Purdue announces new wellness program for pet owners in need

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. — Cash-strapped pet owners around Indianapolis are eligible for a new program announced in late September by the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine.

The Good Samaritan Endowment Program was created to provide preventive, non-emergency wellness care for Marion County residents who can't afford veterinary care due to financial hardship, according to the university. Basic wellness and routine treatment like vaccinations and heartworm prevention will be provided by the program as long as residents verify their need through a questionnaire. Based on the financial information provided by pet owners and the range of veterinary services needed, care will be provided at the discretion of the clinician in charge, according to Purdue.

Three community centers in Marion County—the Concord Center, 1310 S. Meridian St.; Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek, 2990 W. 71st St.; and Church Within, 1125 Spruce St.—will work with applicants to determine if they meet financial qualifications.

It will be funded through a $100,000 anonymous gift from an Indianapolis woman who wanted to reach out to pet owners with hardships. Elanco Companion Animal Health matched the donation. The program will continue as long as funding allows, according to Purdue.

"With the difficult economy, more and more families are being financially stressed, and there is great need for the Good Samaritan project," says Willie Reed, dean of Purdue's veterinary school.

The program will also enlist the help of three Marion County veterinarians in private practice—Dr. Philip Borst of the Shelby Street Animal Clinic, Dr. John Schnar of the Irvington Pet Clinic and Dr. Gail Dallas of the West 56th Street Veterinary Hospital.

The program will also offer hands-on learning opportunities for fourth-year veterinary and veterinary technician students.