PHOENIX (August 11, 2026) – PetSmart Charities®, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, today announced the launch of The PetSmart Charities Veterinary Fellowship program, a bold new investment designed to cultivate leaders in community medicine through education, mentorship and long-term professional connection.
Across the country, many families face difficult decisions when barriers limit access to veterinary care. According to data from the PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study: Veterinarians' Perspective on American Veterinary Care, 94% of veterinarians say clients' financial constraints sometimes or often limit their ability to provide recommended care, and cost is cited as the reason pet parents decline treatment more than twice as often as any other factor. This new program is one part of PetSmart Charities' response to those findings. It invests early in the practitioners best equipped to meet families where they are, part of a broader commitment to increasing accessible care.
In 2023, PetSmart Charities responded to the pressing need for more accessible veterinary care by committing $100 Million in grant support to build solutions addressing the gap, including initiatives in education and training. The Veterinary Fellowship program is part of the portfolio and launches in partnership with five universities recognized for their leading veterinary studies and existing commitment to expanding access to care: Colorado State University, Cornell University, The University of Arizona, The University of California, Davis, and The University of Minnesota. Fifteen fellows have been selected for the program's inaugural cohort.
“Over the past four years, I have been committed to giving back to the communities that have nurtured me by working in clinics that serve local, underserved populations and embracing the importance of providing a spectrum of care. I am grateful for the opportunity to join the PetSmart Charities Fellowship, where I can continue to grow my passion for community veterinary medicine while learning practical approaches to expanding access to compassionate, equitable care,” said fellowship student Amy Salim, Cornell University.
The program will equip veterinary students selected for their passion to serve pets and people facing barriers to care to pursue impactful careers in community veterinary medicine. Fellows receive financial support alongside a structured professional experience that connects them with mentors, peers, clinical partners and community medicine leaders during veterinary school and into the first four years of clinical practice. The Fellowship intentionally bridges the transition from veterinary school into practice through mentorship, peer collaboration and ongoing professional development.
“We’re thrilled to launch the Veterinary Fellowship Program, a defining new program created to help fellows gain the skills and confidence needed to practice community medicine and meet the needs of pet families who might otherwise go without it,” said Dr. Robyn Jaynes, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities. “With this in mind, our vision is to build a lasting collaborative network of community medicine veterinarians who learn from one another, mentor future fellows and strengthen access to care across the profession.”
The initial cohort of fellows begins in the Fall of 2026, and by the spring of 2032, a potential of 115 community-medicine focused veterinarians will graduate. The investment is projected to generate more than 550,000 incremental community medicine veterinary visits annually.
"This Fellowship reflects what's possible when academic institutions and mission-driven
organizations work together toward a shared goal," said Emily McCobb, DVM, PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “We’re proud to be a partner in building a generation of veterinarians who are not only clinically excellent but equipped to meet the real and growing need for accessible, affordable care."
The inaugural cohort of students will enter the program in Fall 2026 and are expected to graduate in Spring and Summer 2028. Following this initial launch, new cohorts will be admitted annually, ensuring a consistent pipeline of participants and program continuity.
For more information about PetSmart Charities and the PetSmart Charities Veterinary Fellowship Program or to make a donation to support these and other programs, visit PetsmartCharities.org.
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About PetSmart Charities
PetSmart Charities is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities has helped 11 million pets (and counting) connect with loving families. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. Its efforts connect pets with loving homes, improve access to affordable veterinary care, and support families in times of crises with access to pet food, shelter, and disaster response. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities.org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart® stores. PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its mission, granting more than $600 million since its inception in 1994. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has received a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator consecutively since 2003— placing it among the top one percent of rated charities.
