The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians will dip into its reserve fund to offer interest-free loans to member veterinarians who stopped drawing paychecks because of the partial government shutdown.
About 20 of AAZV’s 1,250 members are eligible for loans, said executive director Robert Hilsenroth, DVM.
“It’s kind of like the old-fashioned signature loan, Dr. Hilsenroth said. “All they have to do is send us an email [rhilsenrothaazv@aol.com] stating that that are federal employees, that they are affected financially by the partial government shutdown and that they will repay the no-interest loan.
“We put a $5,000 cap on the loan, and they have to state how much they want to borrow.”
Additional assistance will be available after 30 days, Dr. Hilsenroth said.