Meet Meagan Brown of Texas Foundation for Animal Care in Fort Worth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Brown.

Meagan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Kentucky and always had a love of animals. If there was a frog, mouse, or any other creature in need that I came across, I was determined to help it. Occasionally, small animals needed my help as a direct result of encountering my Border Collie, who was the best companion but true to her breed. In college I decided to focus on horses and moved to Texas 5 years ago to pursue my goals in the equine industry. A mix of life events and health issues led to the end of my 24/7 horse dream. Still wanting to be around animals all the time, I started working for small animal veterinary practices. I was introduced to a lot of animal rescue people through this and became involved with local groups helping homeless animals. I learned very quickly how expensive it is to treat dogs pulled from the streets and shelters- even with an employee discount. I realized a lot of dogs physically suffer and owners emotionally suffer when the cost of care is sometimes unreasonably high. While working at a clinic I met Dr. Wight and Amanda Elliott, who are co-founders in our organization. We all felt we could offer veterinary services at a better price and more efficiently as a non-profit than some other groups we had worked for. So Texas Foundation for Animal Care was formed and today we offer low-cost services through our relationship with local shelters and pet owners.

Has it been a smooth road?
The beginning months were anything but smooth! We originally tried to follow the model of other non-profit groups by offer cheap vaccines and wellness services at pop-up events throughout the area. Every Saturday we planned a clinic for 3 months there was torrential rain in the forecast. We then decided to offer house-calls, which is something very few vets in the area offer. We had better success with that but sometimes spent more in gas than we made when clients had to cancel or surprisingly weren’t at home during the appointment time. We weren’t sure we were ever really going to get off the ground. After doing a house call with a client, she started talking about a rescue she used to work with that did heartworm disease treatment in the homes of volunteers. Nobody in our area was offering this lifesaving treatment at the prices we knew we could so we completely shifted our focus. We still haven’t raised enough money to open our own brick-and-mortar clinic in Fort Worth, so setting up mobile clinics can be quite a challenge. We are able to utilize space at the Fort Worth Shelter when it is available, but finding other indoor, dog-friendly spaces to use just once a month sometimes feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. We’re just hopeful that people understand our mobile set-up also helps us keep costs very low, even when it’s not the most ideal weather conditions.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Texas Foundation for Animal Care specifically focuses on heartworm disease and offering affordable treatment for this potentially fatal ailment to shelter dogs that have been adopted or have moved into rescue group care. Heartworm disease is something that plagues all shelters in the Southern United States and will continue to do so as long as there are mosquitoes around. The disease can be prevented by giving a monthly pill that costs $80/year on average. Traditionally, treatment cost has ranged from $800-$1600. Luckily for us, earlier this year the FDA approved a generic for the drug used to kill heartworms. We can now buy the medication at a fraction of the price and pass that savings along. We also draw on our experience working in private practice and include what is necessary, while leaving out costly optional items that really have zero effect on our approach to treatment. Our treatments range in price from $60-$400 which is much more do-able for people in this economy. A lot of dogs that are perfect in every other aspect -aside from their heartworm test results- are passed over and sometimes ultimately euthanized because of this very treatable disease. Since specifically targeting potential adopters in local shelters we have seen an increase in the number of heartworm positive dogs being adopted. So many owners love their dogs but feel sad and embarrassed when they cannot afford to give their companion necessary veterinary care. We pride ourselves on treating our clients with compassion and respect, making sure they are never ashamed of their financial situation, and being proud of them for seeking treatment for their pet. Sometimes our clinics are set up in the blazing heat, chilly winds, or crammed in the corner of a small room- but nothing else matters when you see the wagging tail of a newly adopted dog and the face of relief and joy on an owner who realizes they can give their new best friend the life they deserve because we exist.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Fort Worth is filled with people who love animals and animals in desperate need of love. Fort Worth Animal Care and Control almost always has 600+ animals in their care, with at least 30% being heartworm positive at any given time. We are lucky to have so many dog friendly businesses and local rescues in the area that can spread the word about low-cost veterinary care and help get wonderful dogs into loving homes. Who doesn’t want to enjoy their Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and walk along the Trinity River with a four-legged friend? Officials at our city shelter have been great to work with because they really do want to see as many dogs go to good homes as possible and seize different opportunities to make that happen. We would love to see some more venues in the area that are dog friendly and welcoming to non-profit groups.

Pricing:

• Treatment for dogs under 40 lbs: $60-$275
• Treatment for dogs over 40 lbs: $100-$400

Contact Info:

• Website: texasfoundationac.org
• Phone: 817-586-5490
• Email: info@texasfoundationac.org
• Facebook: facebook.com/texasfoundation

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