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The April Fund Make a Donation in honor of 15 year-old April The
April Fund The April Fund was incorporated into the Golden Retriever Foundation in the summer of 2000. It reimburses Rescue groups for extraordinary vet expenses. Many rescued Goldens are taken in with major medical problems that drain the financial resources of most groups. The April Fund rescues the rescuers.
The initial April Fund, created in 1995 by a New York Rescue group, assisted in the handling of puppy mill dogs. The fund’s namesake, April, with her nine two-week old puppies, was removed from a puppy mill. Only two of her puppies survived, but April, now 15 years of age, is still alive and well and happily living with her adoptive family. Although April lost her son, Lucky at age 11 this year she now has a new puppy to mother and help keep her young. April has inspired over $400,000 in gifts and we'd like to see the April Fund giving reach $500,000 as we celebrate her remarkable age achievement.
When the founding group disbanded, they donated the remaining $3,000 to the GRF for medical expenses associated with puppy-mill rescues. The GRF expanded that purpose to include all rescued dogs and added additional money to the fund to cover what the Board thought would be needed relief for Rescue groups. Statistics indicate that 60% or more of a Rescue group’s expenses are medical. Guidelines for April Fund Grant Applications Revised 6/29/06 The April Fund of the Golden Retriever Foundation is intended to help rescue groups defray veterinary expenses for an individual dog due to a single, extraordinary treatment or procedure. It is also used to assist groups with vet costs when they suffer a sudden influx of dogs from a puppy mill. It is designed to help rescue groups deal with abnormal situations, not as a subsidy for routine health care of rescued dogs. To apply, submit a paid vet bill for work done to the Golden Retriever Foundation along with an April Fund Grant Application. Application forms are available here. The turn around time once the request is received is approximately one month. The maximum award per dog per year is $400. No requests will be considered for expenses incurred more than six (6) months prior to the date the application is received by the Golden Retriever Foundation. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. What the April Fund WILL cover:
What the April Fund will NOT cover:
The April Fund is supported by direct contributions, augmented by funds from rescue contributions to the GRF. The directors strive to make an equitable distribution of the available resources among rescue groups, but they may find it necessary at times to deny otherwise qualified applications because of a lack of immediate funds. Grants are made only to recognized rescue organizations for dogs under their care, not to individual owners or foster homes. Any of the following items on file with the GRF or with GRCA's National Rescue Committee (NRC) will satisfy the Foundation’s accountability requirements:
Please remember that the purpose of the April Fund is to offset exceptional medical expenses, not to pay the ordinary vet costs that are incurred with each rescue. Groups are asked to monitor their own requests with this in mind. If you have questions concerning your application, contact the Foundation directly by e-mailing, writing or calling any of the directors. |
