PEDIGREE Foundation Celebrates 15th Birthday with Announcement of 2023 Grant Cycle

Annual grants will provide an additional $1 million for shelters and rescues advocating for dog adoption

FRANKLIN, Tenn., March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Across the U.S., there are 1.3 million estimated street or stray dogs,¹ many of which are searching for their forever homes. To advance its mission of ending pet homelessness and helping dogs get adopted, PEDIGREE Foundation has announced the opening of its annual grant cycle, which will provide U.S. shelters and rescue organizations with $1 million in funding to support foster, transport and behavior programs across the country.

Since its inception in 2008, PEDIGREE Foundation has awarded more than 6,100 grants, amounting to $11.7 million to organizations that share the goal of ending pet homelessness and helping dogs find their forever homes. In 2022, PEDIGREE Foundation helped 66,000 dogs through $1 million in grants, and this year's applications are open starting today through Friday, April 7, 2023. The applications can be submitted here.

"There's no better way to kick-off our 15^th birthday celebrations than by announcing the continuation of our annual grant program, which supports shelters and rescues," said Deb Fair, Executive Director of PEDIGREE Foundation. "Whether it's fostering support to help relieve overcrowded shelters, training and behavior initiatives to help dogs get adopted or transport programs to increase their chance of adoption, our grants are designed around one central purpose—to end pet homelessness."

PEDIGREE Foundation will be focusing on several program categories for its 2023 annual grants, which are helping to increase adoption rates across the animal welfare community:

• Foster programs that move dogs temporarily into loving homes while they await adoption, with foster parents to care and advocate for them.
• Behavior programs that help with socialization, training and stress relief, so dogs can move beyond behaviors that might hinder their adoption into loving, forever families.
• Transport programs that support organizations in moving dogs from areas of overpopulation to areas where they're more likely to be adopted.

The 2023 PEDIGREE Foundation grants program includes two types of grants which shelters and rescues can apply for now.

Annual Grants – awarded in the fall

• DOGS RULE.™ Grants ($100,000) – These two-year grants ($50,000 per year) will be awarded to fund new, creative and innovative initiatives that not only help their own organizations, but also could serve as best-practice models for other shelters and rescues to help increase dog adoption rates.
• Program Development Grants ($10,000 – $15,000) – These grants will support activities that expand the operational capability of shelters or rescues to improve dog adoption rates. This includes the expansion of existing programs or new programs.

Disaster Relief Grants

• These grants are available year-round to address natural disasters, puppy mill seizures or hoarding situations. They can be applied for all year long through a separate application process here.

Organizations interested in applying for a 2023 grant are invited to join a webinar tomorrow, March 3, at 1:00 PM CST, where representatives from PEDIGREE Foundation will explain the grant cycle and share tips on how to write a successful submission. All applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax designation status with shelters or rescues operating in the U.S. to submit an application. You can register for the webinar here and registrants may access the recording at a later date.

To learn more about PEDIGREE Foundation or donate to help find forever homes for dogs in need, please visit PEDIGREEFoundation.org and follow PEDIGREE Foundation  on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

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, 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 our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

¹ Mars Petcare State of Pet Homelessness Index, November 2021. Conducted between March 2020 - October 2021. Available: www.endpethomelessness.com/the-index 

SOURCE PEDIGREE Foundation