Grants for Dog Rescues

NOTE: PetSmart Charities is evaluating conditions resulting from COVID-19 (coronavirus), and the best ways we can support our partners, pet parents and the pets they love. If you are an organization is working within the official COVID-19 response efforts, email [email protected] to inquire about possible grant assistance.

COVID-19 Update: Emergency Relief Funding

As we continue to monitor news and information surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), our highest priority remains supporting our partners, communities, and pets. This is an unprecedented situation with circumstances changing by the hour. 

Emergency Relief Grants for Covid 19 will focus on: 

To most effectively serve the areas of greatest need, we are focusing our support on the geographic areas with highest number of reported cases of coronavirus to date as determined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Emergency Relief Grants will focus on:

• organizations working within the official coordinated response efforts to serve the pets of people hospitalized or quarantined due to the virus, and
• high-volume intake shelters with increased number of pet intakes also due to the virus.  

PetSmart Charities: Emergency Relief

We envision a world in which every pet has a lifelong, loving home.

PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada are nonprofit animal welfare organizations that save the lives of homeless pets. More than 400,000 dogs and cats find homes each year through our adoption program in all PetSmart stores and our sponsored adoption events. 

Purpose of Category

We're here to help in the event of large-scale natural disasters in the United States and Canada. In case of an emergency, funds are available to assist during the direct rescue, relief, and/or recovery stages for qualifying organizations seeking to assist companion pets impacted by the disaster.

Grants can support:

• Sheltering supplies/infrastructure, reunification efforts, necessary medical, staffing, meals, and lodging for volunteers/staff working with owned pets in impacted areas.
• Purchases for necessary immediate sheltering needs for up to 30 days (gas/lodging, kennels, crates, carriers, food, waste management, bowls, leads/leashes)
• Medical expenses to provide required and/or necessary vaccinations and immediate medical care for impacted pets.

Mission

The primary mission of the Laura J. Niles Foundation is to encourage and support efforts to improve the lives of animals. The Foundation seeks to benefit animals in general, and dogs in particular, by supporting research, training, and adoption programs and projects. Programs which enhance the human-animal bond are viewed with favor.  

Primary Program Interests

Animals - The Foundation is seeking ways to benefit animals, particularly dogs, and is especially interested in programs that help animals and people, simultaneously. The Foundation is targeting areas that include animal medical research, animal protection, adoption, search & rescue, assistance dogs, equine therapy and similar areas of endeavor. Currently, the Foundation does not consider spay/neuter programs to be a priority, given the limited funds which are available. 

Education - a secondary area of focus for the Foundation is the education of economically disadvantaged youth. This program area includes primary, secondary and higher education.

Guiding Principles and Considerations 

• The goal of the Foundation's Board is to pursue a deliberate and proactive course of "strategic philanthropy"
• Favors programs addressing long-term solutions to the causes of problems, as distinguished from programs that simply treat the symptoms.
• Added emphasis on programs and organizations that address the intersection of its various interests.
• Encourages pilot initiatives that test new program models.
• Particular interest in organizations that promote collaborative efforts among groups and organizations.
• Qualities sought by the Foundation in its grantee organizations are: effective and dynamic personnel; passionate leadership; a bias against bureaucracy; prudent managements & governance practices; and commitment to results and overall assessment of program impact.

The majority of the Laura J. Niles Foundation's grantmaking is focused in the northeastern United States, although, occasionally, grants may be made in other regions of the country and/or abroad. However, any grant for international programs or projects will be made only through US tax-exempt organizations.

About Us

The Petfinder Foundation has been helping animal shelters and rescue groups since 2003. We are the ONLY national organization that does nothing but give cash and product grants to adoption groups.

Our programs are designed to keep homeless pets physically and mentally healthy so they can find loving forever homes.

Our grants put food in bowls, provide medical care, and help rescue animals from disasters. When pets are in need, we’re there to help.

We’ve given more than $25 million in cash and product grants since 2003. Our grant recipients include more than 10,000 adoption groups, caring for more than 250,000 homeless pets – from cats and dogs to birds and horses – throughout North America.

Disaster Grant

The Petfinder Foundation disaster-relief program was designed to assist Petfinder members and their adoptable pets who have been struck by a natural disaster. Funding from this program must support natural or human-made disasters that hit a community like hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, earthquakes, extreme weather (freezing temps, significant snowstorms, extreme heat), and other events that devastate animal shelters and rescue groups. 

About Rachael Ray Foundation™

The Rachael Ray Foundation™ is funded by a portion of proceeds from each sale of Rachael's pet food, Nutrish®. The Foundation was launched by Rachael in 2016 to better support the causes she cares for most such as helping animals in need.

The Rachael Ray Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society are committed to helping Best Friends Network Partners increase lifesaving in their communities through impactful, innovative, and inclusive programming. Every year, there are two types of Rachael Ray grants for which partners can apply.   

Grants for Animal Rescue to Save More Lives: The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants fund projects to reduce the lifesaving gap of cats and dogs in U.S. shelters. We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations that enable lifesaving in a community.  

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants fund projects that increase lifesaving of cats and dogs in U.S. shelters. We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, as well as rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations focused on impacting lifesaving at shelters. 

Your organization can apply for a grant of up to $50,000, with the amount requested not exceeding 10% of your operating budget. The average grant awarded last year was just under $13,000, therefor granting may only cover partial funding needed for your project. 

Project Requirements

• Projects can be focused on just one event/program or can include multiple events/programs.   
• Proposed projects should align with regional priorities. Projects that satisfy these priorities will have the largest impact on lifesaving in each region.   
• We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations that enable lifesaving.
• If the applicant that is applying is an organization that is already no-kill, their project needs to be impacting a shelter that has a lifesaving gap and has not achieved a 90% save rate.  
• If awarded, the applying organization will need to submit quarterly impact statistics of how many lives were impacted through the project.  
• The impacted shelter’s intake and outcome data will need to be submitted as well, in order to calculate the reduction in gap to 90%, which will measure success of the project.  
• Best Friends will make calculations for reduction in lifesaving gap after all data points are submitted. These two metrics (impacts and reduction number in lifesaving gap) will be used for grant accountability and measuring success.  

Regional Priorities

Before you begin an application, please review the priorities for your region to ensure that your project aligns. 

Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina 

South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Great Plains: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Mountain West: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Mid-Atlantic: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia

NOTE: Letters of introduction will be accepted only the first month of each quarter ('letter of inquiry' deadlines above). Immediately after that they will be reviewed and possible grant recipients will receive grant applications for completion. Grant decisions are made each quarter with deadlines on 'full proposal' deadlines above.

The Doris Day Animal Foundation funds nonprofit 501c3 organizations that need assistance in their work of caring for and protecting animals. Through our grants, scores of animal rescue and welfare organizations have received sustaining resources to continue their work, to offer additional services or to expand their reach to the animals who most critically need their help. A special focus for DDAF is on programs benefitting senior pets and the people who love them.

What programs does DDAF generally fund?

• Spay/neuter programs, special needs programs, senior care programs, medical expenses for senior animals, rescue and placement of senior animals, and pet food pantries.
• We have on occasion funded grants for therapy dogs in hospice situations, training of assistance dogs, wildlife rehabilitation, protective vests for police dogs, education programs, and even a scholarship in the field of veterinary medicine.
• Recently, we have been focused on assisting senior companion animals, but we are open to your suggestions.
• We are always interested in the many ways loving people around the country are helping animals.

About Grey Muzzle Grants

Guided by its vision - a world where every senior dog thrives and no old dog dies alone and afraid - The Grey Muzzle Organization makes grants throughout the United States expressly for programs designed to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs. We invite shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries, and other nonprofit organizations, whose activities include helping senior dogs, to apply for these grant funds. Since 2008, Grey Muzzle has provided $2,500,000 in grants to senior dog programs nationwide! Grants typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. Our ability to make grants to help senior dogs depends entirely on the generosity and support of the public and other donors. 

Examples of the Types of Programs We Fund

Please note that innovative programs not specifically listed may also be considered.

• Create or help expand foster programs specifically focused on finding homes for senior dogs.
• A program to prevent owners from surrendering senior dogs to shelters as a result of economic circumstances.
• Medical care and other programs that increase the potential for senior dogs to be adopted.
• Medical expenses for in-home, short-term hospice care for senior dogs who are unable to be medically rehabilitated but who can live their final days in a place of love, security and peace.
• Long-term, in-home care programs for senior dogs who are not adoptable.
• A program to help people find new homes for senior dogs when they can no longer keep them. In particular, working with senior citizens who must relinquish their senior dogs due to a change in circumstances, such as moving to assisted living.
• Helping senior dogs give back to society; for example, training senior dogs as therapy dogs or involving the dogs in activities sponsored by assisted care facilities.
• Building a Seniors-for-Seniors adoption program.

BISSELL Pet Foundation’s 2022 grant cycles will be exclusively for spay/neuter requests. Funding restrictions for BISSELL Pet Foundation Partner Grant include:

Spay/Neuter: $35 will be awarded per dog spay/neuter and $25 will be awarded per cat spay/neuter. Organizations must follow Humane Alliance protocols including 24 hours of pain management.

Microchips: microchips will be available upon request through our microchip provider, Petstablished. Microchips will be shipped directly to your organization upon the approval of a submitted spay/neuter grant application.

NOTE: Prior to submitting a proposal, the Animal Protection Program Director must be contacted by telephone or email to discuss the proposed project.

Founded in 1988 by Dallas philanthropist, Annie Lee Roberts, The Summerlee Foundation is a mission driven, proactive organization with a strong desire to address significant issues in animal protection and Texas history. Since inception, the Foundation has awarded 30 million dollars to grantees.

The Foundation makes grants for two specific purposes:

• To alleviate fear, pain and suffering of animals and to promote animal protection and the prevention of cruelty to animals.
• To research, promote and document all facets of Texas History.

Animal Protection Program

Since its establishment, The Summerlee Foundation has promoted a new ethic towards our fellow beings through its national and international grantmaking programs supporting rescue, research, rehabilitation, and advocacy. Our grants have assisted a wide variety of programs, including second chances for companion animals, protection of wild carnivores, sanctuary and refuge, and endangered species protection and advocacy. While many of these projects have been controversial, all have been critically important. Collectively, we have alleviated fear, pain and suffering in countless animals’ lives, advanced and expanded the rights of all non-human animals, defended the laws that protect them, and created new policies to address new grievances against them. We have rescued, re-homed, relocated, and rehabilitated these animals.

And while we can celebrate our many successes, we must also confront the emerging and expanding threats to our most vulnerable animal populations: climate change, persecution and exploitation on a global scale, wildlife extinction and disease, companion animal abandonment, and intentional cruelty and torture. The challenges are serious and many.

By working together, creatively and opportunistically, with vision and with wisdom, we will continue to protect and give sanctuary and refuge to the underserved, the voiceless, the persecuted, and the helpless.

The Summerlee Foundation is enormously proud of the dedication and achievements of its grantseekers and congratulates all of you for your vision, your commitment, and your ability to make a difference in the lives of so many.

Funding Priorities

Geographically:

The Americas with special emphasis on those communities which are the most underserved and the most challenged.

Programmatically:

• Cats only in the United States and Canada –
• The tragedy of cat overpopulation and homelessness in this country results in intense and immense suffering due to disease, starvation, and inhumane practices by some local communities and agencies. 
• Funding emphasis is on sterilization and vaccination primarily in rural or underserved communities.
• Dogs outside of United States, primarily in Latin America –
• Emphasis on sterilization, vaccination, and humane euthanasia.
• Wildlife –
• Primarily mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and black bears, funding only those programs which protect through ethical-based research and advocacy/educational campaigns.
• Marine Life –
• Emphasis on addressing marine mammal issues, health and well-being and anti-captivity (dolphins and orcas).
• Sanctuary for Captive Animals –
• Captive wild animal sanctuaries should be verified or accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
• Wildlife Rehabilitation –
• Emphasis on hands-on animal care (emergency rescue, food, medications, housing improvements).
• Emergency funding –
• May be awarded through the Annie Lee Roberts Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) fund administered by the Humane Society of the United States

About Us

PEDIGREE Foundation is working to find a solution to the problem of the millions of homeless dogs in this country. Through our grant programs, we support organizations that save the lives of dogs that would otherwise be lost.

The Foundation was established in 2008 by dog lovers with a passionate belief that every dog deserves a loving home. PEDIGREE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation that supports shelters and rescue organizations, as well as encouraging people to ADOPT, VOLUNTEER, and DONATE.

PEDIGREE Foundation grants are funded by the PEDIGREE® Brand and contributions from dog lovers like you. Your tax-deductible donation* helps us reach even more dogs in need.

Program Development Grants 

To increase adoption rates, with a priority on the following types of programs: transport, matching and foster.

Specifically, our grants are intended to:

• help improve the quality of care of dogs while in shelter or rescue to increase adoption potential
• increase adoption rates within shelters or rescues through programs and/or new initiatives in the animal welfare community