10/14/2026
This is extremely well stated!
Example - A single lady with very unstable housing and sometimes no income has 7 cats. Four of them were recently fixed. Others were given flea meds (due to infestation of fleas on them and the home) and microchipped. Cats are also not socialized with other humans.
She then proceeds to add kittens she “found” that could easily go up for adoption. Struggles to feed the ones she has as well.
No No No - 😡
FREE VETERINARY CARE DOES NOT MEAN UNLIMITED VETERINARY CARE. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHY. 🩶
At Silverstray, we believe a person’s financial circumstances should not determine whether they deserve the companionship and love of an animal.
Through our Silver Lining Gary program, we provide free veterinary care to Gary residents, helping families overcome financial and systemic barriers so they can keep their pets healthy and in their homes.
But there’s an important distinction we want to discuss, and it applies well beyond Gary.
There is a difference between helping someone care for the animals they already have and continually providing assistance to someone who keeps acquiring additional animals they cannot adequately support.
This is something we encounter regularly, including through inquiries from people outside the community we serve.
Let’s say a family has a dog or cat they love but cannot afford spay/neuter, vaccinations, prevention, a microchip, or other basic veterinary services.
That’s exactly where we want to help!
We can step in, provide resources, address medical needs, and help stabilize that household so the family and their animal can continue their lives together.
Now, let’s say that same family continues acquiring additional animals despite already relying on charitable assistance for the pets they have, with the expectation that those additional veterinary expenses will also be covered.
That’s where we draw a distinction.
Not because people experiencing financial hardship shouldn’t have pets. Not because we believe someone must be wealthy to be a responsible pet parent.
But because there has to be some consideration for the responsibilities that come with bringing another living being into a household.
If you’re already struggling to meet the needs of the animals you have, continually adding more without a realistic plan doesn’t create stability. It creates additional financial strain, additional responsibilities, stress, and potentially compromises the welfare of every animal involved.
And this applies to everyone, regardless of income. It’s a conversation that extends far beyond Gary.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE APPROACH THIS AT SILVERSTRAY.
We will absolutely facilitate the adoption of an animal directly from Gary Animal Control to a Gary resident who currently has no pets, even knowing we may end up providing veterinary care for that animal for the rest of its life.
And we’re perfectly comfortable with that!
Why? Because we believe so strongly in the human animal bond and don’t want financial hardship alone to prevent someone from experiencing it.
If someone can provide a safe, loving, appropriate home and is committed to caring for an animal, we want to help remove the barriers that might otherwise make that impossible.
However, we would not knowingly encourage someone to acquire an additional animal when they’re already struggling to adequately care for the animals they have.
Those are two very different situations.
One provides an opportunity for companionship with an understanding of the support that may be needed.
The other risks creating a cycle of acquiring more animals without the ability to meet their needs.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR GARY RESIDENTS SEEKING OUR SERVICES?
Silverstray has established guidelines to ensure our free veterinary care is provided responsibly and sustainably.
1. GARY RESIDENCY
Our Silver Lining Gary program serves residents living within Gary city limits.
2. SPAY/NEUTER COMMITMENT
Pets must already be spayed or neutered, or their families must be willing to have them spayed or neutered, to receive additional free services such as vaccinations, microchips, prevention, and wellness care.
3. HOUSEHOLD PET LIMITS & RESPONSIBLE ACQUISITION
Gary’s city ordinance limits households to three pets, and Silverstray follows that guideline.
However, three pets is a legal maximum, not an entitlement to three fully sponsored animals.
If we help someone with one pet, that does not automatically mean they can acquire two additional animals with the expectation that Silverstray will cover their veterinary expenses.
Our goal is to help families maintain and stabilize their existing households, not encourage the continued acquisition of animals without a realistic plan for their care.
4. INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT
We recognize that circumstances are not always black and white.
People lose jobs. Families experience emergencies. Animals are abandoned. Financial circumstances change. Sometimes people unexpectedly become responsible for additional animals.
We consider individual circumstances, including the needs of the animals, the household’s ability to provide appropriate care, and the resources available through our program.
Our goal is not to punish someone for experiencing hardship or for circumstances outside their control.
WHY ARE THESE GUIDELINES IMPORTANT?
Because our resources are not unlimited.
We have hundreds upon hundreds of animals waiting for spay/neuter and other veterinary services.
Behind each of those animals is a family hoping we’ll have the funding and veterinary capacity to help them.
Every surgery, vaccine, medication, appointment, and donated dollar matters.
And we have a responsibility to those families, our donors, and the animals themselves to make thoughtful decisions about how those resources are distributed.
Access to care should help families achieve stability, not unintentionally enable a cycle of taking on more animals than they can reasonably manage. Providing assistance and establishing boundaries are not opposing ideas. Both are necessary for sustainable animal welfare.
Our mission is not simply to provide free veterinary care. It’s to help build healthier, more stable households, a healthier community, prevent unnecessary animal suffering, and use our resources in ways that create lasting change.
Sometimes that means saying yes to helping someone care for the animal they already love. And sometimes it means saying no to funding the addition of another animal.
Both decisions can come from the same place: compassion, responsibility, and doing what’s best for the animals. 🩶
