HOLIDAY CHEER ARRIVES EARLY FOR SHELTER PETS IN NEED

Blue Buffalo Delivers the Gift of Food to Shelters Nationwide Through Helen Woodward Animal Center's Home 4 the Holidays Campaign

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif., Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the holiday season gets underway for animal lovers, Blue Buffalo Home 4 the Holidays® is kicking off its 27th year with a powerful gift for shelter pets: more than 43,000 pounds of pet food donated to animal rescue organizations in San Diego and more than 43,000 pounds of pet food donated to animal rescue organizations in New York City. For the ninth consecutive year, the holiday campaign is encouraging families to make adoption their first choice when welcoming a new four-legged family member, choosing a shelter pet rather than purchasing from a pet store or breeder.  

Since its launch by Helen Woodward Animal Center in 1999, the Home 4 the Holidays campaign has grown into a global movement, uniting more than 4,000 animal rescue organizations in the shared mission of finding loving homes for homeless pets. Together, the campaign has helped more than 22 million pets begin new lives with families of their own. Blue Buffalo has been a dedicated partner in that mission since 2013, and since 2018 has helped shelters meet another critical need during the holiday season: keeping hungry pets fed while they wait for homes.

Across the country, animal shelters are facing a perfect storm of overcrowding, dwindling resources and rising medical and supply costs—all while the number of hungry mouths waiting for help continues to grow. For the last nine holiday seasons, Blue Buffalo has delivered several truckloads of high-quality, natural food for Helen Woodward Animal Center and its New York partner, Paws Crossed, (a nine-year total of more than 800,000 pounds of food!) helping provide much-needed meals to shelters on both coasts. The donated food is then distributed to approximately 40 local animal welfare organizations in need, delivering a little extra relief—and a lot of full bowls—to pets waiting for their forever homes.

"Blue Buffalo is committed to creating high-quality, natural food and treats that both dogs and cats love." said Gabriel Vinas, Business Unit Director Dog Feeding. "We believe every dog and cat should be loved and fed like family, and that is exemplified by our ongoing commitment to delivering our products to shelters nationwide through our partnership with Home 4 the Holidays®."

"Blue Buffalo has an extraordinary heart for pets, the people who love them, and the shelters working tirelessly to save their lives," said Helen Woodward Animal Center Vice President of Development Renee Resko. "We're incredibly grateful for their longstanding support of Home 4 the Holidays and their commitment to shining a light on the life-changing impact of pet adoption. Their annual gift of food arrives at a critical time for shelters across the country, providing much-needed support when resources are stretched thin. We're honored to help deliver this generous holiday gift to the organizations and pets who need it most."

"The Home 4 the Holidays food donation is one of our favorite times of the year," said Jennifer Angelucci, CEO of Paws Crossed Animal Rescue Inc.  "We are deeply grateful to Blue Buffalo and to Helen Woodward for including us in part of such an incredible network of people who go above and beyond to help rescues and shelters across the country. Not only is this wonderful gift a lifeline for so many, but it is an opportunity to bring rescues together for a common cause!"

Helen Woodward Animal Center wants to continue to encourage rescue organizations to increase their adoption efforts during the holiday season, when more families opt to bring home a new pet. For the eighth year, the Center is offering $25,000 to a participating Home 4 the Holidays rescue organization that develops the most creative seasonal promotion to increase adoptions. 

There are many ways to get involved in the Blue Buffalo Home 4 the Holidays campaign including adopting and encouraging friends to adopt and then showing the world your newly adopted best friend by posting a photo on the contest page or sharing on Instagram with #IChoseToRescue and tagging @hwac and @bluebuffalo. For more information about the campaign or to find participating local shelters and rescues groups, go to https://animalcenter.org/home-4-the-holidays.

For information on Helen Woodward Animal Center, call 858-756-4117, visit https://animalcenter.org or stop by at 6461 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.

About Home 4 the Holidays (H4TH)
As one of the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, H4TH partners with thousands of animal organizations dedicated to finding forever homes for orphan pets. Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center and in partnership with Blue Buffalo this year, the program began in 1999 with just 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego County. Since it began 27 years ago, partner organizations in the Home 4 the Holidays campaign have helped more than 22 million families experience the joy of pet adoption. For more information, please visit www.home4theholidays.org.

About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where "people help animals and animals help people." Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world.  For more information, go to:  www.animalcenter.org.

About Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo started with a promise made to a lovable Airedale named Blue who struggled with cancer, the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats. His family, the Bishops, wanted to feed him the best food possible, so they searched for food with high-quality ingredients, but decided to create something even better – natural pet food for dogs and cats with nutritious ingredients, real meat first, and some of the highest standards in the industry. Since Day 1, BLUE's team of veterinarians and animal nutritionists have carefully selected high-quality, natural ingredients and upheld its True BLUE Promise to dog and cat pet parents – real meat as the first ingredient with NO chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, NO corn, wheat or soy, and NO artificial flavors or preservatives. The result is a portfolio of high-quality, natural food and treats that both dogs and cats love. This simple idea: "Love them like family. Feed them like family." lives on today in every Blue Buffalo recipe. Visit BlueBuffalo.com to learn more. 

SOURCE Helen Woodward Animal Center