Your dog really stepped in it this time, so to speak, and the news isn’t good. After eating some garbage can leftovers, this unexpected veterinary bill is going to set you back $700. It wasn’t in the budget, and you’re figuring out which bill you’ll have to pay late. Stories like these are rampant — PetSmart Charities estimates more than 50 million pets in the U.S. lack access to veterinary care they need to prevent and address health problems.
Most people agree that pets are family. Challenges in accessing preventative care as well as treatment for illness and injury can put pets at risk for further complications and increased suffering for pets.
There is no dispute that the most significant barrier to pets accessing veterinary care is related to financial challenges. In the 2025 PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care study, 52% of pet parents reported skipping or declining veterinary care, with 70% citing they did so for financial reasons. Additionally, in a subsequent follow up study, veterinarians reported that the cost of veterinary care is by far the most common reason clients decline care. When financial limitations impact their ability to provide care, veterinary teams feel the pain, too.
Consumers today are accustomed to staggering payments through credit, 3rd party payment plans or others to help manage costs over time. Most Veterinary care practices still require payment at the time of services. While their businesses must remain solvent to sustain their staff and operations, it’s time to meet the needs of pet parents where they are. The potential solutions to getting more pets to the vet are numbered but helping pet parents pay for services themselves is an option we need to consider more closely.
Despite the significant impact financial barriers have on families’ access to care for their pets, pay-over-time options remain under-utilized. Whether this is due to pet parents’ inability to qualify for traditional plans or desire to avoid high interest and high-cost plans, or lack of awareness and communication of payment options within veterinary hospitals, the impact is clear – pet parents continue to struggle with the financial burden of veterinary care. In a world where many services and products can be paid for in monthly installments; veterinary medicine should be no different. As a profession, we need to understand the impact of the traditional pay at the time-of-service model and explore options that help pet parents manage the cost of veterinary care that will in turn help us deliver the care needed and also ensure we get paid, too. That’s a win for everyone.
PetSmart Charities, the top funder of animal welfare in the country, believes offering pay-over-time options to pet parents is a critical step in ensuring more pets stay in homes where they are loved. Too many pets are surrendered by loving families who simply can’t afford their care. This crisis will only deepen unless all of us in this space – funders, philanthropists, veterinarians, animal welfare advocates, educational institutions and more – work together. At PetSmart Charities, we made a leadership commitment to inspire stakeholders across the industry with a $100 million investment in removing barriers to veterinary care. Investments in a multi-faceted grant portfolio include funding for low-cost clinics, support and training for new veterinarians and calls-to-action to stakeholders across the space. Part of our strategy included funding research to understand the impact of pay-over-time options that are disassociated with a hard credit check.
This research study documented how clients use third-party managed pay-over-time options for financing the cost of care, the impact of these plans on veterinary clinics and explored the impact payment options have on pet parents and their families. The study analyzed the use of these plans in both for-profit and nonprofit settings, as accessible care cannot be solved by nonprofit clinics alone. Engaging for-profit clinics in the use of expanded payment options allows them to provide more care to their clients and helps prevent pets from going without the care they need.
The results of this study support the expansion and use of payment options within the veterinary industry. The ability to allow clients to pay for care over time resulted in clinics capturing additional revenue, that otherwise would have been declined, while allowing pets owners the ability to get the care they need for their pets. Utilizing a third-party tool to manage the payment option decreases the burden on the veterinary hospital staff while still allowing them to support their clients. Feedback from participating hospitals also supported the expansion of payment plans and highlighted the need for multi-partners solutions.
“Many families struggle to afford veterinary care in traditional for-profit settings. By incorporating Angel funds or similar charitable resources, clinics can help bridge the affordability gap and ensure pets receive timely care. Combining subsidized support with flexible payment options not only benefits clients—it strengthens community trust and improves overall patient outcomes. Nonprofits cannot shoulder this burden alone; when for-profit clinics join in, the entire community benefits,” – Research participant
Eliminating the need for payment at the time of service, offering payment options that meet the needs of pet parents and allowing them to spread out the cost of services is a win for pets, their families, and the broader veterinary industry.
