Access to Veterinary Care (Grants):
Taking better care of pets builds healthier communities
The need: Nearly 50 million pets do not receive adequate vet care to maintain long, healthy lives.
More than 70% of homes in the U.S. now include a pet to love. That’s good news! Giving a pet a good life enriches our own. But only about 30% of pets receive consistent veterinary care. We need to bridge that gap for nearly 50 million pets that receive none.
The vet care system needs an overhaul. Under current models, it would cost an estimated $23 billion annually to provide affordable care to pets currently not receiving any. Many underserved communities lack access to vet care close-by, delivered by a diverse pool of veterinarians. It takes trust and a common language to establish this important relationship, just as it does for people and their physicians.
No one organization can solve this complex problem alone. That’s why PetSmart Charities is funding grants to help community changemakers address the immediate problem while also creating long-term, sustainable solutions. Over time, new ecosystems will emerge that deliver an updated veterinary care system – one that is more accessible for diverse populations.
With your help, PetSmart Charities will support the development of community-based leaders to transform how, where and by whom veterinary care is delivered. Healthy pets lead to healthier families and communities.
Pet Hunger:
Keeping pet parents from making an impossible choice
The need: According to Feeding America, 1 out of 6 people in America experience food insecurity. And if they’re not getting enough to maintain a healthy diet, neither are there pets.
Pets love their people generously, and 88% of people who own pets consider them members of the family. We know some, seniors especially, will fill their pets’ food bowls before their own. At PetSmart Charities, we believe that’s an impossible choice to make.
In a recent study conducted by Meals on Wheels America, more than 95% of homebound seniors indicated that having a pet made them feel healthier and less socially isolated. With your help, we can ensure the enduring bond between people and pets thrives, by considering both ends of the leash.
We’re helping improve access to free or affordable pet food by partnering with human service agencies that are open to serving pets, too. These include:
- Feeding America: We’re working together to donate and distribute pet food to human food banks across the country to support those facing pet food insecurity.
- United Way Worldwide: Together with the Ride United Pets Eat Too program, we piloted the delivery of pet food and supplies through its partnership with DoorDash.
- Meals on Wheels America: We established a grant program to assist local chapters with the delivery of pet food and related services to seniors.
We’re grateful for the expertise and support of these trusted partners. Together, we can help preserve the important bond between people and pets.
Disaster Response:
Keeping pets and people together when they need each other most
The need: When natural disasters strike, pets are also displaced and injured.
When people suffer during natural disasters, their pets often suffer too. As important members of the family, pets, too, have urgent needs for shelter, medical care, nutritious food, and social support. PetSmart Charities delivers disaster response grants — quickly — to community partners when the unforeseen strikes.
During times of crises such as fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, pets and the people they love need each other more than ever. That’s why PetSmart Charities partners with national and locally designated first responder organizations that can deliver support for people and their pets during times of disaster. Our support ensures fewer families must make crushing decisions around whether to leave their home to seek safety or stay in harm’s way to remain together.
PetSmart Charities believes that pets should be part of the social safety net in times of natural disaster. We are committed to supporting our trusted partners on the ground as they deliver safe spaces and resources that help people cope and move forward.
