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Application Process

Applying for Farley Foundation Funding

Who Qualifies For Funding?

Veterinarians may apply for funding to subsidize veterinary care needed by the pets of clients who:

  1. cannot otherwise afford to pay for the treatment, and
  2. are seniors receiving the Federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), are persons with disabilities who receive the Ontario Disability Support Payment (ODSP) or the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefit; or are women participating in OVMA's SafePet program.

If the pet owner does not meet BOTH of these criteria, no subsidy is available.

What Types of Animals Qualify for Funding?

Funding is available to subsidize the treatment of any animal whose primary purpose is companionship, without restricting the type of animal by species.

What Types of Medical Care Qualify for Funding?

The Foundation will only pay for non-elective procedures or treatments.

Routine physical examinations, vaccinations, etc. will not be funded. Spays and neuters will not be funded, unless the procedure is essential to the continued health of the animal. General prophylactic dental care is not eligible for funding. Other dental procedures (i.e. extractions) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Are There Any Limits on Funding Availability?

The following funding restrictions are in effect:

Veterinary Clinics:
Only Ontario veterinary practices with an OVMA member (practice owner/partner or associate) are eligible to receive funding. If an OVMA member owns or works in multiple clinics, that membership may only apply to one clinic for the purposes of qualifying for Farley funding. A clinic must have an OVMA member in the clinic prior to the submission of a funding application.

Funding is limited to $700 per clinic per calendar year. Clinics may opt to apply for $1,000 for one companion animal, or they may apply for smaller amounts for different pets throughout the year.

Pets/Households:
Funding per pet and per household is limited to $1,000 per calendar year.

If a pet owner is able to pay a portion of the cost of the required treatment, but not the full amount, a clinic may apply for funding to cover the remainder of the cost.

If the cost of the animal’s treatment is expected to exceed $1,000 plus any payment made by the client, the veterinarian has the option of requesting funding in the amount of $1,000 and offsetting the remaining cost of the treatment himself/herself.

Please note that Foundation funding may not be available at certain times, should the demand for funding exceed contributions to the Foundation.

Applying For Funding

Step 1 - Establishing Client Need

If an elderly or disabled client has an animal that requires medical care, the veterinarian must provide the client with an estimate regarding the cost of the work.

If the client indicates that he/she cannot afford the required treatment, the veterinarian may advise the client that funding may be available to pet owners receiving a federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) or the Ontario Disability Support Payment (ODSP) or the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefit.

If the client indicates that he/she receives either the GIS or the ODSP, and is interested in applying for funding, the veterinarians must ask for verification that the client is currently receiving one of those two types of assistance.

For clients who indicate that they receive a federal GIS payment:

  • Ask the client to call Human Resources Development Canada at either 1-800-277-9914 (English) or 1-800-277-9915 (French) from the clinic. These hotlines are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
  • Once connected, the client should press "0" to speak to an operator.
  • Once an operator is on the line, the client can ask the operator to verbally verify to a veterinarian that he/she is receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The client will have to provide his/her name and Social Insurance Number to the operator.
  • If, for any reason, enrollment in the GIS program cannot be verified to a veterinarian over the phone, the client should ask the operator for a "Letter of Entitlement" for the GIS program. Once received, this letter can be brought into the clinic as proof of enrolment in the program.

For clients who indicate that they receive a provincial ODSP payment:

  • The client must show a recent (within the past two months) monthly ODSP Income Statement from the Province as proof that he/she is receiving the benefit.
  • If the client does not have a current ODSP monthly income statement, he/she can contact the nearest regional ODSP office and ask the office to send the client a "To Whom it May Concern" letter verifying that he /she receives an ODSP payment.
  • Either the Income Statement or the letter from the ODSP office constitutes sufficient proof of enrolment in the program.

Step 2 – Submitting a Funding Application

Once enrolment in an appropriate subsidy program (GIS or ODSP) is confirmed, the clinic must fax a copy of each of the following documents to the Farley Foundation office:

  1. either a GIS "Letter of Entitlement", a recent monthly ODSP income statement, or an ODSP letter of verification; and
  2. a completed funding application form or funding application for SafePet participants; and
  3. a written treatment estimate setting out the work to be done.

Applications will not be considered until all of the requested information has been recieved.

Requests will be evaluated and a response provided confirming or denying funding within 48 hours of receipt of all required documentation by the Program Administrator. Every attempt will be made to render a decision concerning the provision of funding the same day that the request for funding can first be considered by Foundation staff.

What About Emergencies?

Clinics must submit the funding application prior to the provision of treatment.

In the case of an emergency, a clinic may decide to proceed with the work without funding approval, and apply for funding retroactively.

In such an instance, the funding application must be submitted within three business days of the completion of the treatment for which funding is being sought.

Applications submitted more than three days after treatment is completed will not be considered.

Step 3 - Payment

After the work is completed, the veterinarian must submit an invoice for the work done (up to the approved amount) to the Farley Foundation in order to receive payment.

For More Information

If you have questions about the program eligilbility criteria or the funding approval process, please contact the Farley Foundation at:

The Farley Foundation

420 Bronte Street South, Suite 205
Milton, Ontario L9T 0H9
T: 1.888.262.9811
F: 1.877.482.5941
info@farleyfoundation.org
www.farleyfoundation.org