The Animal Health Resource Fund began conceptually in 2001 when a pot-bellied pig named Moesha needed a cardiac bypass surgery. Moesha was a therapy pig, taken to improve the lives of people who just needed a smile. A lovely, gentle, and docile pig, Moesha struggled with a heart condition until she came to the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group (VMSG) in Ventura, California. A surgeon at the hospital, Dr. Ross Lirtzman, coordinated with a local hospital to arrange for a human cardiac surgeon and entire bypass team to assemble at VMSG and donate their time. Moesha underwent surgery successfully, and recovered beautifully. She was able to go back to bringing joy to others and the success story thrilled all those who worked with her. It was at that time that the idea of AHRF began.

Upon discovering that the donated services of all those involved added up to tens of thousands of dollars, an idea developed to help subsidize diagnostic and treatment procedures if the end result was an advancement of the veterinary industry as a whole. As Moesha was the first successful clinical case of cardiac bypass surgery to repair an atrial septal defect in small animal veterinary practice, the knowledge obtained during the surgery was invaluable. How then, the founders of AHRF wondered, could this type of process continue? If the generosity of the participants hadn’t occurred, Moesha would not have been able to have her surgery and save her life. It was then that the foundation of AHRF was laid, and participants from local hospitals came together to create a non-profit organization that would allow for donations towards educational advancement to occur. AHRF was incorporated in 2003, and has worked towards its mission ever since.