFM groups all across the United States, possibly even the world.

Therefore, I am asking all of our supporters to do some soul-searching and schedule-searching and see if you can help make a commitment to this goal. If you are enthusiastic about our project and want to "get your hands dirty," the next few months are going to be spent establishing a few core groups in parts of the country where the next VEFM unit will go. If you would like to be part of this important stage of VEFM's development, join our Facebook group, called VEFM Volunteer Action Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=177991216736

What each of you can do, individually, is to assess the situation in your own area. Are pet owners struggling to care for their pets? Do you have emergency hospitals nearby? What happens if an owner goes to one of them and does not have the ability to pay for care immediately?

If you are a veterinarian and would like to be part of the VEFM Veterinary Advisory Group, we are currently setting that up (by revising an existing group). The link is
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/group.php?gid=248702581859

Thanks for all your support. I am really excited about how VEFM is progressing.

-Lucy Schroth DVM

We Held a Very Successful FIRST ANNUAL PET FAIR fundraiser

2010-04-01T21:03:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, March 28, The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission held its First Annual Pet Fair fundraiser, at The Dog Paddle training center, in Bourne, MA. There was a Pet Parade, for pets with or without costumes, and prizes for such categories as "Waggiest Tail" and "Pet-Owner Look-Alike." There was also a photo contest, judged by professional photographer Nikki Shumway, of NJ Photo. Dogs and owners participated in a Rally game, Egg-Spoon races, and Musical Chairs. Nikki Shumway also took lots of pictures, and has made some generous donations to benefit VEFM. A silent auction, bake sale, and gift/crafts for sale also helped raise money.

Links to Nikki's photos of the Pet Fair. They are really great:
http://www.facebook.com/NJPhoto#!/album.php?aid=161482&id=367692141739

http://www.facebook.com/NJPhoto#!/album.php?aid=161149&id=367692141739&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/NJPhoto#!/album.php?aid=161142&id=367692141739

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=161153&id=367692141739&ref=mf

Exciting Front Page Coverage in the Cape Cod Times

2010-01-28T20:04:00.002-05:00

Our Open House on January 24, 2010, was a great success. The most exciting thing of all is that VEFM got a front page article in the Cape Cod Times. With such important publicity, we are hoping for an influx of donors and helpers, so we can finally start helping our first animals (and people). Here is a link to the on-line version of the article: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100125/NEWS/1250303

The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission is Holding An Open House on Cape Cod

2010-01-20T19:09:00.007-05:00

To Confirm VEFM's Tax-Exempt Status, until it appears on the IRS list of charities

2009-11-12T18:58:00.002-05:00

The IRS is very slow at updating their web site about new tax-exempt charities, so, if anyone is disturbed by the fact they cannot find us listed on the IRS list of charities, they can confirm our 501(C)3 status by calling the IRS (toll-free) at 1-877-829-5500. The corporate name is: The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission LTD (EIN: 26-3396722)

For more information, visit this page on the IRS web site:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html

We Now Have Non-Profit (501C3) Status!

2009-10-24T21:01:00.002-04:00

We are very happy to report that our IRS letter of approval of 501C3 status has finally arrived. All donations are now tax-deductible, retroactive to our date of incorporation, October 20, 2008. Now we will be able to apply for grants, receive corporate donations, and really begin fundraising in earnest.

The Issue of Fundraising Events--An Important Notification

2009-10-15T20:11:00.000-04:00

After much thought, we have decided to postpone public fundraising events until VEFM's 501(C)3 non-profit status is official. We had expected to have approval long before our two planned October events. We want to do great things with VEFM, and plan to help a lot of people and animals. However, with so much recent publicity about frauds and scams, we want to make very sure that our organization is above reproach. It is an issue of trust. We want to do the right thing and we do not want to give even a hint of questionable fundraising practices. Therefore, although we would be happy to take donations through our web site, where individuals can take their time to research our credentials, we think that it is inappropriate to do fundraising in a public forum, until we are an official 501(C)3 organization.

Important Cat Food Recall

2009-10-03T09:27:00.001-04:00

Several lots of Premium Edge cat food (made by Diamond Pet Foods) have been recalled because of thiamine deficiency.

http://www.premiumedgepetfood.com/promotions/66/

Thiamine deficiency in cats can cause staggering (ataxia), weakness, and downward flexing (ventroflexion) of the head and neck. It is important to note that this is a very treatable, reversible condition, so contact your veterinarian right away if any unusual nervous system disorder or weakness occurs in your cat.

A Limited Time Fundraiser for Supplies Needed for October Events

2009-09-19T22:25:00.004-04:00

We just set up an important fundraiser, to raise money for supplies & promotional items we need before the first big fundraising event for the Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission on Oct. 10-11. The next one is just one week later. Please donate at much as you can. If we don't meet the $400 goal for pledges by the 10/11/2009 deadline, we collect nothing. Here is the link-- http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-09-14.1961330646

Please tell your friends.

A Very Sad Story

2009-09-07T13:50:00.004-04:00

An awful story has inspired us to start a new monthly feature of VEFM--called "Watch Out!"--"Preventable Emergencies". A few days ago, a young woman came into the vet clinic, sobbing. It was only 70 degrees, so she left her dog in the car & ran into the hospital to visit a friend. She had cracked the windows & did not think she was inside long. When she came back, her beautiful black Lab was dead from heat stroke.

This was a person who had always been a very responsible. She would never have intentionally taken that kind of risk, because she loved her dog. One can only assume that she did not realize how long her visit lasted. Apparently, she was inside at least an hour--more than enough time for the temperature in the car to have been lethal. Now, she will have to live with this awful knowledge that she killed her dog in a terrible way. To me, the lesson to be learned, is DON'T TAKE A CHANCE. It's so easy to get distracted and forget how long you have been talking.

Non-Profit Organization Attorney? (Massachusetts)

2009-08-22T15:45:00.002-04:00

We need to find an attorney who is a member of the Bar in Massachusetts, and who is also willing to do a small amount of initial pro buono work, to help VEFM to get established. If anyone knows an animal-loving lawyer who might want to help us, please ask that person to contact us at administrator@vefm.org, or to post back here.

Why Are So Many Pet Owners Caught by Surpise When They Seek Emergency Vet Care?

2009-08-17T22:01:00.002-04:00

One of the key things missing in the average pet owner's understanding of emergencies is that it is COMMON for emergencies to occur when their own vet is closed, and that the vast majority of veterinarians transfer ALL emergency calls to large emergency hospitals, where $1,000+ bills are the norm and where on-the-spot, pre-treatment deposits of $1500 are frequently required. Euthanasia may be the only real option. It's a tragic surprise.

Another Heartbreaking Story

2009-08-15T22:03:00.002-04:00

My husband was talking to a local police officer today at one of the local coffee shops. The officer told him that another officer had just been forced to take his dog to an emergency hospital, where he learned that the dog needed immediate emergency surgery. He was told that he needed to come up with a deposit of $1200 or the surgery could not be done. The only other option was euthanasia. The officer said that he could not get the money until Thursday, but they would not do the surgery without the deposit, so he was forced to put his dog to sleep. This kind of story makes me crazy with impatience to get VEFM ready enough to be a source of help for people like this! Please talk to everyone you know. Tell them to donate or to find donors or sponsors. We are chomping at the bit to be able to help!

501(C)3 Status Update

2009-08-15T21:49:00.001-04:00

We received notification that the IRS needs clarification of several things before they can approve our application for 501(C)3 exemption as a non-profit organization:

They must have misunderstood, from our application, exactly who it was that would be providing the veterinary services for the owners in need of financial aid. It appears that they assumed that Dr. Lucy Schroth (Co-founder and President) was going to be the veterinarian providing the emergency veterinary care. Therefore, they asked us to "state whether services of other veterinarians will be considered in the conduct of your proposed exempt program activities, i.e. providing veterinary care and services that will be compensated by the 'emergency funding.' "

After all the time we spent preparing the application, and after the lengthy waiting period, it is very frustrating to realize that they did not even take the time to understand what the organization is trying to do! They jumped to the conclusion that, just because Dr. Schroth is a veterinarian, that, not only would she be the one providing the emergency care, but that she would be the one being paid the money from the fund.

First of all, Dr. Schroth has no intention of being the veterinarian to provide the emergency care in these situations, but she does not even own her own practice, so she would not even be the one who would be compensated financially.

Anyway, the IRS needs a response by August 26, so that they can give us a ruling "in a timely manner." We are quite sure that we will eventually get our 501(C)3 exemption, but the delays are certainly frustrating!

Stand-by for further updates! Thanks for your support!

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Accounting Calculation Challenge......to make VEFM self-sustainable

2009-08-09T20:01:00.002-04:00

How much do we need in the bank and how much needs to be coming in each month in pledges and subscriptions in order to make VEFM financially self-sustainable?

That question may leave you scratching your head, but there is a real challenge in it, for all you financial whizzes. The only way VEFM is going to be of any lasting benefit to pet owners in need is to have a large enough stash of money in the bank (or in liquid investments) and to have a large enough monthly income stream (from pledges and subscribers) to become self-sustainable, without having to go straight to individual donations for everything we do.

Here's what I mean---

(1) A certain amount of money in the bank will generate enough monthly interest income to be able to use the interest without tapping into the principal. Let's call the money in the bank, "B". Let's call the interest, "E".

(2) Monthly subscriptions and pledges can be budgeted to assume a monthly income stream of, say, "S". Let's call the number of individuals who pledge, "P", and the monthly pledge amount per person, "D".

(3) We will have to decide how many animals we expect to help each month--call this number, "A".

(4) We will also have to decide how much we expect to pay out for the average animal helped--call this number, "H". That leaves a total amount needed per month (called "M") as A X H.

-----------------

Let's arbitrarily decide that our early goal is to help ten animals each month, with an average amount paid out to be $1,000. A = 10. H = 1000. Therefore, M = A X H = $10,000.

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HERE'S THE CHALLENGE---

(1) How much do we have to raise in out-and-out donations, to put in the bank?.....In other words, what is "B"?

(2) What is a reasonable number of people we can expect to donate a monthly amount?.....In other words, what number is a reasonable goal for "P"?

(3) What is a reasonable monthly pledge for the average person to make?.....In other words, what number is a reasonable goal for "D"?

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An Open Letter to Veterinarians, By a Veterinarian

2009-08-03T18:03:00.005-04:00

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"The Growing Problem of Clients Who Cannot Afford Emergency Care"

After about 10 years working in emergency hospitals, it became painfully clear that, the more advanced our ability to provide adequate care became, the less the average person was able to afford it. In our recent economic downturn, it has become a real crisis. With the widespread use of specialized emergency and critical care hospitals for overnight, weekend, and holiday coverage for general practitioners, clients and their sick and injured pets are frequently caught in a desperate situation. They find themselves in the midst of a medical emergency, in a hospital where there is no ongoing relationship with the doctor providing the care, and faced with charges that are likely to be much higher than they are accustomed to, not to mention the requirement of immediate paymentFew would disagree that state-of-the art veterinary care should be available and easily accessible. It also goes without saying that facilities that provide this level of care must charge more for their services than practices with lower overhead. However, often we are dealing with owners who have chosen a particular emergency facility simply because their own vet is using it to cover emergency calls. Suddenly, they are faced with charges that could easily be three or four times when their normal vet would charge. There are some ethical questions, here. Should an emergency hospital that offers round-the-clock care, sophisticated critical care monitoring, and advanced surgical and medical treatment, be willing to offer care that is less than state-of-the-art, simply because an owner cannot afford it? Is it right to turn someone away and risk the animal's death, because they do not have enough to pay for treatment? As veterinarians, where do our allegiances lie?--to the owner and their emotional and financial needs; or to the animal and its comfort and general welfare? What about our own financial needs? It helps no one if veterinarians give so much of their services away that they go out of business. Nor does it help if we give away so much of our time and energy that we burn ourselves out and either lose our compassion or leave the profession.I would really like to get a dialog started about this important issue. My husband and I are trying to build up an organization that will help find funding for people who cannot afford emergency care. It is called The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission. Other similar organizations have fallen short because they have depended only on the generosity of individuals. I think that this issue is far too important not to get the backing of veterinarians and local communities around the country. Perhaps an internet dialog will get the word out and start people thinking about how to make change happen.

Lucy L. (Pinkston) Schroth DVM - President & Co-Founder of The Veterinary Emergency Funding Missionhttp://www.vefm.org/ (blog - http://vefm.blogspot.com/ )(vefmmail@gmail.com)

"Help me to help financially strapped owners pay for emergency vet care."

"Together, the veterinary community can make a BIG difference."

Don't Forget to Submit Photos for the 2010 VEFM Calendar

2009-08-02T17:10:00.002-04:00

Don't forget......... We need your pictures for the 2010 Calendar. The deadline will have to be August 31, in order to have them ready in time for to have them available at our booth at the Yarmouth Seaside Festival on October 10-11. Send them as jpeg's or pdf's to vefmmail@gmail.com. Here is a portion of just one of the excellent submissions. Click here for more information.

A Great Idea!...A Great Idea!.....Please Join the Discussion.

2009-06-22T11:05:00.002-04:00

I think we have solved several of the biggest challenges for VEFM with one great idea.....

- VOUCHERS FOR EMERGENCY CARE -

For years, shelters and SPCA's have used spay/neuter vouchers to encourage low-income pet owners to get their dogs and cats spayed or neutered. Recently, Bayer Animal Health has started a $20 voucher program to encourage owners to go to their vets for preventative care (www.gettothevet.com). It would seem to me that, in this era of gift cards and gift certificates, that we can easily establish a voucher program for emergency vet care that can go NATIONWIDE immediately, not just starting in the local area where VEFM is based.
PLEASE give ideas and feedback about this plan. Below are some sites where there is information on similar programs, where we can educate ourselves about the possibilities. We would like to have the new program fully operational well before the October date for the Seaside Festival booth.

http://www.customgiftcard.com/index.html http://www.justgive.org/give-now/gift-cards/index.jsp?gclid=CNLmu4WInpsCFVpM5Qod1DTVpA http://www.signaturecard.net/?referer=google&gclid=CJrXwZyInpsCFcxM5QodOGIdpQ

Vet-related vouchers:
-Well-pet vouchers: http://www.gettothevet.com/
-Spay-neuter vouchers: http://tlconline.org/pgm/0010app.html
http://www.schuylerhumane.org/vouchers.html
http://www.nfvsonline.org/nys_spayneuter.html
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=9698 http://www.animalrescue.net/vet_corner#9

Bayer might be willing to sponsor emergencies, too.... http://www.veterinarians.com/library/alerts/109/Bayer-$20-Vet-Voucher.html

Defense department????: "Automated Voucher Examining and Disbursing System" http://www.dodig.mil/audit/reports/fy03/03003sum.htm

Emergency food programs:
http://www.wfp.org/content/protracted-relief-and-recovery-operation-syria-107780-emergency-food-assistance-victims-drought

Any ideas you have will be welcome.

Ideas for Making Gifts to Sell at the Seaside Festival

2009-06-19T21:38:00.003-04:00

As we posted recently, VEFM will have a booth at the Yarmouth Seaside Festival, which runs from October 10-11, 2009, in Yarmouth, MA, on Cape Cod. We are collecting ideas from items to sell as fundraisers. This is one idea--a kit called the Gurumi Family, available from Knit Picks, for $19.99. It includes the pattern and yarn.

http://www.knitpicks.com/kits/Gurumi_Family_Kit__D40097.html?intmedid=Main2:Gurumi2

Gather Your Pictures--It's Calendar Time Again

2009-06-14T21:30:00.015-04:00

We are again looking for pictures of your pets for our 2010 calendar. Here's how to submit them:
1) Convert them to JPEG format, if needed.
2) Send them as an e-mail attachment to: vefmmail@gmail.com
3) If we get a surplus of pictures, we will post them on this blog, for voting.

We will also have room for a few stories of your experiences with a pet emergency. Post these stories as comments directly to this log post or, if you would prefer, to the above e-mail address.

THIS WAS THE COVER FOR THE 2009 CALENDAR

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Exciting Event Planned

2009-05-07T19:02:00.000-04:00

The Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission will have a booth at the Seaside Festival in Yarmouth, October 10-11, 2009. There is a huge craft fair associated with it, a big parade, a canoe/kayak race, a road race, fireworks, and many other activities.

http://www.yarmouthseasidefestival.com/AboutUs.html

Cats Who Twitter: #MeowMonday

2009-04-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

Cats Who Twitter: #MeowMonday This is a great idea.

Only 7 Days Left . . . .

2009-04-18T18:53:00.000-04:00

We have only 7 days left to raise $210 on Fundable.com. If we don't reach the target pledge amount of $300, the pledges that have already been made will be void, and VEFM gets nothing. The $300 goal was for the amount needed for VEFM's 501(C)(3) application. Without 501(C)(3) status, we will not be able to obtain grants, corporate donations, or even Facebook donations. Please, please help us reach this goal. Tell all your friends. The minimum donation on Fundable is $10, but all it would take would be for every friend to give you $1 or $2 and we would be all set. Here is the web address for donations at Fundable.com:
http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-03-29.4723451771

Thank you so much for your support. Even if you cannot give anything monetarily, just your desire to see VEFM succeed is very much appreciated.

-Lucy Schroth DVM