About Us
Rochester Hope for Pets is a 501(c)3 organization established in 2008 to assist pets in the Rochester area whose owners are financially limited.
A Message from the Board of Directors
(From the 2011 Annual Report)
The year 2011 was an exciting one for the MVA Hope Foundation. Hope provided an additional 100 financial awards to deserving pets and their owners compared to the prior year. This was made possible by the tireless efforts of many animal lovers in the Rochester area who offered their time, talents and money resulting in an increase of $30,000 in donations compared to 2010.
Pets that benefitted from Hope awards were provided assistance with the following services: diagnostic testing and therapeutics for kidney, liver and bladder disease; surgery for bladder stones, spaying and neutering, tumor removal and open chest surgery to correct a vascular anomaly (persistent right aortic arch); imaging including radiographs, ultrasound and MRI; specialty services with surgeons, cardiologists and neurologists; and dental procedures such as prophylaxis, tooth extractions, intraoral radiographs and periodontal therapeutics. All of these have improved the quality of life of both the pets we have helped and the owners who provide for their care. Hope has received many heartwarming letters of thanks from grateful recipients.
Assistance to the MVA Friends of Ferals cat spay and neuter program allowed this group to surgically sterilize 369 cats this past year. A grant from the Wilma J. Maibaum Foundation was instrumental in the ongoing success of this program. For the first time since numbers have been kept by Rochester's humane shelters, there was a decrease in the number of surrendered cats in 2011 versus 2010. We hope that with continued support we can see this trend maintained in the future.
MVA Hope's support of local continuing education was evident in a series of lectures for veterinarians and technicians that were supported by the MVA Hope's Duncan Fund. In 2012 the Duncan Fund will help to launch a series of online webinars and educational opportunities for local veterinary technicians. MVA Hope Foundation thanks the Karch family for their wonderful generosity.
The year 2012 will bring more pets and owners requesting assistance, the need for advanced medical technology and the training to utilize it, the continued struggle to control the feline overpopulation problem in Monroe County, and a new name – Rochester Hope for Pets. This name change will provide better public recognition of what we do. Our goal continues to be to provide "hope" to pets and animals in our region. Thank you for your past support, and please keep MVA Hope Foundation as a part of our philanthropic endeavors.
—Paul Black, DVM and President of Rochester Hope for Pets
(formerly the MVA Hope Foundation)
The Story of Hope
The Jack Russell terrier picked up by Animal Control was so emaciated that her ribs protruded from her small body. Weighing less than 7 pounds, the unspayed female was in dire need of dental care and medical attention. Despite her poor medical condition, the little terrier’s spunk and vigor inspired the veterinarians and staff at Animal Hospital of Pittsford, who donated the care and services needed to heal the dog and give her a second chance at life. Animal Hospital of Pittsford staff dubbed the little dog “Hope” and helped her find a home when she was healthy enough to leave. Her success story inspired the shareholders of Monroe Veterinary Associates to envision a foundation that could assist pets and their owners in the Rochester area. This vision was realized with the establishment of the MVA Hope Foundation in 2008, later renamed Rochester Hope for Pets in 2012.