Your dog doesn’t know there’s a crisis. All they know is they need you, and you’re trying.

Get Help

Second Leash Foundation exists for exactly this moment. No judgment. No shame. Just real help, quickly, for the dog who is counting on you.

We provide short-term assistance to help families keep their dogs through temporary financial hardship — and to help shelter dogs find homes when prevention isn't possible.

What We Can Help With

Emergency veterinary bills — paid directly to the clinic

Short-term pet food assistance — when household resources are stretched thin

Crisis boarding — temporary safe boarding (DFW only)

Senior dog care — for owners facing aging, illness, or hardship

Adoption fees and deposits — for families bringing home a shelter dog

We serve all 50 states for vet, food, adoption, and senior support. Crisis boarding is available in the Dallas–Fort Worth area on a case-by-case basis.

If any of the following describes your situation, we want to hear from you:

  • Job loss or reduced income

  • Eviction, housing instability, or forced relocation

  • Medical emergency or hospitalization

  • Domestic violence or crisis situation

  • Loss of food or income assistance

  • Natural disaster or emergency displacement

  • Any temporary hardship impacting your ability to care for your dog

If you're unsure whether you qualify, apply anyway. We review every case individually.

Who Can Apply

  • Demand for our help currently exceeds our funding. Submitting an application places you on our active intake list.

    We review applications as funding becomes available, and we prioritize:

    • Urgent veterinary emergencies

    • Senior dogs at risk of surrender or euthanasia

    • Cases where surrender is imminent without intervention

    • Cases where one small intervention prevents a much larger crisis

    Joining the intake list is not an approval, a promise of assistance, or a guarantee of funding. We respond to every application — but we cannot fund every case. When we cannot help, we may be able to refer you to a partner organization that can.

  • The application takes about 5 minutes. We'll ask about your situation, your dog, and what kind of help you need.

    Apply for help →

    After you apply:

    • Most applications are reviewed within 24–72 hours

    • Urgent vet cases move faster

    • All payments go directly to the partner providing the service (vet, boarder, shelter) — never to applicants

    • We respond to every application

  • If your dog is in critical condition right now, call your nearest emergency veterinary clinic first. Get your dog stable. Then contact us at paws@secondleashfoundation.org with "URGENT" in the subject line. Urgent vet cases are reviewed faster than the standard window.

Apply for Help 
If we can't help and you need other resources: Your veterinarian — ask about payment plans, CareCredit, or hardship programs. Local pet food pantries — many communities have free pet food programs. Local shelters and humane societies — some offer their own assistance programs