Welcome to Saving Gracie!

Healing human hearts and the pets who love them

In 2016, Saving Gracie was founded in service to pets who might otherwise die because their owners couldn’t afford expensive emergency care, but we soon realized our value and impact was bigger than that. Our program saves more than the pet’s life, it preserves the health-giving bond that exists between humans and their pets. We provide pet owners with FINANCIAL assistance when facing a veterinary emergency. Our primary goal is to end what has become known as “economic euthanasia”: when a pet loses its’ life due to an emergency and a lack of the financial means to save the pet’s life.

Founder and Executive Director Lisa Hilas pictured with her husband Steve and their miniature Australian Shepherd Gracie

Founder and Executive Director Lisa Hilas pictured with her husband Steve and their miniature Australian Shepherd Gracie

“I founded Saving Gracie in 2016 after having an epiphany that the loss of my childhood pet was profound and had stayed with me for over 4 decades. It left me not just broken hearted but feeling unmoored through a very challenging childhood.  In 2013 my husband gave me Gracie for my birthday and she has been the inspiration for our work. So I came up with the name “Saving Gracie” when I pondered the question: how much would I give to save Gracie?  Could I put myself into severe debt over the love of this beautiful pet? And the answer was a resounding YES.  I would never want anyone to have to lose an animal because they couldn’t afford treatment.  And I never want a child’s heart to break if I can help it. So I thought hopefully I can honor Gracie by being a saving Grace for those in need.”

In recent years, the Saving Gracie team has discovered that the health-giving significance of the human-animal bond has been studied, validated, and its benefits quantified. Benefits like reducing anxiety, lowering blood pressure, and easing social interaction have helped seniors, war vets, and autistic children in ways medical science could not. The isolation caused by the pandemic has made this bond even more important and more widespread to the most vulnerable members of our community.

To learn more about the human hearts and pets we have saved please visit our Love Stories page.

Thank You Sponsors!