Less a business than a service – and a charity – the Mountain Paws Pet Care Fund provides financial support for local pet owners who are in need of emergency veterinary care for their pets but lack the finances for it. They serve Gilpin County, Coal Creek Canyon, and Boulder County mountain communities.
The officers of this non-profit, Ginger Baer, Roxanne O’Connell, and Dani Dillon, explain the functioning of the Fund this way: “Emergencies happen to our furry family members and can be very expensive to treat. Too many times have we seen pet owners need to make the decision to treat or not to treat. If they don’t treat then euthanasia might be the only option. This is a very emotional time and we have seen it help in the decision making when some of the worry about finances can be put aside.”
They go on to explain: “While there are other charitable organizations in our area, there are none specifically for emergency pet care....We have an online application for financial assistance on our website. Decisions can be made usually within 24 hours provided that the applicant fit our criteria. This assistance is only available for emergency care, not routine care. The pet must have a prognosis for a positive outcome.” Helping pets and pet families is what they are all about.
The Fund is strictly a volunteer organization, they stress. All three of their officers are connected to veterinary hospitals: Ginger Baer, the President, is the retired CFO for some Denver nonprofits and also retired from the front desk at Nederland Veterinary Hospital. Roxanne O’Connell, the Vice President, is a vet tech, formerly at Peak to Peak Animal Hospital and currently at Golden Paws Animal Hospital. Director Dani Dillon is the owner of the Nederland Veterinary Hospital.
Relying on donations, the officers spend much of their time fundraising, but were “hit hard by the pandemic. We had to halt all fund raising activities. We hope to be able to raise sufficient funds to meet these emergency needs.” Meanwhile, they have received donations from local businesses as well as from individuals. They also make dog treats to be made available at local businesses in return for donations.
“Once we can get volunteers to help us we will also be holding fund raising events,” they tell us. “We are currently looking for volunteers to help us with fundraising, planning, and review of applications for aid. We are also looking for a few more active board members.”
To learn more about the Mountain Paws Pet Care Fund, see their website at https://mtnpaws.org. They are also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ MountainPawsPetCareFundInc and on Instagram.
To make a donation or to volunteer, you can reach the organization by mail at PO Box 562, Nederland 80466; by email at Mountainpawspetcarefund@gmail.com; or by phone at 303.748.5996.
Sponsored by Gilpin County, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
