Breeder Emergency Assistance Fund

I. Program Overview

The Breeder Emergency Assistance Fund is a financial assistance program established by the Functional Dog Collaborative to help ethical breeders meet unexpected veterinary or other expenses when the cost of necessary expenses would otherwise create a significant financial hardship.

The program is intended to advance the FDC’s mission of promoting the welfare and responsible breeding of dogs by providing responsible breeders with access to financial resources during veterinary or other emergencies. The Fund will combine interest-free loans, which are repaid and returned to the Fund for future use, with limited grants for applicants experiencing circumstances in which repayment would create an unreasonable hardship.

The FDC will conduct ongoing fundraising to replenish the Fund, increase its capacity, and create a sustainable source of assistance for the breeding community.

Assistance is based on objective eligibility criteria, demonstrated need, the welfare of the dog(s), and the applicant’s commitment to ethical breeding practices. Applications will be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors within the Board’s complete discretion. Neither applications nor funding decisions will be made public except with the consent of the applicant for beneficial purposes (e.g., fund-raising).

II. Types of Assistance

A. Emergency Loans

The primary form of assistance will be an interest-free loan.

Loans may be used for unexpected veterinary or other expenses involving a dog bred by, owned, or in the care of an eligible applicant, including:
• Emergency hospitalization or surgery;
• Treatment of acute illness or injury;
• Diagnostic testing necessary to address an acute medical problem;
• Emergency reproductive care;
• Complications associated with pregnancy, whelping, or neonatal care;
• Veterinary treatment or expenses necessary to prevent significant suffering;
• Urgent transportation or other expenses necessary to support the health and welfare during pregnancy, whelping, neonatal care or puppy rearing.
• Other extraordinary expenses approved by the FDC Board of Directors.
Loans would generally be repaid over a period of one to five years, depending upon the amount of the loan and the applicant’s financial circumstances.

There would be no interest or finance charge.
Loan repayments would return to the Fund and become available for future applicants.

B. Emergency Grants

The FDC may also provide limited grants that do not require repayment.

Because the Fund is limited, grants should be reserved for situations involving substantial financial hardship, particularly where:
• A veterinary treatment is necessary to protect the welfare of the dog(s);
• The applicant has demonstrated financial need;
• A loan would create an unreasonable financial burden;
• A grant would reduce the required loan to an amount that the applicant is able to repay.
Grants should generally be the exception rather than the primary form of assistance so that the Fund can serve as many breeders as possible.

 

III. Initial Fund Structure

The Fund will initially be capitalized with $10,000 contributed by the FDC.

The FDC may modify this allocation based upon experience with the program.

The Fund should be treated as a revolving fund. Loan repayments will be returned to the Fund rather than becoming unrestricted operating revenue.

Fundraising proceeds specifically designated for the program will also be added to the Fund.

IV. Eligibility

A potential applicant should generally:
• Be engaged in responsible, ethical dog breeding;
• Demonstrate compliance with ethical breeding standards;
• Have incurred, or anticipate incurring, an extraordinary veterinary or other expense;
• Demonstrate that the expense is related to the health or welfare of one or more dogs;
• Demonstrate financial need sufficient to justify assistance; 
• Not be a director, officer or employee of the FDC; and
• Meet any additional requirements established by the Fund Committee.

The decision whether to approve an application and the terms of any loan or grant are within the discretion of the Board of Directors.

V. Ineligible Expenses

The Fund should generally not pay for:

• Routine veterinary care;
• Routine vaccinations;
• Routine reproductive expenses;
• Elective procedures;
• Cosmetic procedures;
• Routine breeding expenses;
• Expenses incurred before the program’s eligibility requirements are satisfied, unless the Committee expressly permits retroactive assistance;
• Expenses unrelated to the welfare of the dog; or
• Expenses that are primarily business or capital expenses.

The FDC may make exceptions when necessary to further the Fund’s animal-welfare purpose.

VI. Loan Terms

Primary assistance: Interest-free loans
Loan term: 1–5 years
Suggested maximum individual loan: $7,500
Standard grant: Up to $1,000
Exceptional grant: Up to $2,500 with additional approval
Interest: None
Prepayment penalty: None
Loan repayments: Returned to Fund

A loan agreement will establish:
• Principal amount;
• Date of disbursement;
• Repayment period;
• Monthly payment amount;
• Payment due date;
• Method of payment;
• Permitted early repayment;
• Consequences of missed payments;
• Procedures for requesting a payment modification;
• Circumstances under which the organization may forgive some or all of the remaining balance; and
• Procedures if the borrower becomes unable to repay.

Loan Amount	Suggested Maximum Term
Up to $1,000	12 months
$1,000 – $2,500	24 months
$2,501 – $5,000	36 months
$5,001 – $7,500	48 months
More than $7,500	Up to 60 months

VII. Application Process

The application process is designed to allow for rapid decisions during genuine veterinary emergencies.

Step 1 — Application

The applicant submits a short emergency assistance application containing:
• Applicant information;
• Description of the dog and its relationship to the applicant;
• Description of the medical or other emergency;
• Veterinary diagnosis or proposed treatment;
• Amount requested;
• Amount the applicant can contribute;
• Explanation of financial hardship;
• Requested loan or grant;
• Proposed repayment period, if applicable; and
• Certification that the information provided is accurate.

Step 2 —Documentation

The applicant may provide documentation from the treating veterinarian confirming the nature of the medical condition and the recommended treatment or other documentation as appropriate.

Step 3 — Eligibility Review

The Board reviews the application to determine:
• Whether the applicant meets program requirements;
• Whether the expense is eligible;
• Whether the situation involves genuine financial need; and
• Whether assistance advances the FDC’s charitable and animal-welfare purpose.

Step 4 — Decision

The Board may:
• Approve the requested amount;
• Approve a smaller amount;
• Approve a combination of grant and loan;
• Request additional information; or
• Deny the application.

Step 5 — Disbursement

Whenever practical, funds should be paid directly to the veterinary hospital or veterinarian.
This provides an additional safeguard that Fund money is being used for its intended purpose.

VIII. Ethical Breeding Requirements

Because the Functional Dog Collaborative exists to promote ethical breeding, participation in the Fund should reinforce those standards.
The FDC may decline assistance where there is credible evidence that the applicant’s breeding practices are inconsistent with the organization’s welfare standards.
The purpose of this requirement should be to ensure that Fund resources support the organization’s mission to increase the health and welfare of dogs rather than simply providing financial assistance to anyone who breeds.

IX. Financial Hardship Determination

When deciding whether a situation involves genuine financial need, the Board will consider factors such as:
• Household or business income;
• Available savings;
• Veterinary expense relative to the applicant’s resources;
• Existing debt;
• Applicant’s ability to contribute toward the expense; and
• Whether the circumstances causing the expense were reasonably foreseeable.

The decision will be based upon whether an unexpected veterinary expense has created a financial hardship that justifies assistance from the Fund.

X. Loan Repayment and Hardship Policy

The FDC recognizes that borrowers may experience additional financial difficulties.

A borrower who cannot make a scheduled payment should be encouraged to contact the organization rather than becoming delinquent.

The Committee may have authority to:
• Temporarily defer payments;
• Extend the repayment period;
• Reduce monthly payments;
• Modify the repayment schedule;
• Forgive a portion of the remaining balance in extraordinary circumstances; or
• Convert a portion of a loan to a grant when circumstances warrant.
This flexibility will make the program more humane while protecting the Fund from unnecessary defaults.

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