Pedaling for Pets: Veterinarians Cycle in Support of Sick/Injured Animals

MILTON, ON, Sept. 6, 2012 /CNW/ - What does a golden retriever with a fractured leg, a turtle with an ear infection, and a cat with a life-threatening pyometra have in common?

They are three of the 3,500 pets helped to date by the Farley Foundation, a charitable organization that assists pet owners on limited incomes by subsidizing the non-elective veterinary care for their sick or injured pets.

On Saturday, September 8, 57 individuals (mostly veterinarians) from across Ontario will cycle a combined 5,000 km to ensure that seniors, disabled individuals, Ontario Works recipients and women at risk of abuse are able to access non-elective or emergency care for their beloved pets.

Raising more than $200,000 over the past three years, the annual Ride for Farley has been instrumental in helping fund over $1,300,000 in veterinary care, and helping hundreds of people and pets in need each year.

"The success of Ride for Farley - and the Farley Foundation as a whole - has been driven by the veterinary community in Ontario, which has a deep understanding of the social, physical and emotional benefits of pet ownership," says Dr. Mark Gemmill, President of the Farley Foundation. "When a pet suddenly becomes sick or injured, the situation takes a toll on the entire family. The Farley Foundation exists to help remove some of that financial and emotional burden for those whose finances are already strained on a regular basis."

The 2012 Ride for Farley, generously sponsored by Summit Veterinary Pharmacy Inc., will take place in southwestern Ontario where cyclists will ride 50, 100 or 160 km distances through Milton, Burlington, Guelph and surrounding areas. To view a list of the 2012 Ride for Farley cyclists, or to learn how you can support this event, please visit www.farleyfoundation.org.

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, the Farley Foundation was established in 2002 by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. The Farley Foundation assists seniors and disabled persons on limited incomes, Ontario Works recipients, and women at risk of abuse (participants of the SafePet program) by subsidizing the non-elective or emergency veterinary care for their sick/injured pets.

SOURCE: The Farley Foundation

For all media inquiries, contact:

Julia Hayes, Communications Coordinator
[email protected] or 1.800.670.1702, ext. 25