How the ASPCA Is Expanding Access to Affordable Veterinary Care

August 26, 2026
The ASPCA Animal Hospital’s waiting room in the 1930s is crowded with people and their dogs.
Throughout 2026, the ASPCA is sharing highlights from our organization’s rich and sometimes unexpected 160-year history.

In 1860, the United States was home to 31 million people, but only 392 identified themselves as veterinarians. Veterinary medicine was still a largely informal profession, with just three veterinary colleges in the country.

That same year, a French veterinary surgeon named Dr. Alexandre Liautard opened a practice on Lexington Avenue in New York City. Having immigrated to the U.S. only a year earlier, he quickly became one of the driving forces behind the profession's development, opening his own clinic that served as home of the New York College of Veterinary Surgeons. He helped found what would become the American Veterinary Medical Association and founded and served as Dean of the American Veterinary College, helping set standards for education and practice.

Photo of a mustached veterinary surgeon, circa 1865, in formal attire.
Dr. Alexandre Liautard, a European-trained veterinary surgeon, often served as an expert witness in animal cruelty cases on the ASPCA’s behalf and helped drive development of the veterinary profession. Top: The ASPCA Hospital’s waiting room in the 1930s.

Dr. Liautard’s expertise soon caught the attention of ASPCA founder Henry Bergh, who frequently called on him to lend his voice and knowledge to the cause of improving the welfare of animals. One of Dr. Liautard’s most important roles was serving as an expert witness in animal cruelty cases, where veterinary testimony was the foundation of many ASPCA-assisted prosecutions — just as it is today.

From those earliest days, the ASPCA sought to be a trusted resource for preventing and responding to animal cruelty and improving the quality of life for vulnerable animals. Now, 160 years later, that commitment remains unchanged and continues to guide our work.=

The Civil War's Veterinary Legacy

The American Civil War (1861-1865) transformed veterinary medicine from an informal, unskilled pursuit into a regulated, science-based profession. The war exposed a critical weakness: Armies depended on horses and mules yet knew little about keeping them alive. These animals hauled artillery, carried cavalry and pulled supply trains — the literal engines of war. An estimated 1.5 million equines died during the conflict, mostly from exhaustion, starvation and disease because the military relied on self-taught “horse doctors” and farriers, some of whom did more harm than good.

The scale of the losses forced change. By 1879, Congress required future military veterinarians to graduate from a recognized veterinary college. The Civil War did more than reveal a crisis; it helped create a profession. It spurred the growth of veterinary colleges and reframed veterinarians from lowly “horse mechanics” to essential guardians of animal welfare.

A Hospital for Animals

A brick building marked in large white letters “ASPCA Hospital,” and a modern-era brick building with an ASPCA-branded vehicle in front.
Then and now: The ASPCA Hospital operated from 1912 to 1950 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side before moving to a larger facility uptown where it remains in operation today.

As veterinary care evolved, the ASPCA expanded our medical services. In 1912, we opened a new ambulance house and hospital for horses on 23rd Street and Avenue A in Manhattan. Two years later, the Women's Auxiliary of the ASPCA, later known as the Women's League for Animals, opened a hospital, also in Manhattan, that would eventually become today's Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. At a time when qualified veterinary care for pets was hard to find, the ASPCA Hospital, as it was then known, became a trusted resource.

Three photos: Two dogs are examined by a veterinarian as their owner, a woman in a dark coat and hat, looks on; a veterinarian and a nurse, both in white coats, examine a dog; a hospital worker holds a cat up to the window of the door to the isolation war
From left: A client’s two Boxers are examined by a veterinarian; a veterinarian and nurse examine a dog; a young boy greets his cat through a glass pane in the hospital’s isolation ward.

Animals whose families could not afford care were treated free of charge. By 1932, 70% of the animals treated at the hospital received free or reduced-cost care. During World War II, many of our 18,000 animal clients belonged to deployed service members. One ASPCA report from that era shared the words of a caretaker looking after a pet whose owner had gone off to war: "He left his pal with me and made me promise to care for [them] until he gets back. And when he writes, he always says, 'Take good care of my pal.'"

“The Hospital With a Heart”

In 1950, the ASPCA Hospital moved to a larger facility on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Open seven days a week and supported by veterinarians, attendants and a round-the-clock ambulance service — which cost between $5-12, depending on a client’s distance from the hospital — it became known as "the Hospital with a Heart."

An ASPCA ambulance driver on the radio inside his vehicle; another ambulance driver reunites a young boy and his parents with their rescued dog; a young boy pets a dog on a stretcher before the dog is loaded by two men into an ambulance.
From left: Archival photos of an ASPCA ambulance driver on the radio; a family reunited with their dog after his rescue from under a trolley by an ASPCA ambulance driver; an injured dog on a stretcher being loaded into an ASPCA ambulance.

At the ASPCA's 90th anniversary meeting in 1956, outgoing president Hugh E. Paine described the hospital's impact:

"The ASPCA Hospital alone is an enormous project. It stands as a symbol of hope for sick animals and a symbol of progress in the veterinary world."

He then shared the story of Mike, a dog whose owner was bedridden and relied on him for comfort.

"We dispatched an ambulance to pick up the dog after getting a call from the woman's neighbor," Paine recalled. "An X-ray discovered an eraser in his stomach. The foreign body was extracted, and after a week's care in post-op, Mike was sent home. Our payment was the knowledge of a job well done and the will to live which had been revived in Mike's owner."

Slideshow depicting the evolution of ASPCA ambulances, from a horse-drawn carriage for small animals and an emergency tricycle from 1906 to an early motor vehicle, a model from 1946 and additional models introduced in the 1950s.
ASPCA ambulances evolved from a horse-drawn carriage and emergency tricycle from 1906 to motor vehicles, including an early 20th-century model, a vehicle from 1946 and additional models introduced in the 1950s.

Leading Veterinary Innovation

Over the decades, the ASPCA became a pioneer in veterinary medicine, advancing medical innovation. Among the milestones:

  • 1867: Operated the first ambulance for injured horses, predating Bellevue Hospital's human ambulance service.
  • 1912: Opened our first veterinary facility for horses and soon expanded treatment to other species.
  • 1918: Advanced the use of anesthesia in animal surgery and successfully operated on a horse with a broken kneecap.
  • 1920: Installed our first X-ray machine and was the first to use radium to treat cancer in animals.
  • 1954: Added a contagious disease ward, pathology laboratory, X-ray laboratory and internship program at the hospital.
  • 1961: Performed the first documented open-heart surgery on a dog at a dedicated animal hospital. While canines had long been used in medical research to develop human cardiac procedures, this pioneering milestone bridged the gap by introducing open-heart surgery as a viable, life-saving treatment option for companion animals.
  • 1973: The ASPCA began compulsory spay/neuter surgeries for all animals adopted from our shelters.
  • 1996: Launched the Care-A-Van, our first mobile veterinary unit.
ASPCA employee standing beside a mobile ASPCA veterinary medical unit.
From left: Long-time ASPCA employee Chris Fagan, senior veterinary assistant, in front of the ASPCA’s first mobile clinic in 1996; unveiling an ASPCA mobile spay/neuter clinic in Los Angeles in 2019.

A Growing Need for Access to Care

Veterinary care is fundamental to animal welfare. Yet the veterinary profession is facing a critical shortage — one study indicates that more than 75 million pets in the U.S. could be without care by 2030 — and many Americans are increasingly anxious about their ability to get care for their pets when they need it. An ASPCA poll conducted in 2026 found that:

  • 58% of Americans are concerned about rising veterinary costs.
  • Six in 10 pet owners lack confidence they could afford a veterinary emergency.
  • Four in 10 are unsure they can meet their pet's routine medical needs.
  • Four in 10 have already made sacrifices, or considered doing so, to maintain their current level of pet care.

In response, the ASPCA has expanded community-based veterinary care across the country through clinics, mobile services, and spay/neuter programs in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and North Carolina. In 2025, our hospital and clinics provided veterinary care to more than 109,000 animals. Our stationary and mobile clinics performed 79,000 spay/neuter surgeries. We also provided in-person training to more than 700 veterinary professionals, investing in the people who will help carry the field forward.

A female veterinarian sitting on the floor with a large dog; a clinic worker checks a dog’s vital signs during anesthesia.
From left: Dr. Shikha Thapa with a dog at the Community Veterinary Clinic in Brooklyn; Jasmine Douglas, a clinic training specialist, checks a patient's vitals during anesthesia at the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance.

The ASPCA also supports veterinary telemedicine, which can expand access to veterinary care and help keep pets in homes. While physicians in all 50 states may use telemedicine to diagnose and treat human patients, most states still have overly restrictive laws governing the usage of veterinary telemedicine that require veterinarians to examine new patients in person before they can utilize telemedicine. We urge state policymakers to advance telemedicine proposals that enable, not inhibit, the use of technology tools that deliver lifesaving care to the pets who need it most. Veterinary telemedicine has had success in states including Arizona, Florida and California, and most recently, Rhode Island became the 10th state to modernize its veterinary laws.

ASPCA Poison Control, the nation’s leading resource for animal toxicology, offered lifesaving support to more than 334,000 animals in 2025, bringing the total number of animals helped to over 5 million. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling (888) 426-4435.

A Spectrum of Care

As access challenges grow, the ASPCA is also helping advance a concept known as a spectrum of care: offering a range of medically appropriate treatment options that reflect both a pet's quality of life and their family's circumstances.

Dr. Carolyn Brown, vice president of Medicine for ASPCA Community Medicine, believes effective care isn't defined by price tag alone. She oversees the ASPCA’s stationary and mobile clinics, which provide basic and preventive care to pets living in underserved communities, and high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgeries to owned animals and those in the care of shelters, rescue groups, foster programs and TNR practitioners.

"People might assume the best option is the most expensive, intensive and advanced, but that's just not true,” she says. “Providing options is not about lowering standards or inferior care. Even if you have all the money in the world, you might not want that ‘gold standard.’ It could mean a long recovery or a lot of time away from your pet. We strive to offer options in a way that gives pet owners the freedom to decide what they want while maintaining and improving their pet’s quality of life.”

Ensuring Good Welfare for Animals by Advancing Veterinary Care

The ASPCA’s commitment to accessible veterinary care continues through leadership in shelter medicine, policy advocacy and investments that are preparing the next generation of animal welfare professionals. Among the milestones:

  • 1998: Established a Veterinary Outreach department, now known as Shelter Medicine Services to advance healthcare for shelter and community animals nationwide.
  • 2003: Established a Shelter Medicine Conference to provide high-quality education for veterinary, animal shelter and spay/neuter professionals to improve the quality and availability of care for animals.
  • 2020: Launched the ASPCA Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency, which provides an intensive three-year training opportunity covering all aspects of shelter medicine.
  • 2026: Launched the ASPCA Veterinary Scholarship Program, a national initiative designed to help address the shortage of veterinary professionals in animal welfare and expand access to veterinary care. By reducing financial barriers for aspiring veterinarians and veterinary technicians, the program will help build a stronger pipeline of mission-driven professionals committed to helping animals.

Lives Changed Through Care

With more than 21 million U.S. pet owners and pets living in poverty, access to veterinary care can mean the difference between life and death for a beloved pet.

Take Coco, a Yorkshire Terrier diagnosed with pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection. Faced with surgery costs she couldn't afford at a private practice, Coco's owner, Mari, turned to the ASPCA's Bronx Community Veterinary Clinic, where Coco received the surgery she needed.

“When you’re in these situations where your pet is sick, you realize how much they mean to you, and how being without them is a devastating thought,” says Mari. “It means the world to me that the ASPCA prioritized her life so that she can have more time with me.”

A woman loads a cat carrier into her car in front of the ASPCA Community Veterinary Clinic in Carson, California; the exterior of an ASPCA Community Veterinary Clinic in Queens, New York.
From left: The ASPCA’s new stationary Community Veterinary Clinic in Carson, California, and the Community Veterinary Clinic by Rachael Ray Nutrish™ in Queens, New York.

Routine appointments can also uncover hidden medical emergencies. During what was expected to be a standard vaccine visit, our veterinarians discovered that a dog named Soki had both a life-threatening abdominal wall hernia and pyometra. The next day, the team repaired Soki’s hernia and resolved the pyometra by spaying her, two procedures that saved her life.

More than 160 years after helping shape veterinary medicine in America, the ASPCA’s commitment endures: ensuring that pets and the people who love them can access the care they need to live healthy, full lives.

Related stories in this ASPCA 160 series:

160 Years On, Our Founder’s Mission Still Stands Strong

Championing Spay/Neuter Helped Define ASPCA in the 20th Century and Beyond

Then and Now: How the ASPCA Protects Pets from Toxic Dangers

The Law That Launched a Movement for Animals

The ASPCA Turns 160: Celebrating Our History

Horses Are at the Heart of Our History

Nine Lives, One Calling: How the ASPCA Has Shaped Care for Cats

How the ASPCA Helped Change the Response to Dogfightin

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