Grant Proposal

Executive Summary

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is requesting a 1.7 million dollar grant from the American Online Giving Foundation to establish a new veterinary clinic, in the under-resourced community of Laramie, Wyoming by 2026, to expand access to care for an estimated 10,000 domesticated pets.

For over 150 years, the ASPCA has been the nation's leader in their efforts to end animal cruelty through hands-on veterinarian care, their response to emergencies, the training of law enforcement, and their efforts to strengthen laws related to animal safety. Each year they aid hundreds of thousands of animals while creating solutions that impact millions more.

Laramie, Wyoming critically needs an increase in accessible veterinary care and capacity. Over 21% of its residents live below the poverty line and the community faces a shortage in affordable and accessible veterinary care. The statewide shortage of veterinarians and technicians is causing clinics to be understaffed, inefficiently ran, and higher risk of employee burnout. The shortage is also resulting in the unavailability of emergency services after 10 PM, which causes families with emergency needs to travel 85 miles to the closest after-hours clinic. Residents deal with limited appointment availability and a growing number of animals left undiagnosed, untreated, and even surrendered because of the lack of inaccessibility.

To address these concerning challenges Laramie is facing with animal welfare, the ASPCA proposes opening a Veterinary Care Clinic that is equipped to provide high-quality, affordable routine and emergency service, which will also include after-hours care. The clinic will include several exam rooms, a surgery suite, recovery rooms, in-house laboratories, cat and dog specific housing, and staff-only areas. Every clinic design choice was made to prioritize efficiency, safety, and long-term stability.

Veterinarians and licensed technicians, including graduates of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and graduates of the ASPCA Veterinary Technician Internship, will staff the new clinic to guarantee that animals in Laramie receive the best, most effective care. This will create meaningful and beneficial impacts on the animals and their owners.

Effectiveness will be measured by number of animals served, after-hour cases, client satisfaction, treatment outcomes, and staff workload. Adjustments will be made to ensure that this clinic is reaching its goals in creating accessible, top-of-the-line care for Laramie residents. The clinic's long-term sustainability will be maintained through partnerships with other organizations that are equally committed to animal welfare. Future support will come from JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Giant Steps Foundation, and The New York Community Trust.

This project is the perfect opportunity to create and expand access to veterinary care in Laramie, Wyoming. The new clinic will provide a sustainable, community centered resource that will benefit this under-resourced community for years to come.

Organizational Background

The ASPCA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1866 with a 150 year old mission to prevent cruelty towards animals across the United States. As the country’s first animal welfare organization, the ASPCA has become the voice for animals that are in harmful, abusive situations.

As an organization, we strive to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of animals each year. Our team provides veterinary care, rehabilitates animals, continuously researches animal welfare, trains law enforcement, and advocates for animal protection laws. Rather than operating our own shelters, the ASPCA works to build strong partnerships with hundreds of other shelters, rescues, and clinics across the country to increase impact and expand access.

We have always been dedicated to maintaining a hands-on veterinary care approach. So much so that “every year, our hands-on work directly impacts hundreds of thousands of animals, with our lasting solutions benefitting millions more” (ASPCA.org). Central to our mission, our hands-on approach is guided by three principles: save, transform, and protect. We save animals by responding to cruelty cases, natural disasters and other urgent needs, we transform their lives through direct care, sheltering, and rehabilitation, and “we protect animals by advancing strong laws and policies and addressing systemic cruelty" (ASPCA.org).

In 2024, we reached the 10 year milestone in our partnership with the New York Police Department. This partnership was created to “transform New York City’s ability to protect animals across all five boroughs” (ASPCA.org). We continue to make a large meaningful impact in areas that need it most, for example, we were able to ensure the safety of animals across North Carolina that were impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The ASPCA has an estimated budget of $338.5 million, including approximately $290 million dedicated directly to organization programs. Our programs include shelter and veterinary services, policy, response, and engagement, and public education and communication. Our 9 board members and 4 board officers ensure financial health, approving the annual budget, and allocating funds with nearly $142 million spent on shelter and veterinary services alone. The ASPCA will continue to provide a meaningful, lasting impact for the animals and communities that are most in need.

Need

Wyoming faces a critical shortage of accessible, affordable, and reliable veterinarian services. Animals across the state are being left without necessary services that support their health and well-being. These challenges are faced most by the residents of Laramie, WY. Laramie is the most under-resourced and poverty stricken community across the entire state, where more than 21% of its residents live below the poverty line (DataUSA, 2023). The residents often face barriers such as financial constraints, transportation limitations, and lack of basic veterinary care services.

There is currently a statewide shortage of veterinary technicians that has caused the existing clinics to be over capacity. The existing clinics are faced with a demand that is far higher than the number of veterinarians each clinic has available, which is causing the technicians to be burnt out and overworked. The lack of after-hour care is particularly concerning as emergency veterinarian care is not available after 10 PM, and beyond those hours, the closest option is 85 miles away in Idaho Falls (Wyoming Veterinary Outreach).

Community members and local officials have expressed concern for the shortage of available veterinarians, which causes the ones that are available to be overworked, and therefore susceptible to burn-out. They have expressed that “clinics have worked to provide after-hours care by rotating weekend on-call duties. Despite best intentions, these efforts have not proven sustainable. The most recent arrangement placed a disproportionate burden on one clinic, which covered nearly two-thirds of the shifts” (Wyoming Veterinary Outreach). In the worst scenario, high levels of burnout cause animal care to be increasingly risky, appointment availability to decrease, and can overall compromise the quality of care. A new clinic with more available, well-trained veterinarians would help lower these risks immensely.

Without an additional Veterinary Care Clinic, Laramie’s pets remain at risk for undiagnosed health issues and even prolonged suffering. Under-resourced families are usually left with minimal to no options for emergency pet-related medical issues. In some cases this delay in emergency care can result in families having to surrender their pets due to lack of accessible and affordable veterinary services.

To combat this ongoing problem, the Laramie, WY community urgently needs a Veterinary Care Clinic that is staffed with well-trained technicians that are capable of providing accessible routine and emergency veterinary care, including after-hour care.

Project Description

The ASPCA is requesting a $1.7 million grant from the American Online Giving Foundation for the purposes of expanding its Veterinary Care programs in Laramie, Wyoming by the beginning of 2026, with the goal of serving an estimated 10,000 animals, per year, in this community.

This community-focused veterinary clinic is designed to address the inaccessibility of high quality animal healthcare in the underserved community of Laramie. The clinic will provide residents with affordable, top-of-the-line veterinary care with emergency care during extended hours, all of which is currently unavailable in the area. Establishing this new clinic will increase accessibility for under-resourced pet owners and will also improve working conditions for veterinarians. To address some of the accessibility issues, the ASPCA will ensure that this clinic is located in a central area that is accessible to a majority of Laramie residents.

Outside of independently researching and following zoning, building code requirements, and inspection requirements, the ASPCA has their own considerations for site selection. These considerations include accessibility or how easy it is for target public to get to the clinic, safety; the area should be safe for employees and patients, transport; there should be adequate highway and road access, other vets; the location shouldn’t be too close to a private practice, noise level; the noises of dogs should not disrupt neighbors, and lastly, parking; there should be plenty of parking room available.

In order for this clinic to accommodate all veterinary operations, it will need to be approximately 5,000 - 10,000 square feet. This square footage will include a lobby and reception area, several exam rooms, a fully equipped surgical suite and prep room, in-house laboratories, recovery rooms, separate cat and dog rooms, restrooms, and staff break rooms. The layout of these rooms will be designed for optimal flow. Good clinic flow means less stress for the animals, less steps for clinic staff, and efficient use of clinic space.

As in most medical-related facilities, the flooring in clinics must be non-porous. The common flooring options that meet these standards are sealed concrete, vinyl composition tile, commercial rolled vinyl with heat sealed seams, epoxy, and marble/ceramic tiles. Based on funding request and sustainability, the best option for this clinic would be the vinyl composition tile as it is relatively inexpensive and very sturdy, only needing to be resealed periodically.

Another consideration when opening a new clinic is the placement of surgical and prep tables. To keep the flow in surgical rooms effective, there needs to be 3 feet of clearance between tables and a 5 foot central corridor. This accounts for all machines and equipment related to surgical procedures and allows space for staff to maneuver larger dogs. To be cost effective, all prep tables used in the clinic will be purchased from restaurant suppliers as that is a cheaper option compared to veterinary suppliers.

There are two options for oxygen systems; oxygen concentrators and oxygen tanks. If a concentrator is chosen it needs to be high enough to support the vaporizer on the anesthesia machine, whereas the standard pressure of tanked oxygen is 50 psi. Cost and efficiency must be considered in determining which is more suitable. Cost varies depending on supplier but generally concentrators are more expensive and less commonly used.

If oxygen tanks are selected, there are two types: “E” tanks and “H” tanks. “E” tanks are smaller and less efficient and it is suggested that the clinic has 6 at a time. “H” tanks are larger and more economical. The clinic should have 4 at a time. Oxygen lines and regulators are purchased from local suppliers and they also determine their own pricing. Storage location for tanks is dependent on local building codes but they can be set up in 2 ways; in the prep/surgery rooms on racks so they do not tip over, hosing is then run to the anesthesia machines. Or house all tanks in a central location, typically a closet with exterior access, then the lines run to the anesthesia machines. When choosing a central location, it’s important to ensure that there is exterior access so the supplier can drop off tanks anytime.

In opening a new clinic, the employees and staff are equally as important as all other operational requirements. The main objective of this project is to have a veterinary team that is able to deliver high-quality care with manageable workloads. Initially, the clinic will employ 3 veterinarians, 6 licensed veterinary technicians, 4 veterinary assistants, a clinic manager, and a few operational support staff. In this region, where there are shortages in veterinary care, stable, rewarding employment will be essential to building long-term staff.

To train veterinarians to be at an ASPCA-level, we offer externships, internships and mentorships that allow for veterinary technician students and certified veterinarians to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of animal care and welfare. In the case of training for the Laramie clinic, the veterinarians would participate in the ASPCA Veterinary Technician Internship. The technicians will get to experience “small animal medicine, high-volume spay/neuter surgeries, shelter medicine, small to large scale cruelty cases, and our work providing high-quality veterinary care to households with financial challenges” (ASPCAPro.org). The internship length ranges from six to ten weeks and will provide the interns with mentorship, medical training and a collaborative environment. Due to the length of the internship (6 to 10 weeks) that is the absolute earliest the new clinic could be operational.

One of the major aspects of the ASPCA’s mission is to provide animal care that is affordable even to those who may be struggling financially. The inclusivity of our mission allows for those below the poverty line to get veterinary care. The steps outlined above will create a strong impact on animal welfare in Laramie. Impact reach includes reduction in untreated medical issues, decreased need for emergency transfers, improved quality of life for pets, increased capacity for handling cruelty cases, and greater sustainability for the veterinary team.

As mentioned in the need section of this proposal, after-hour veterinary care in Wyoming is seriously understaffed and not even an option at most clinics. With the opening of this new clinic in Laramie, it will be crucially important that we are able to ensure that there will be a reasonable amount of veterinarians that are able to work after-hour and late night shifts. Ideally, this new veterinary care clinic will be open twenty four hours a day, allowing pet owners to feel secure and know that they always have an option for pet care.

To ensure that pet owners in Laramie can feel secure for the foreseeable future, we are taking the time to explore the long-term vision for this clinic. This plan includes slowly expanding hours to reach 24-hours a day, increasing the number of veterinarians on staff, and offering more specialized services for most effective care. Each step we take for the success of this clinic promises a better life for the pets we love.

Evaluation

The effectiveness of the new Veterinary Care Clinic in Laramie, WY will be measured in both qualitative and quantitative ways to ensure it is meeting the needs of the community without overworking the veterinarians. This evaluation plan will measure the effectiveness, reach, and long-term impact of this new clinic.

Performance indicators include number of animals served, or the progress in serving close to the 10,000 animal goal, number of after-hour cases, client satisfaction, and wait time length. All of this information will be tracked via clinic computer systems. Information from each animal's visit will be entered into an electronic medical record system which allows tracking of these indicators.

In our comprehensive evaluation we will also investigate the quality of clinical treatment which is based on treatment outcomes, treatment success rates, and complication rates. These results will allow the ASPCA to make adjustments that will ensure that the clinic is following veterinarian best practices while still providing effective and efficient care to the animals. Progress reviews and performance evaluations will help the staff amend clinic operations and potential staffing issues. Making appropriate adjustments allows the clinic to continue to improve and ensure animals are receiving the best care.

Overall, this evaluation process is designed to guarantee that the Laramie, WY clinic provides high-quality care, meets its yearly goal of 10,000 treated animals, and creates positive impacts for pets and families in this under-resourced community.

Sustainability

Long-term sustainability of the Veterinary Care Clinic in Laramie, Wyoming will continue to be supported by a funding strategy. This strategy includes strengthened partnerships and ongoing veterinary development funding. Initial funding from the American Online Giving Foundation will allow the ASPCA to open a clinic in Laramie, but continued operations will allow for more high-quality services in under-resourced communities. Continued operations will be funded though other partners included the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Giant Steps Foundation, and The New York Community Trust. These other, future funders show a strong commitment to animal welfare, animal training, rehabilitation and animal therapy.

As this initial clinic becomes established, in early 2026, the demand for its high-quality, low-cost services will increase. Furthermore, as an increasing number of technicians complete internships, externships, and mentorships through the ASPCA programs, there will continue to be competent, well educated veterinarians available for hire as the clinic expands. Trained veterinarians and funding from similar partners will allow for this project to continue to be financially and operationally successful for years to come.

Conclusion

The pets and animals of Laramie, Wyoming deserve top-of-the-line care as much as any animal, anywhere. Funding will be used to hire technicians from a pool of ASPCA interns and students from University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, which will ensure that this new clinic’s veterinary team has been trained to care for animals with the most advanced medicine and techniques that have been learned through professional teachings. This project and proposed use of funds is also thoughtfully designed to fill gaps in emergency, routine, and after-hours veterinarian care without causing employee burnout.

In conclusion, with the funding that we are requesting, together, we can make a difference in Laramie, WY through the opening of this proposed new Veterinary Care Clinic. The difference we make will be most seen through improved treatment outcomes, increased access for under-resourced families, and a reduction in medically-based surrenders. This funding is the first step in creating a sustainable and trusted resource for residents of Laramie, Wyoming.

References

“2023 Annual Report.” ASPCA, 2023, www.aspca.org/2023-annual-report. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“About Us.” ASPCA, 2022, www.aspca.org/about-us. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“ASPCA Veterinary Technician Internship.” ASPCApro, 21 Nov. 2024, www.aspcapro.org/training-aspca-vet-training/aspca-veterinary-technician-internship. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“ASPCA® Culture, Values, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment.” ASPCApro, 11 July 2023, www.aspcapro.org/about/aspcar-culture-values-and-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-commitment. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“Building and Equipment Resource Guide.” ASPCA Pro, 2021, www.aspcapro.org/sites/default... in Wyoming with the Most Living in Poverty.” Stacker, 20 Jan. 2022, stacker.com/stories/wyoming/cities-wyoming-most-living-poverty. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“Laramie, WY.” Data USA, 2023, datausa.io/profile/geo/laramie-wy-31000US29660. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“Urgent Care Vet Clinic.” Wyoming Veterinary Outreach, 2025, wyvetoutreach.org/wyoming-pet-urgent-care. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“Veterinary Burnout Statistics: Prevalence, Causes, and Impact.” CoVet, 1 Aug. 2025, www.co.vet/post/veterinary-burnout-statistics. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.

“Wyoming Cities by Population 2025.” World Population Review, 28 Oct. 2025, worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/wyoming. Accessed 07 Nov. 2025.