About Us | Help Save Pets & Vets

Our Journey

Our History

1990

Founding year of HelpSavePets.

Focused on saving over 16,000 animals, we covered medical costs for homeless pets and ensured they found loving homes.

2020s and Current:

Transitioning to Help Save Pets and Vets we've switched our focus to alleviating the anxiety and stress that veterinarians face when confronting sick or injured pets that they know they can save, but the owners cannot afford the care, which many times results in economic euthanasia.

Help Save Pets & Vets was founded in 1990 with a singular mission: to provide life-saving medical care to homeless pets and help them find their forever homes. Initially, the organization focused on covering medical costs for animals in shelters, ensuring they could receive the treatments they needed to become adoptable. By addressing the financial barriers faced by shelters and rescues, Help Save Pets & Vets successfully saved thousands of lives and gave countless pets a second chance at happiness.

Over the years, the organization grew in scope and impact, evolving to meet the changing needs of pets, their owners, and the veterinary community. This commitment to adapting and expanding its mission has cemented Help Save Pets & Vets as a trusted advocate for animals and their caregivers alike.

Meet Dr. Tony

Dr. Tony Kremer: Veterinarian and Founder of Help Save Pets & Vets

Dr. Tony Kremer owned 15 veterinary hospitals in the Chicagoland area and in Ohio. He is the founder of Help Save Pets & Vets, an animal shelter which has saved more than 16,000 pets since 2000. Dr. Tony’s knowledge, insight, and advice are shared regularly with ABC, NBC, WGN, CBS, Fox & Good Morning America. Dr. Tony received nationwide media attention when his hospitals were featured on Season 1 of Nat Geo WILD’s Animal ER Live.

Dr. Tony received degrees from University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 and Illinois Center for Broadcasting in 2012. Dr. Tony has developed a special interest in orthopedic surgery and has attended extensive post-graduate course work at The Ohio State University. Dr. Tony routinely performs advanced knee and hip procedures as well as complicated fracture repair in all of his practices. In his spare time, Dr. Tony loves to motorcycle, scuba dive, golf, and play guitar. Dr. Tony also enjoys spending time with his Help Save Pets & Vets rescue chihuahua mix, Ania.

Transforming lives

Our Mission

Saving More Pet Lives

Every pet deserves a chance at a healthy and happy life. Our mission prioritizes providing resources and financial assistance to ensure pets receive the medical care they need. By bridging the gap between affordability and treatment, we’re helping save more lives and giving families hope during challenging times.

Reducing Economic Euthanasia

Financial hardship is many times a barrier to saving a beloved pet's life. Our program provides veterinarians access to grants ensuring pet owners have access to life-saving treatments for their pets.

Reducing Compassion Fatigue

The emotional toll of veterinary work can be overwhelming. We aim to reduce compassion fatigue by providing veterinarians who already participate in pet rescue, shelter medicine, or have actively helped save homeless pets in other ways with grants to help offset the costs when facing economic euthanasia.

Reducing Veterinary Burnout

Veterinarians often face immense stress from the demands of their profession. Our mission includes offering solutions to reduce burnout, such as mental health resources, wellness programs, and funding support. By prioritizing their well-being, we’re ensuring they can continue their essential work with renewed passion and purpose.

Helping to Alleviate the Shortage of Veterinarians

The veterinary profession faces a growing shortage of skilled professionals. The fact of the matter is that anxiety, burnout, and compassion fatigue cause many veterinarians to rethink their career path and contribute to the veterinary shortage by dropping out of the profession. By investing in the mental well-being of veterinarians we're ensuring pets and their families have access to the care they need for years to come.

Continue to Support Adoption Programs for Homeless Pets

Adoption has always been a vital part of our mission, and we remain committed to giving homeless pets a second chance at life. While expanding our efforts to provide financial support to reduce economic euthanasia, we continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome pets in need. To date, our adoption programs have helped over 16,000 animals find loving homes, and we are dedicated to continuing this life-changing work for pets and their future families.

Our Journey

Our History

HelpSavePets was founded in 1990 with a singular mission: to provide life-saving medical care to homeless pets and help them find their forever homes. Initially, the organization focused on covering medical costs for animals in shelters, ensuring they could receive the treatments they needed to become adoptable. By addressing the financial barriers faced by shelters and rescues, HelpSavePets successfully saved thousands of lives and gave countless pets a second chance at happiness.

Over the years, the organization grew in scope and impact, evolving to meet the changing needs of pets, their owners, and the veterinary community. This commitment to adapting and expanding its mission has cemented HelpSavePets as a trusted advocate for animals and their caregivers alike.

Make a Difference

A veterinarian checks a dog's heartbeat with a stethoscope.

Our Heartfelt Mission

Mission Expansion

In response to the growing challenges faced by both pet owners and veterinarians, HelpSavePets evolved into HelpSavePets&Vets.org to address critical issues that extend beyond saving homeless pets. While our foundation remains rooted in providing care for animals in need, our expanded mission now tackles the financial and emotional barriers that prevent families from accessing essential veterinary care.

Economic euthanasia—the heartbreaking decision to euthanize a beloved pet due to financial constraints—has become a pressing issue. At HelpSavePets&Vets.org, we aim to reduce this crisis by offering financial assistance programs that allow pet owners to pursue life-saving treatments for their animals. By easing the financial burden, we ensure that more pets can remain with their families, healthy and cared for.

We’ve also turned our focus toward the well-being of veterinarians, who face high rates of burnout and compassion fatigue. Veterinarians often bear the emotional weight of difficult decisions, like economic euthanasia, which takes a significant toll on their mental health. Through support initiatives, funding for low-cost treatments, and resources for emotional resilience, we strive to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for veterinary professionals.

This transition to HelpSavePets&Vets.org reflects our holistic approach to saving lives—supporting not only the pets in need but also the veterinarians who dedicate their lives to helping them. Together, we’re building a future where no pet is lost due to financial hardships, and no veterinarian is left to struggle alone.

98%

Veterinary Care Satisfaction

95%

Adoption Success Rate

500+

Community Outreach

Transforming lives

Our Impact by the Numbers

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