$1 million in annual grants will be awarded to animal shelters and rescues working toward ending pet homelessness.
Across the U.S., there are more than 8.2 million homeless dogs and 2.3 million of them are in shelters waiting to find loving homes, according to the ‘State of Pet Homelessness Project.’ In an effort to alleviate overcrowding, capacity challenges and ultimately encourage dog adoption, PEDIGREE Foundation announced the opening of its annual grant cycle, which will provide shelters and rescue organizations nationwide with $1 million in grant funding to support foster, behavior, and transport programs.
Since its inception in 2008, PEDIGREE Foundation has awarded more than $12 million in grants and helped more than 800,000 dogs through its grants program to increase dog adoption and help end pet homelessness. In 2023 alone, 3.2 million dogs entered animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country, according to Shelter Animals Count’s 2023 Annual Report and PEDIGREE Foundation helped 76,000 dogs across the U.S. and Canada. This year’s applications are open starting today through Sunday, April 14, 2024, and can be submitted here.
“There is an ongoing critical need for dog adoption across North America. Shelters are at capacity and while pet intakes remain consistent, shelters aren’t seeing the same or increased movement in adoptions,” said Deb Fair, Executive Director of PEDIGREE Foundation. “Our annual grant program enables us to serve shelters and rescue organizations who so desperately need assistance. We are excited to provide resources that can help get more dogs adopted through the foster, behavior and transport programs.”
PEDIGREE Foundation will award several program categories for its 2024 annual grants, which are helping to increase adoption rates across the animal welfare community:
- Foster programs that move dogs temporarily into loving homes while they await adoption, with foster parents to care and advocate for them.
- Behavior programs that help with socialization, training and stress relief, so dogs can move beyond behaviors that might hinder their adoption into loving families. Data from the ‘State of Pet Homelessness Project’ also revealed that almost 1 in 4 dog owners in the U.S. are thinking of rehoming their pet in the next 12 months and 1 in 5 of them state the reason as behavioral problems. These programs can help dogs who need a little extra training find a new, loving family.
- Transport programs that support organizations in moving dogs from areas of overpopulation to areas where they’re more likely to be adopted.
The 2024 PEDIGREE Foundation grants program includes two types of grants which shelters and rescues can apply for now.
Annual Grants – awarded in the fall
- DOGS RULE.™ Grants ($100,000) – These two-year grants ($50,000 per year) will be awarded to fund new, creative and innovative initiatives that not only help their own organizations, but also could serve as best-practice models for other shelters and rescues to help increase dog adoption rates.
- Program Development Grants ($10,000 – $15,000) – These grants will support activities that expand the operational capability of shelters or rescues to improve dog adoption rates. This includes the expansion of existing programs or new programs.
Additionally, Disaster Relief Grants are available year-round to address natural disasters, puppy mill seizures or hoarding situations. A separate application process can be found here.
Organizations interested in applying for a 2024 grant are invited to join a webinar on Tuesday, March 5 at 11:00 AM CST where representatives from PEDIGREE Foundation will explain the grant cycle and share tips on how to write a successful submission. All applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax designation status with shelters or rescues operating in the U.S. to submit an application. Government and municipal shelters that hold a “Friends of 501(c)(3) designation are also eligible. You can register for the webinar here and registrants may access the recording on PEDIGREEFoundation.org after March 5.
To learn more about PEDIGREE Foundation or donate to help find forever homes for dogs in need, please visit PEDIGREEFoundation.org and follow PEDIGREE Foundation on social media (Facebook and Instagram).
