PetSmart Charities estimates 50 million pets in the U.S. don’t receive adequate veterinary care. That leads to increased health problems and impossible choices, including surrendering pets to an already crowded shelter system. Many influences have created a serious gap in care that impacts pet parents across many income levels. Since 62% of American homes include pets, the magnitude of this crisis requires innovative solutions and an all-hands-on-deck approach — no single organization can solve the problem alone.
To take the lead, PetSmart Charities made a $100 million commitment to improve access to veterinary care. It’s critical our dollars support programs with potential to reach beyond the initial investment. With the help of our donors, we’re investing in programs to drive knowledge and create sustainable change across the industry.
These investments include:
Research & Data
The Gallup name is synonymous with credible, expert surveying. We partnered to ask pet owners about their experiences seeking and financing veterinary care, with plans to survey veterinarians next. We believe gathering data regularly will inform our strategy and programs, and potentially the direction of partners and stakeholders. Additionally, our funding supports research within veterinary medicine on various diagnostic and treatment protocols for common medical conditions. Evidence-based research will help identify options for veterinarians to reduce the cost of care while maintaining high standards.
Expanding Low-Cost Care Options
PetSmart Charities grant funding helps expand capacity for existing low-cost veterinary care clinics, since low-cost veterinary care models can help people obtain veterinary care at costs they can afford. These efforts focus on efficiency and cost reductions that benefit pet parents while maintaining sustainable business operations. The veterinary practices in this grant program are full-service clinics that provide high-quality lifetime and wellness care for pets in their communities. To date, these clinics have an average client ticket cost that is 43% lower than the industry average, and are currently serving more than 4,000 client visits per veterinarian annually.
Increasing Efficiency Through Single Service Models
Years ago, clinics that offered only spay and neuter surgeries proved highly efficient and effective. Drawing inspiration from that successful single service model, PetSmart Charities has invested in exploring models like those. These include clinics performing surgeries or dental procedures that can optimize efficiencies to help lower costs for pet parents. Narrowing the scope of what a clinic offers allows for teams to create consistent operations, become experts within their focus area, and increase knowledge and skills that drive both quality and efficiency. With that in mind, PetSmart Charities has funded dental-and surgical-only practices to help bring more affordable care to pet parents in need.
Explore Financially Friendly Payment Options
Currently, veterinary care offers limited payment plans, and many of those available can be challenging for the average American family to utilize. Helping more pet parents finance and/or pay for veterinary care over time will potentially offset the overall cost of care. For this reason, PetSmart Charities is funding projects that study how low or no interest pay-over-time options (without required credit checks) will help many pet owners expand the amount of care they can manage financially. The impact on veterinary healthcare teams, costs of offering such plans, and how it impacts a family’s ability to afford veterinary care are being explored. Findings from this study are projected to be available later in 2025.
