SCVMA Foundation

SCVMA Education and Scholarship Foundation

Southern California Veterinary Medical Foundation (SCVMF)

The Southern California Veterinary Medical Foundation (SCVMF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 47-5548078) originally incorporated in 2015 as the SCVMA Education and Scholarship Foundation. In 2025, the foundation was significantly expanded in both scope and mission and rebranded to its current name. Its purpose now covers three broad pillars:

Education

Veterinary Practice Support

Your pet, our passion

The foundation serves the veterinary community across Los Angeles and Orange Counties — the largest regional veterinary medical association territory in the United States, representing over 2,800 members and 700+ animal hospitals.

Surgery & Medical Support Programs

The Angel Fund — Surgery Assistance for Low-Income Pet Owners

A partnership between the Animal Health Foundation (AHF) and SCVMA

This is the primary surgical and medical assistance program linking SCVMA member hospitals to low-income pet owners who cannot afford life-saving treatment

How It Works:

1. A qualifying pet owner visits an SCVMA-enrolled member hospital
2. The hospital verifies financial hardship and applies for an Angel Fund grant
3. The fund provides up to $1,000 per case toward non-elective surgery or medical treatment
4. The hospital is also required to discount their own services by $500 as a matching commitment
5. Maximum: $1,000 per family per calendar year; a pet may only receive funds once per calendar year

What Surgeries & Treatments Are Covered:

1. Non-elective medical and surgical procedures for sick or injured companion animals
2. Emergency surgeries (tumor removal, hernia repair, injury treatment)
3. Treatment of chronic conditions causing suffering
4. Any critical procedure where lack of treatment would cause serious harm

What Is NOT Covered:

1. Routine physical examinations
2. Vaccinations
3. General prophylactic dental cleaning
4. Standard spay/neuter surgeries
5. Caesarean sections

Pet Eligibility Requirements:

1. Must be spayed, neutered, or under 6 months of age
2. If surgery is part of the plan and safe for the pet, spay/neuter is mandatory; the owner pays for that portion

Relevance to Little Tokyo Pet Clinic

As an SCVMA-area hospital, Little Tokyo Pet Clinic is positioned to:

1. Enroll in the Angel Fund — enabling the clinic to assist low-income Downtown LA and Little Tokyo residents with life-saving surgeries they could not otherwise afford
2. Issue free exam certificates to adopters from North Central Animal Shelter and other nearby adoption centers
3. Participate in SCVMA Gives Back volunteer clinics — contributing veterinary staff for monthly South LA community clinics
4. Apply for disaster relief grants — protecting clinic operations during future emergencies