Building stronger pathways to veterinary care, one community at a time
October 29, 2026
The Accelerator grant and coaching program fuels local clinic expansions that get more pets to the vet
By: Aimee Gilbreath, president, PetSmart Charities
Every pet deserves the chance to live a healthy life with the people who love them. Yet for millions of families, getting veterinary care can be difficult. PetSmart Charities estimates that 50 million pets in the U.S. lack adequate veterinary care, often because of financial constraints. We can do better for pets whose companionship lends so much to the health and wellness of their people.
We hear what that gap means from families and veterinary teams. In the 2025 PetSmart Charities–Gallup State of Pet Care Study, 94% of veterinarians surveyed said clients’ finances sometimes or often limit their ability to provide recommended care. Behind that number are people facing hard choices. When pets get sick or injured and go without care, small problems can grow bigger, more costly, more painful, and too many pet parents make heartbreaking decisions to surrender their beloved companions.
This pressing problem demands attention from across the veterinary space, and there is no single solution. Pet parents need more affordable places to turn, more appointments available when needed, and flexible care and payment models that make costs more manageable. It’s why PetSmart Charities launched the Accelerator, a multi-year grant and coaching program and a key part of its $100 million commitment to build more flexible and innovative pathways to accessible veterinary care.
Accelerator grants support nonprofit veterinary clinics, and in some cases municipal clinics, seeking to expand affordable veterinary services and build sustainable operations. Grantee clinics may add services, increase capacity, invest in equipment or strengthen staffing. The work starts with a close look at the clinic’s needs and business plan, and expectations include a strong commitment to collaboration, learning, reporting and travel as the multi-year implementation plan includes consulting and coaching services to increase the chances of sustained success.
The approach is designed to help clinics grow their impact and keep serving families beyond the grant period. Accelerator grantees can draw on business analysis, consulting, mentoring and the support and camaraderie of a community of peers. In fall 2026, the first cohort of 16 clinics graduated from the program. Today, 46 clinics are active grantees, out of 62 to date.
Local partners have received more than $32 million in U.S. grants to expand services, locations and appointment availability. Since January 2024, those clinics have provided more than 1.2 million veterinary visits at significantly reduced costs compared with traditional veterinary settings. The goal is to build care that is both affordable and sustainable: clinics fund most of their operations through client-paid services, so they can keep serving families long after the grant ends. More than 650 clinic staff completed the 2026 Employee Engagement Survey and shared insights that shape best practices across the network, up from 332 in 2024.
The Arizona Humane Society’s Marge Wright Veterinary Clinic demonstrates just one example of the kind of impact these investments can make possible in local communities. With $1.3 million in PetSmart Charities grants, the Phoenix clinic expanded into a full-service facility. It is expected to help twice as many owned pets receive affordable care each year. The clinic provided more than 22,000 visits in 2025.
What we learn from grantees also shapes the field. Over three years, the first graduating cohort improved in all eight areas of the Accessibility 360 assessment, which measures barriers to care beyond cost. And our data confirm a challenge the whole industry faces: nearly 9 in 10 U.S. clinics in our compensation survey say recruiting veterinarians is difficult or extremely difficult.
These numbers represent more than visits. They represent pets getting preventive and ongoing care, families finding help closer to home, and veterinary teams better equipped to meet local needs. Accelerator clinics price their services about 40% below local market prices, while providing about 4,100 visits per full-time veterinarian each year.
The need remains immense. When we invest in community clinics and partner with the people who understand local needs and have gained trust, we can help make veterinary care more accessible for more pet parents. Part of our mission is to take the learnings from our grantees and share them across the industry as tools and resources. Together, we can build a future where getting care is a realistic option for every pet family.