Financial Assistance for
Veterinary Care

If you cannot fund necessary veterinary care yourself, first ask friends and family if they are able to assist.

If you have ZipPay you can generate a card which can be used on any contactless EFTPOS machine.

VetPay offers a payment plan service similar to ZipPay, with fortnightly repayments. Applications are approved or declined within 30 minutes.

Recipients of Centrelink benefits may be eligible for an interest-free loan.

The Canberra-based organisation Care provides interest-free loans for those on low to moderate incomes. Specialist loans are available for those fleeing or affected by domestic violence. For more information and application forms please visit their website.

Rainbow Paws has a program - Code Rainbow - available to concession card holders. Code Rainbow offers subsidised veterinary care, meaning that the pet owner must pay a small portion of the cost. To utilise Rainbow Paws you must have a referral from a support worker or case manager. Applications can be made online or via email.

ACT Pet Crisis Support assists pets in the community by providing subsidised veterinary care for urgent, non-elective medical treatment to owners experiencing financial hardship. For funding up to $1,500, the clinic must apply on a client’s behalf. Please note that funding for ACT PCS is limited, and this charity should only be used if all previous options have been declined.

If all other avenues have been exhausted, RSPCA ACT may be able to assist with veterinary care. Please keep in mind that RSPCA ACT operates as an independent shelter, with their limited resources going towards caring for shelter animals, so their vet clinic is not normally open to the public. Their assistance is on a purely case-by-case basis.