The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation Makes $250 Million Commitment to Expand Veterinary Care Services

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation announced the Duffield Big Bet for Pets, a groundbreaking $250 million commitment over the next five years to reduce barriers to veterinary care for family pets across the United States. The initiative represents one of the largest private philanthropic investments ever made to expand access to nonprofit community veterinary care. 

For more than 30 years, the Duffields have been among the country's most dedicated champions of pets in need. As founders of Maddie's Fund®, they built the largest private foundation supporting companion animal organizations, with a particular focus on shelters. The Big Bet for Pets initiative builds on that legacy by addressing the access to veterinary care gap, which the Foundation estimates impacts 50 million dogs and cats nationwide. This gap is largely the result of financial barriers to care, leaving millions of pets without routine, preventive, and lifesaving veterinary services.

"Pets are members of our families, and they need veterinary care to live long, healthy lives," said Dave Duffield, co-founder of the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. "For too many families, that care is not easy to find or afford. Big Bet for Pets is our way of investing in a stronger, more accessible safety net for these special animals."

Big Bet for Pets builds on PetSmart Charities' 2023 commitment of $100 million and its call for increased investment to address the access to veterinary care crisis. The Duffield Big Bet for Pets will support community-based organizations working to expand access to veterinary care for family pets, invest in research and other strategies to advance progress in closing the access to veterinary care gap, and amplify the vital work of organizations providing veterinary services to pets in need. The initiative will roll out multiple investments and grant opportunities over the next five years, and the first two launch today.

Duffield Boost Grants is a collective $2.5 million grant opportunity that will provide 250 grants of $10,000 each to nonprofit community veterinary care providers nationwide. Expanding Access Grants will establish a $10 million pool for significant, multi-year grants for established nonprofit community veterinary clinics that are ready to expand their capacity to reach more pets in need. More information about both funding opportunities is available at duffieldfoundation.org. 

"The lack of access to affordable veterinary care is one of the most urgent and actionable challenges facing pets and the people who love them," said Amy Mills, vice president of access to care at the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. "Through Big Bet for Pets, we are investing in a future where every pet has access to the veterinary care they need and every family can care for the animals they love."

About the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation

The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation carries forward the Duffield family's legacy of supporting transformational programs and services in three core areas: pairing Veterans with Service Dogs, expanding access to care for companion animals, and strengthening local public service organizations. Founded in 2016, the Foundation is part of the Duffield family of foundations, which also includes Maddie's Fund®—a national leader in advancing the well-being of shelter animals—and Liberty Dogs™, a new Service Dog training facility dedicated to providing life-changing support for military Veterans living with PTSD.

For more information about the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, visit duffieldfoundation.org.

Nicole Shearer | KPS3, 530-448-6485, [email protected].

SOURCE The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation