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610-444-5800
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Ryan Hospital Philadelphia, PA
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215-746-8911
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215-746-8387
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In April, 2019, Richard Lichter's generous gift of $2.7 million funded the redesign and renovation of the Emergency Room at Penn Vet.
All of the Lichter dogs start their treatment in this facility.

Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs

Lichter Dogs in Emergency Service

An ongoing project at Penn Vet provides specialty level care for shelter animals that are in need. Though shelters have made tremendous progress in saving all healthy and treatable animals, limited resources can mean that animals requiring specialty care might tax the boundaries of what a shelter can provide.

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Meet the Lichter Dogs - Stories of  Second Chances 

An effort supported by a donation from the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs aims to provide a safety net for some of these animals. The gift enables shelter dogs with complicated conditions that go beyond the expertise of the shelter to receive the care they need at Penn Vet.

Watson’s team selects dogs for the program in collaboration with community shelter partners. After being discharged from the hospital, the animals live with a foster family and are made available for adoption.

About the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs

In 2015, a generous gift from the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs began to help save the lives of shelter dogs in need of specialized medical care. Through the Shelter Dog Specialty Medical Treatment Project, experts at Penn Vet have been able to provide life-saving, specialty care to dogs in partnering shelters that are at risk for euthanasia. The dogs are selected through the Penn Vet Shelter Animal Medicine Program and treated at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital.

Once a dog is approved for the program, Penn Vet provides all medical and diagnostic services necessary to treat the condition. After treatment, the dog will be placed in foster care and become available for adoption.

“We were incredibly moved when Richard Lichter came to us with a vision for this program and a generous offer to support it,” said Dr. Brittany Watson, Director of Shelter Animal Medicine and Community Engagement. “This is an opportunity for Penn Vet’s Shelter Medicine Program, Ryan Hospital, and area shelters to partner in saving the community’s most vulnerable dogs.”

“I am delighted with the start of the Shelter Dog Specialty Medical Treatment Project,” said Richard Lichter. “This partnership with Penn Vet, which has incredible veterinary specialists and emergency care, has enabled numerous dogs without families and without hope to have another chance at life.”