Important Notice:

Effective June 8, 2026, the Essential Care Center is no longer offering scheduled sick appointments. Sick visits are now available on a walk-in basis every Monday (excluding holidays). Please see the information below for details, including hours, pricing, and conditions we can treat.

If your pet is experiencing an emergency, please seek care at an emergency veterinary clinic. We are unable to see emergencies at our clinic. If you’re unsure whether your pet’s condition is urgent, please review our Pet Triage Guide below.

Dental consultations and procedures are currently paused.

Subsidized Veterinary Clinic

Columbus humane Essential Care Center

Offering Wellness visits, vaccinations, Surgery Services and sick and injured care services.

Our Clients

The Columbus Humane Essential Care Center was created to help keep pets and the people who love them together. We serve families who may be facing financial challenges and have limited access to veterinary care, but remain deeply committed to their pets’ health and well-being.

Our goal is to make quality veterinary care more accessible for pets in our community. If veterinary care is already accessible to you through a private veterinary practice, we encourage you to continue supporting your regular veterinarian whenever possible. Doing so helps preserve these limited resources for families who need them most.

Our Pricing

As a private, nonprofit organization, Columbus Humane is committed to reducing barriers to veterinary care. We strive to keep our fees as affordable as possible, often pricing services at or below cost. Generous support from individual supporters, community partners, and educational programs helps make this work possible.

Prices are subject to change as the cost of providing care evolves.

Our Care
Our wellness and sick/injured care services are at fixed prices, so our clients know exactly what to expect up-front.  While our prices are fixed, our treatment plans are designed to meet the individual needs of each pet.

Support Accessible Veterinary Care

Columbus Humane is a local, nonprofit organization that has been serving animals and the people who love them since 1883. Donations from compassionate supporters make affordable veterinary care possible for families throughout our community. Your gift helps ensure more pets can receive the medical care they need to stay healthy, safe, and with the people who love them.

Low Cost veterinary Services

Wellness visits for Cats & dogs

Fridays | Walk-In Only

For healthy pets in need of vaccinations. Wellness exams are conducted on Fridays via walk-in, first come, first served. Please arrive between 8:00AM-3:30PM for service, with a break from 12:00PM-1:00PM. All dogs must be leashed and cats confined.

For more info on our drive-thru vaccine clinics, click here.

Services for Cats

• Wellness Exam | $50

  • Includes: Exam and consultation and vaccinations (FVRCP and Rabies).

• Wellness Plus Exam | $75

  • Includes FELV/FIV testing.

• Vaccine Booster Follow-Up | $15

• Add-Ons for Cats

  • Nail trim | $20

  • Anal gland expression | $20

  • Microchipping | $15

  • Presurgical Bloodwork | $65

  • Comprehensive Bloodwork | $125

  • Flea and Tick Medication | $20

Services for Dogs

• Wellness Exam | $75

  • Includes: Exam and consultation, vaccinations (Distemper/Parvo/Leptospirosis, Rabies, and Bordetella), and Heartworm testing.

• Booster Follow-Up | $15

• Add-Ons for Dogs

  • Nail trim | $20

  • Anal gland expression | $20

  • Microchipping | $15

  • Presurgical Bloodwork | $65

  • Comprehensive Bloodwork | $125

  • Flea and Tick Medication | $20

  • Heartworm Medication | $5

community Vaccine Clinics

Columbus Humane offers free, drive-thru Community Vaccine Clinics from March through October to help keep pets healthy and protected. These clinics are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last and are designed to support pet owners throughout our community. Flea medications, deworming, or other veterinary services are not available at these clinics.

Available services include:

• Rabies Vaccine (1-Year): Dogs and cats 12 weeks and older

• DAPP/FVRCP Vaccine: Dogs and cats 6 weeks and older

sick visits for cats & dogs

Mondays | Walk-In Only

To improve access to veterinary care and help as many pets as possible, we offer walk-in sick appointments on Mondays (excluding holidays). Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis, although pets with more urgent medical conditions may be prioritized based on medical need.

Please be prepared for wait times that may extend several hours depending on patient volume and case severity. To ensure safe, quality care for all patients, we may stop accepting walk-in appointments for the day based on caseload, wait times, and staff availability.

Sick Walk-In Exam Fee | $150

• Additional diagnostics, treatments, or sedation may be recommended based on your pet’s condition. These services typically range from $60–$125, and our team will discuss all recommended services and associated costs with you before proceeding.

• Heartworm Treatment | $500

Conditions We Commonly Treat

• Vomiting or diarrhea*

• Blood in urine or other urinary concerns

• Eye injuries or Eye irritation, including redness, squinting, or discharge

• Lameness or limping

• Skin irritations, including itching, hives, rashes, redness, hair loss, and abscesses

• Ear irritation, including redness, odor, discharge, or head shaking

• Coughing or sneezing

• Minor wounds and lacerations

• Changes in appetite or water consumption

• Broken nails

• Visible lumps or masses

• Intestinal parasites, fleas, and ticks

* If vomiting or diarrhea has lasted more than three days, or if your pet appears dehydrated, lethargic, or significantly ill, please seek emergency veterinary care immediately. Please see our emergency veterinarian list here.

help us triage your pet

Patients who have the most severe conditions (listed in red) cannot be seen at this clinic.

If your pet is experiencing conditions listed in red, please bring your pet to an emergency veterinarian immediately.

The Essential Care Center is not an emergency facility, nor are we equipped to provide emergency care. Thank you for your understanding.

Special Considerations

• We will always see pets in need of humane euthanasia.

• For management of chronic illnesses, including but not limited to Kidney Disease, Heart Failure, Diabetes, Chronic Allergies, or Cushing’s/Addison’s Disease, please establish care at your primary care veterinarian.

IS THIS AN EMERGENCY?

If this is a life-threatening emergency, call an emergency veterinarian immediately. Emergency veterinary options in Columbus are here or call Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center Emergency at (614) 292-3551 or MedVet Hilliard at (614) 870-0480 or MedVet Columbus at (614) 846-5800 or MedVet Diley Hill at (614) 829-6444.

Surgical Services for cats & dogs

By appointment only

Appointments become available every Monday at 9:00AM for bookings up to 2 weeks in advance. If you do not see appointments available, we are fully booked. We appreciate your patience.

Cat Surgery Services

• Surgery Consultation | $50

• Spay or Neuter | $75

• Mass Removal | $350

• Soft Tissue Procedures | $350

• Post-Op Recheck | $25

• Surgical Complexity | $25-$75

Dog Surgery Services

• Includes: Exam, surgery, and nail trim.

• Spay or Neuter | $125-$200

  • <65 lbs | $125

  • 65-100 lbs | $150

  • 100+ lbs | $170

  • Bite Risk | +$30 extra

  • Surgical Complexity | $25-$75

• Surgery Consultation, Required for Following Appointment Types | $50

  • Mass Removal | $350

  • Soft Tissue Procedures | $350

  • Post-Op Recheck | $25 (No Charge for Suture Removals)

  • Dental Cleanings and Extractions | $125-$300

    • Pricing Determined at Consultation

End of Life Care for cats and dogs

Humane euthanasia services are offered for both cats and dogs.

• Humane euthanasia without cremains | $150

• Humane euthanasia with cremains | $300

Support Accessible Veterinary Care

Columbus Humane is a local, nonprofit organization that has been serving animals and the people who love them since 1883. Donations from compassionate supporters help make affordable veterinary care possible for families throughout our community. Your gift helps ensure more pets can receive the medical care they need to stay healthy, safe, and with the people who love them.

Pet Family Resources

Resources for pet families experience financial hardship looking for pet food pantries, emergency boarding and emergency veterinary care.

Purchase or Renew Your Dog License

The Franklin County Auditor's office offers online dog licensing services. Get a license, renew a license, and update your owner information all online at the button below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I get services?

Every person looking for veterinary care and pet food pantry services should begin by scheduling your appointment at the Columbus Humane Essential Care Center. Wellness exams and pet food pantry appointments can be scheduled online.

Do I need an appointment?

Yes, appointments are required for surgical veterinary services and pet food pantry services, excluding wellness and sick visits. Wellness exams are conducted on Fridays from 8:00am -3:30pm on a walk-in basis, no appointment needed. Sick visits are conducted on Mondays from 8:00am - 3:30pm on a walk-in basis, no appointment needed.

What type of species do you serve?

Currently, the Columbus Humane Essential Care Center can serve dogs and cats in our veterinary clinic and pet food pantry. We do occasionally have pocket pet food and supplies in our Pet Food Pantry. Please call to ask or ask at the time of your appointment.

What type of payment do you accept?

The Columbus Humane Essential Care Center accepts most major credit cards, debit cards and cash. Please ask us if there is another form of payment you prefer.

Do you have payment plans?

We do not offer payment plans at this time. Our wellness and sick/injured care services are at fixed prices, so our clients know exactly what to expect up-front. We have set our prices at or below our costs, and our prices are subject to change as our costs change.

How are you funded?

Columbus Humane is a local, nonprofit founded in 1883. We rely heavily on the support of our community to provide the highest quality of care to pets and their people.