PEDIGREE Foundation Awards $1 Million in Grants to Support Animal Shelters and Rescue Organizations Across the U.S. and Canada

PEDIGREE Foundation Surpasses $11.7 Million in Donations Since its Inception to Help Dogs Find Their Forever Homes

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Nov. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PEDIGREE Foundation announced it has awarded more than $1 million in grants across shelter and rescue programs in the U.S. and Canada in 2022, which will help more than 66,000 dogs find their forever homes. As shelters have faced especially critical challenges this year – and are currently on pace for their worst rates of overpopulation and resource constraints in three years¹ – PEDIGREE Foundation continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting the animal welfare community through its annual grant programs.

The 2022 PEDIGREE Foundation and its new Canadian Grant Program grants, awarded to 81 shelter and rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada, focused primarily on supporting fostering, matching and transport programs, as well as disaster relief and safety net grants. With this year's grant announcement, PEDIGREE Foundation has provided more than 6,100 grants totaling $11.7 million since its inception in 2008. In 2022, PEDIGREE Foundation also announced its expansion of programs to Canada with the launch of the PEDIGREE Foundation Canadian Grant Program, providing $100k CAD to Canadian shelters and rescue organizations in need. The Foundation anticipates additional grants may be awarded before year's end.

"A recent survey from our partners at Adopt-a-Pet revealed that 9 in 10 animal shelters and rescue organizations across the U.S. reported that resource constraints and overpopulation have remained consistent or worsened since earlier in 2022," said Kimberly Wise, President of the Board of Directors for PEDIGREE Foundation. "Now more than ever, PEDIGREE Foundation support of our animal welfare partners is critical in helping provide and care for deserving dogs in our communities and helping them find loving homes."

The 2022 PEDIGREE Foundation grants focused on sustainable long-term solutions for its animal welfare partners. The complete list of this year's recipients is available on the website. Grants include:

• DOGS RULE.™ Grants – $100,000 over two years to develop an innovative initiative that can become a best practice for other shelters and rescues.
• Program Development Grants – $6,000 to $15,000 to help shelters and rescues expand operational capacity through strategic programming to increase dog adoption with a focus on transport, foster, behavior and matching initiatives.
• Disaster Relief Grants – From natural disasters like Hurricane Ian to puppy mill seizures, the need for disaster support continued in 2022. The Foundation contributed $114,500 for disaster relief and/or emergency care efforts across the U.S.
• Collaborative Partnership Grants – $10,000 to $50,000 to support larger initiatives such as transport needs that address current challenges in animal welfare. Recipients include Humane Society of Sarasota County, Tulsa Humane, Greater Good Charities, Dogs Trust USA, PAWS Philadelphia and Human Animal Support Services (HASS), a program of American Pets Alive!
• Safety Net Grants – New this year, in collaboration with the PEDIGREE® brand, $100,000 in Essential Support Dogs Safety Net grants were awarded to organizations to provide immediate assistance with temporary boarding or fostering, food costs or pet-friendly housing deposits, as well as those focusing on dogs with families needing medical expense relief.
• Adoption Grants – Funds provided to cover dog adoption costs during two weekend adoption events sponsored in partnership with Mars Petcare's BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program.
• Canadian Grants – As part of the launch of the inaugural Canadian Grant Program, $100,000 was awarded to animal shelters with programming that provides behavioral training, transport needs and medical care.

"The Pennsylvania SPCA is so grateful to receive this lifesaving DOGS RULE grant from PEDIGREE Foundation," said Julie Klim, Chief Executive Officer at PSPCA. "This partnership will amplify the scope and reach of our Adopting Great Behaviors program, enabling us to rehabilitate and rehome dogs presenting a range of challenging behaviors. We are thrilled to support more community members and their dogs with specialized care, and we look forward to sharing our learnings, strategy, and behavior program resources with fellow animal welfare organizations."

Show Your Support

PEDIGREE Foundation is encouraging dog lovers to check out the DOGS RULE.™ online store or its Amazon store throughout the holiday season for gifts that support dogs in need. Proceeds from the store help dogs find loving homes through shelter and rescue grants.

PEDIGREE Foundation has also launched its end-of-year campaign, SEASON OF GOOD DOG™, which runs until December 31. It's through the generosity of dog lovers that the Foundation is able to support so many dogs during the holiday season and EVERY DOG DESERVES A LOVING HOME™. $5,000 in donations will be matched by a generous donor, so the impact is even greater! To learn more about the campaign or make your donation, visit this link.

To read more about the 2022 grant recipients and their impact, and for information about how you can make a difference with PEDIGREE Foundation, please visit PedigreeFoundation.org.

About PEDIGREE Foundation
We believe every dog deserves a loving, forever home. PEDIGREE Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to help end pet homelessness. Nearly 3.1 million dogs end up in shelters and rescues every year, and nearly half never find a home. The foundation was established in 2008 by Mars Petcare, maker of PEDIGREE® food for dogs, to help increase dog adoption rates. We've awarded more than 6,100 grants and $11.6 million to U.S. shelters and rescues that help dogs in need. In 2022, we introduced our first program expansion outside the U.S. with the launch of our Canadian grant program, providing $100k CAD to local shelters and rescues in need across Canada. At PEDIGREE Foundation, we're working toward a day when all dogs are safe, secure, cared for, fed well and loved. See how you can help at PedigreeFoundation.org.

About Mars Petcare
Part of Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love, the 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries in Mars Petcare are dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. With 85 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world's pets – including brands PEDIGREE^®, WHISKAS^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™,
 SHEBA^®, CESAR^®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™ as well as the Waltham Petcare Science Institute which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through an international network of over 2,000 pet hospitals and diagnostic services including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, Linnaeus, AniCura and Antech. We're also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs and cats, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight for: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

SOURCE PEDIGREE Foundation