10 Options for Free & Low Cost Pet Care in Washington State

If you’re looking for low cost pet care in Washington State, look no further than this master list! We’ve found free pet boarding, free pet food banks and so much more to help low income pet owners in Washington State.

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Low Cost Pet Care in Western Washington

There are many resources for low cost pet care in Washington State, especially around the Puget Sound area. Check our list below to see what’s available in your area.

Budkis Fund for Emergency Pet Care

Low-income seniors who reside within the Puget Sound area (Lynnwood to Olympia) can receive emergency veterinary assistance, including medications, surgical procedures and euthanasia. Long-term care and life support are not eligible for assistance.

Veterinarians must contact the Fund to apply for funding, so make sure to pass this information along to your vet! Your vet can contact the fund at (206) 817-4299.

In order to be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:

• The pet owner must be at least 62 years old.
• The household must have an income that is $2,200 or less per individual (or $2,700 or less per couple).

This fund prioritizes seniors who do not have companionship other than their pets. This could be because the pet owner’s family has moved away or is deceased.

For more information, please visit the Budkis Fund website.

Concern for Animals

Low income pet owners who reside in Thurston, Lewis and Mason counties can contact Concern for Animals for assistance. Among other things, Concern for Animals offers:

• Pet food bank that provides food and supplies for pets. Appointments may be required, so please call ahead.
• Medical care voucher assistance program for students, military members and low-income families. The funding cannot be used for routine office visits, vaccines or rabies/leukemia testing. The voucher must be applied before services are rendered.
• Spay & neuter vouchers are also available for students, military members and low-income families. The voucher must be used at a clinic that partners wtih CFA.
• Trap rentals are also available.

Additional details are available on the Concern for Animals website.

Pierce County

The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County

The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County offers many free and low cost pet care services that may be able to help you. They serve low-income households in Pierce County, Tacoma and the city of Federal Way.

Their services include:

• Spay and neuter program for cats, dogs, or rabbits
• Microchip services, which cost just $25 for national registration.
• Pet food pantry, which provides cat and dog food to those who need it.
• Barn cat program that charges just $20 to adopt unsocialized cats that have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and treated for parasites.
• End-of-life services like euthanasia and cremation

Kitsap County

Kitsap Humane Society

The Kitsap Humane Society offers several options for low cost pet care in Washington State.

• Pet food pantry is available every afternoon for those who need free pet food.
• Pet Protection Program provides free temporary shelter to cats who belong to victims of domestic violence, or people who have experienced a job loss, homelessness or other unexpected life change. The cat will be placed with in a foster home for up to 90 days at no cost.
• Spay & Neuter services are available for pets that belong to low income households.
• Vaccine and microchip services are available at a low cost.
• End-of-life services like euthanasia and cremation are available at a low cost.
• Community Cats program provides low-cost spay and neuter services for unsocialized, feral or community cats. The service includes ear-tipping and rabies vaccinations.

PAWS of Bremerton

Low-income residents of Kitsap and North Mason Counties can receive basic veterinary care for a substantial discount from PAWS of Bremerton. They offer the following services:

• Low Cost Spay/Neuter and Vaccinations are available for low income, unemployed and military residents of Kitsap and north Mason Counties.
• Flea treatments are available for a small suggested donation. The flea treatments are offered to cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets.

For details, visit the PAWS of Bremerton website.

PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap

Low income families living in North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island can receive low cost pet care from their local PAWS organization.

• Veterinary care assistance is available. Applications can be picked up at any of the pet food bank locations below.
• Free boarding is available for low income families in crisis situations. They offer free boarding for up to 30 days for cats and 72 hours for dogs.
• Spay/Neuter and Vaccine Assistance is available by application. Members of the Suquamish Tribe can get the full cost of the spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations covered.
• Pet Food Bank offers dry cat or dog food, canned cat food and cat litter for low income households. The locations are listed below.
• Pets and Loving Seniors (PALS) is a foster program for seniors who want the companionship of a pet but can’t handle the pet costs. This program allows seniors to foster a healthy, older dog or cat. PAWS retains ownership of the pet and pays for all food, litter and vet visits.
• Community Cats has two parts: a trap/neuter/release program for unowned and feral cats, and an In From the Wild foster program to tame feral kittens.

Applications for veterinary care assistance can be picked up at these pet food bank locations:

• North Kitsap Fishline (Poulsbo)
• ShareNet (Kingston)
• Central Kitsap Food Bank (Silverdale)
• Helpline House (Bainbridge Island)
• Port Gamble Sk’lallam Tribal Center (Kingston)
• Suquamish Tribal Center (Suquamish)
• Your local PAWS in Bainbridge Island or Kingston.

Jefferson County

Olympic Mountain Pet Pals

Jefferson County residents can receive assistance with veterinary costs from Olympic Mountain Pet Pals. They offer several services:

• Spay and Neuter program that provides affordable surgeries for pets that belong to low income households.
• Ginger’s Fund provides emergency medical assistance to pets whose owners can’t afford it.
• Pets to People is a program that helps older citizens. This outreach program brings dogs to visits residents of extended care or assisted living facilities.
• Community Cats program provides a trap/neuter/return service for unowned pets.

To be served by Ginger’s Fund, pets must previously be spayed or neutered and owners must demonstrate a financial need. Funds are disbursed at the discretion of the following participating veterinarians:

• Dr. Ginny Johnson and Dr. Cindy Alexander at Hadlock Veterinary Clinic. The clinic is located at 842 Ness’ Corner Rd in Port Hadlock WA. Please call (360) 385-2020 for an appointment.
• Dr. Jeff Highbarger at Chimacum Valley Veterinary Hospital. The clinic is located at 820 Chimacum Rd in Port Hadlock. Please call (360) 385-4488 for an appointment.
• Dr. Abbie Doll at Pet Townsend Veterinary Clinic, located at 1445 F St in Port Townsend. Call (360) 379-1133 for an appointment.
• Dr. Madelyn Curll at Oak Bay Animal Hospital, located at 975 Oak Bay Rd in Port Hadlock. Call (360) 385-7297 for more information.

Low Cost Pet Care in Eastern Washington

If you’re looking for low cost pet care in Washington State, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve also found a few options on the eastern side of the state.

WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital

The Good Samaritan Fund by WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital can help low income households afford lifesaving procedures for their companion pets.

In order to be eligible for the Good Samaritan Fund, you must meet these criteria:

• Your pet must be a common companion animal species.
• Your pet must need a life-saving procedure.
• Your pet must have a reasonable prognosis for good long-term recovery.
• You must be unable to pay for care due to circumstances beyond your control.
• You must be able to bring your pet to the College of Veterinary Medicine at WSU.

Ownerless pets are also eligible if they have a temperament that does not prevent future adoption

Still need help? Try these 24+ veterinary grant programs that are available nationwide!

Nicole Thelin

Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.