While dog adoption and fostering have brought joy to people across the United States in 2020, shelters and rescues have faced one of the toughest years in memory. PEDIGREE Foundation is helping with $1 million in grants to support programs to get more dogs cared for and adopted.
"The pandemic made everything from care, to transport, to adoptions more difficult, yet shelters and rescues have responded with innovation and resilience," said Kimberly Spina, President of PEDIGREE Foundation's Board of Directors. "We are thrilled to support their tireless work towards ending pet homelessness, and with a nearly 20 percent increase in our grantmaking this year, we anticipate we can help more than 150,000 dogs find loving homes."
PEDIGREE Foundation's 2020 grants, awarded to 167 shelter and rescue organizations, focused primarily on supporting foster, matching and transport programs – initiatives that help significantly increase dog adoption rates. Grants also supported disaster relief, particularly as the pandemic grew in the spring. The Foundation released funds six months earlier than usual to provide COVID-19 Relief Grants to more than 100 shelters struggling due to pandemic-related challenges.
The remaining 2020 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
- Role Model Shelter grants – Up to $50,000 to implement a best practice that helps increase dog adoption rates
- Program Development grants - $5,000 to $10,000 to help shelters and rescues expand operational capacity to increase dog adoption
- Transportation grants - $10,000 to $50,000 to support initiatives that address regional supply-and-demand challenges, getting more dogs to places where they have a better chance to be adopted
- Disaster Relief grants - $40,000 so far in 2020 to help organizations coping with wildfires, the Nashville tornado, puppy mill seizures and other emergency needs
- American Rescue Dog Show grants – $100,000 to shelters and rescues represented in the 2020 Hallmark Channel American Rescue Dog Show
- Partner grants – Varying amounts awarded through the generosity of retail partners, including Bi-Mart, Family Farm and Home, Phillips Pet Food and Supplies, Carter's Pet Mart and Associate Grocers
With this year's grants, PEDIGREE Foundation has provided more than 5,700 grants and $9 million since its inception in 2008. Plus, it anticipates additional grants may be awarded before year's end.
To continue supporting shelter dogs nationwide, PEDIGREE Foundation is encouraging dog lovers to shop at the DOGS RULE.® online store throughout the holiday season for gifts that give back. All proceeds from DOGS RULE gear help dogs find loving homes. Items include clothing for two- and four-legged friends, drinkware, neck gaiters and a new "Handshake" collection featuring a heartwarming illustration of a hand holding a paw.
Recognizing that the needs of shelters and rescues will be just as great next year, PEDIGREE Foundation is also launching its Double Down for Dogs fundraising campaign. For the remainder of the year, a generous donor will match donations, up to $10,000, to help kick off 2021 fundraising efforts and help even more dogs in need.
To read more about the 2020 grant recipients and their impact, and for information about how to help PEDIGREE Foundation help more dogs, please visit PedigreeFoundation.org.
