If you’ve ever had an itch you just can’t scratch, you’ll understand how sweet little Cocoa was feeling.

This beautiful little tabby and her dad reached out to Paws for Hope last month because she had contracted a bad case of fleas. Nothing they did with over-the-counter medication was working, and poor little Cocoa was getting worse. 

Fortunately, we enrolled Cocoa and her dad in our Better Together program in September and got this sweet girl the treatment she needed.

Better Together is one of our core programs, which works to keep pets and their families together by providing basic and urgent veterinary care. Lack of access to this type of care is the biggest issue facing domestic animals in Canada, far outpacing cases of cruelty or neglect.

Not only do the animals deserve this help, but at Paws for Hope, we recognize the enormous impact pets can have on the lives of vulnerable people as companions and sources of joy. Healthy animals help make for healthy people and healthy communities. 

Recognizing this interconnection means supporting people to help their pets, and helping pets to support their people. Through Better Together we’re able to do this by linking social service agencies, veterinarians and community funding sources to help meet this goal for under-served families. 

We were able to enrol Cocoa and her dad thanks to a grant from the Coquitlam Foundation which we received specifically to help cats get veterinary care. 

We can’t do this kind of work without a strong community of supporters, donors, funders and service partners who all understand that pets deserve a loving home where they can be healthy and safe. 

If you’re reading this, you’re a part of that community and we’re thankful to share it with you. 

Your belief in the work we do means everything.

Cocoa says thank you too. You can help support cats like her through our Better Together program here.