About Our 2023 Grant Recipients

The 2023 PEDIGREE Foundation grants were given to 76 different shelter and rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada, totaling over $1 million to help find homes for dogs in need. These funds will support over 75,000 dogs. Here is a closer look at the grants and recipients.

DOGS RULE.™ Grants: Building Best Practices

These are $100,000 grants provided over two years to develop an innovative initiative that can become a best practice for other shelters and rescues. The 2023 grantees were:

• Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA, Washington, D.C): First half of $100,000 DOGS RULE.™ grant for 2023 and 2024 to support the WayStation Transport Program, a large-scale, integrated network that transports 2,500 – 3,000 animals each year from overcrowded shelters to locations where adoption rates are higher. The WayStation Program also works in conjunction with HRA’s disaster deployment program, allowing HRA to help shelters overwhelmed with pets needing emergency sheltering and decrease shelter populations before a storm hits.
• Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA, Philadelphia, PA): Second half of $100,000 DOGS RULE.™ grant for 2022 and 2023 to create a full-time behaviorist position, which will assess dogs for behavioral challenges that may interfere with adoption success, address them with a behavior modification plan, and support adopters with training materials and post-adoption consultations. The program will address the most common behavioral reasons for post-adoption return, including arousal, reactivity, stranger, danger, fear and anxiety.

Program Development Grants:

These grants support shelter and rescue activities that expand the operational capacity of the organization to increase dog adoption rates. The focus is on foster, transport and matching/behavior initiatives. This year, 31 shelters and rescues received Program Development grants. The 2023 grantees were:

• Humane Society of North Texas (Texas): $13,930 to create an outdoor sensory garden, increase indoor enrichment activities, and support additional certifications for the Behavior Training Coordinator.
• Seattle Humane (Washington): $15,000 to support the Lifesaver Rescue Program, which transports animals from shelters that lack space or resources to care for them to Seattle Humane, where they get a second chance to find their new family.
• Muttville (California): $15,000 to expand the operational capacity of Muttville’s foster program, which is focused on senior dogs.
• Vieques Humane Society & Animal Rescue, Inc. (Puerto Rico): $15,000 to support the Advancing Adoptions & Animal Welfare Through Behavior Modification Training, Enrichment and Transport program, a one-year program that strategically addresses acute animal welfare challenges, like education gaps and resource constraints.
• Providence Animal Center (Pennsylvania): $15,000 to support the Savar Transport program, which rescues adoptable pets from high-volume animal shelters and transports them to Providence Animal Center, where they are prepared for adoption.
• Friends of Homeless Animals (Virginia): $15,000 to support the creation of a volunteer training program that helps volunteers learn to address behavioral issues consistently, confidently, and effectively.
• Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue Corporation (North Dakota): $15,000 to support the Animals on the Go program, which transports rescued animals to more densely populated areas, where their chances for adoption are higher.
• Animal Protective Association (Missouri): $15,000 to create a behavior support program, which will alleviate stress and fear in dogs, train volunteers in behavior modification techniques, and provide enrichment opportunities.
• KC Pet Project (Missouri): $15,000 to support foster programs with the goal of increasing dog adoption rates.
• East Bay SPCA (California): $15,000 to expand the Behavior and Training program by hiring a new Behavior Animal Care Coordinator.
• Santa Barbara Humane SPCA (California): $15,000 to support the Foster Ambassador Program, which aims to increase the number of foster homes in the community by supporting foster caregivers and attracting new foster homes.
• Animal Care Sanctuary (Pennsylvania): $15,000 to expand the Transport Program to take in 30 dogs per month to 50 dogs per month from high-stress areas, allowing Animal Care Sanctuary to save an additional 240 dogs per year.
• Geauga County Humane Society (Ohio): $15,000 to expand the Rescue Village foster program, which provides temporary homes for animals in the Humane Society’s care.
• Greenmore Farm Animal Rescue, Inc. (Pennsylvania): $15,000 to establish an in-house transport program to bring dogs to Pennsylvania from high-stress areas in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
• Lafayette Animal Aid (Louisiana): $15,000 to expand the foster program, increasing the number of foster homes from 128 to 200 per year and increase the number of animals placed in foster from 1,300 to 1,900 per year.
• Pawsitive Tails, Inc. (Kansas): $10,075 to support specialized foster programs that whelp pregnant mothers and support newborn puppies until they are ready for adoption and/or placement in traditional foster homes.
• Renegade Paws Rescue (Georgia): $15,000 to support an enhanced behavior modification and training program.
• Humane Society of Dickson County (Tennessee): $12,595 to support the Enrichment Program for Shelter Dogs, which helps dogs learn to socialize, reduces stress, and increases adoptability.
• Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, Inc. (Massachusetts): $14,630 to support the Baypath Adoption Success Kit, which will be provided to 55 dogs deemed “difficult” as a pilot program in the first year and will be used to develop a model kit that will increase the bond between dogs and their new owners while reducing unwanted behaviors.
• Nates Honor Animal Rescue (Florida): $15,000 to create a pilot program that places pets with behavior challenges in permanent homes while supporting owners with behavior mentors, reduced adoption fees, and post-adoption support.
• Helping Hands Humane Society, Inc. (Kansas): $14,400 to support expanding the existing “training scholarship” program to 10 adoptable dogs per month. Training scholarships are provided to adoptable dogs displaying challenging behaviors.
• Humane Society of West Michigan (Michigan): $15,000 to support purchase of a new transport van, which could increase transport potential by over 30%.
• Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (Virginia): $15,000 to support the “play group” program for dogs awaiting transport, including construction of a play yard, training for staff and volunteers, and information gathering. 
• IndyHumane (Indiana): $15,000 to support improvements to the facility’s play yards, which support the Dogs Playing for Life playgroup model and provide individual enrichment opportunities.
• San Diego Humane Society & SPCA (California): $15,000 to support the Behavior & Training program, provides behavioral remediation, owner training, and consultations with pet owners.
• Atascosa Animal Allies, Inc. (Texas): $10,000 to support the Northward Bound Pups program, which transfers dogs to Washington, Michigan and Wisconsin while freeing up space for the shelter to take in more animals in Texas.
• Animal Protection Society of Orange County, Inc. (North Carolina): $14,181 to support enhanced behavior training programs.
• Caring Hearts for Canines (North Carolina): $14,802 to support transport programs that will place dogs in Connecticut, Maine and Pennsylvania, where adoption demand is higher.
• Friends of Pima Animal Care Center (Arizona): $15,000 to support an Adoption Outpost location that will increase accessibility to adoption by showcasing adoptable animals in high-traffic retail locations.
• Kitsap Humane Society (Washington): $15,000 to support a community-oriented foster care program, including development of supporting materials and enhanced processes and protocols.
• Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation, Inc. (California): $15,000 to increase the number of foster homes in the community with increased support for foster caregivers and deeper community engagement.

Canadian Grants

In its second year, $100,000 CAD was awarded to animal shelters and rescue organizations with programming that provides behavioral training, transport needs and safety net grants to keep people and pets together. The 2023 grantees were:

• The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth: $10,000 to support veterinary outreach services, with a concentration on growing pet pantry operations in rural Stratford Perth.
• Cochrane & Area Humane Society: $10,000 to provide increased behavior rehabilitation work, including meetings with potential adopters and post-adoption support.
• Victoria Humane Society: $10,000 to expand transport programs that will bring an additional 120 dogs from remote communities to safety at Victoria Humane Society.
• Niagara Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Humane Society: $10,000 to support the Haven 4 Companions Project, which is building a community of dog walkers, trainers, and senior staff who are certified in canine behavior to help owners care for animals with behavioral issues.
• Pound Dog Rescue: $10,000 to support a transport program that will bring up to 25 dogs from Northern Manitoba to Southwest Ontario.
• Montreal SPCA: $10,000 to create a behavioral education program for dogs already in a family living environment, including visits, ongoing support, and training.
• The Nova Scotia SPCA: $10,000 to provide enrichment opportunities for adoptable dogs through the “Got 20 Minutes?” program.
• Georgian Triangle Humane Society: $10,000 to support the Pawsitive Match Program, which will focus on dogs with behavior concerns that may make them more difficult to place for adoption.
• People for Animal Wellbeing: $10,000 to support the Pet Safekeeping Program, which includes spay/adoption, a pet food bank, and a temporary housing program for domestic violence survivors’ pets.
• Hamilton Burlington SPCA: $10,000 to support behavior training programs that provide weekly training sessions with dogs In foster homes, with the hope of increasing their adoptability.

Collaborative Grants

• Austin Pets Alive! (Transport): $50k to support increased capacity for transporting animals on behalf of Texas’s many at risk shelter dogs. Austin Pets Alive’s! transport program has been steadily developing in the last two years and is now projected to carry nearly 4,000 pets from Texas shelters to parts of the country that lack enough adoptable shelter pets to fill demand.
• Greater Good Charities (Transport): $30k to support Greater Good Charities Good Flights Maui Disaster Relief support for additional transport flights with supplies and transport of animals already living in shelters off the island. Animals were flown to receiving shelters in the Pacific northwest, thereby making room for wounded and/or displaced pets during the wildfires to receive care at Maui Humane.
• Dogs Trust USA (Behavior): $50k to further develop Dogs Trust USA’s Dogs School and Professional Development programs, for the benefit of thousands of shelter staff, volunteers, foster carers, dogs and their owners across the country.
• Berkeley Humane (Transport): $25k to support the partnership between Berkeley Humane and the County of Hawaii Animal Control and Three Ring Ranch Animal Wildlife Sanctuary to continue lifesaving efforts to increase dog adoptions and provide resources for the Hawaii-based volunteers and staff who are working tirelessly to save more lives.
• Humane Society of Tulsa (Transport): $25k to support the “hub” pet transport program. The “hub” serves as a bridge for at risk dogs from overcrowded municipal shelters, criminal seizures, natural disasters and other crisis situations in Oklahoma and beyond.
• Paws Philadelphia (Foster): $50k to support the “Meeting the Moment: Reimagining Dog Fostering, from Marketing to Integrated Training & Behavioral Support” foster program. In time, PAWS will develop a multi-pronged approach to fostering in their community to increase lifesaving measures.

Mars Pet Adoption Weekend

PEDIGREE Foundation contributed $49,000 to celebrate the 15^th Mars Pet Adoption Weekend, covering dog adoption fees in 15 U.S. cities across the country such as Chicago, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, Washington D.C. and more.

Disaster Relief

PEDIGREE Foundation contributed over $140,000 to support disaster relief efforts across the country, including a $100,000 partnership with American Humane Society to provide immediate, on-the-ground support when disasters happen. In Canada, PEDIGREE Foundation contributed $20,000 CAD to four organizations to support wildfire relief, with the goal of funding another $5k CAD before the end of the year.