Eligibility requirements:

1. You must take your pet in for an initial office visit BEFORE filling out the application.

   a. Your application must be received within 14 days of the initial vet visit.
   b. Proof of the date of treatment will be REQUIRED from your veterinarian.
   c. We will need the details of a suggested treatment plan and/or suggested diagnostic tests along with a high and low estimate of costs.
   d. Office visit fees and the routine care associated with the initial visit are the pet owner’s responsibility

   e. Must NOT delay care in situations where the pet’s life is threatened or the quality of life is diminished without care. DELAY OF CARE WILL RESULT IN A DENIED APPLICATION.

2. You must provide a copy of the high and low estimate of care at the time of application.

3. You must provide proof your pet is up to date on ALL required vaccines. Emergency applications for illnesses preventable by vaccine will be denied.

4. You and your pet must live in one of the following counties:
   a. South Dakota: Butte, Custer, Fall River, Lawrence, Meade, or Pennington
   b. Wyoming: Crook
   c. Proof residency must be provided: driver’s license or state identification card (not expired / temporary), lease agreement or mortgage statement, AND two utility bills listed in your name for your residence.

5. You must provide proof that you have owned your pet for at least three months (adoption/purchase papers, vet records, and/or rabies certificates for two consecutive “terms”).

6. Hobo’s Healing Heart will pay up to 50% of the total bill excluding the initial vet visit fee, but no more than 10% of the available bank balance for the county in which the applicant is from.
   a. The grant maximum is $900 per household AND pet (if pet is rehomed).
   b. Hobo’s Healing Heart will only pay $50 towards the first round of medication needed for a newly diagnosed chronic condition in which Hobo’s assisted with the diagnostic testing.
   c. Hobo’s Healing Heart will not cover the cost of needed Rabies vaccines or the initial vet visit.

7. You must be able to prove financial need and inability to qualify for retail/commercial support such as, but not limited to, Care Credit, personal loan, etc.
   a. Provide proof of income: Two most recent years IRS Tax Returns (Black our your social security number) AND 30-days of the most recent pay stubs AND / OR Social Security Award letters, Retirement Income Statement, for ALL working adults (age 18+) in the household where the pet resides.

   b. Credit Determination Letter from Care Credit. Approvals must show the amount you qualified for.

8. If your income exceeds 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, you must provide proof of the hardship you claim (lease agreement/mortgage statement, student loan statement [for loan in repayment], most recent utility bills, most recent medical bills, etc.).

9. You must grant permission to Hobo’s Healing Heart to use pictures of your pet and provide a summary of your pet’s care and support for the purposes of promotion and fundraising.

10. You must submit at least one photo of you or another immediate family member with your pet.

11. You must provide a brief history about how your pet came to live with you, how you came to need the assistance of Hobo’s Healing Heart, and if the grant is approved, what it means to you and your family to receive the assistance.

12. If approved, grant funds will be paid directly to your veterinarian. In the case a veterinary clinic requires full payment for care at the time of visit, the veterinary clinic will reimburse the applicant after receiving grant funds from Hobo’s Healing Heart.

13. If approved, grant recipients are asked to volunteer 2.5 hours of their time for EACH approved application submitted within one year of receiving the grant to help Hobo’s Healing Heart continue our mission. If you choose not to volunteer, this will NOT impact your CURRENT application, however, it WILL make you INELIGIBLE for future grants.

14. All requests for additional information and documentation by Hobo’s Healing Heart will be made by email.

    a. If you do not respond to follow-up emails with the requested information within 24 hours, Hobo’s Healing Heart will make ONE attempt via phone call to reach you.

    b. If after the phone attempt, you still do not respond within 12 hours with the required documents, the application WILL BE DENIED.

NOTE: All grants are awarded pursuant to available funds and as such, you may be required to pay more than 50% of your bill. You will need to answer every question honestly and completely for consideration. Please do not elaborate in fields for specific questions, and instead use the description area to provide any additional information. If you do not meet the requirements for a grant, please see our “Resources” tab for fundraising ideas.

By clicking apply I acknowledge that:

1. I read the categories of care to see if my need qualifies

2. I read the eligibility requirements carefully

3. I meet ALL of the requirements to apply