Purina Donates Over $37 Million Towards Academic Partnerships and Nonprofit and Community Organizations Across the US
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company announced today that its total charitable donations in 2024 exceeded $37 million, including $22.9 million in monetary grants and sponsorships and $14.2 million in in-kind contributions of Purina pet food and Tidy Cats litter. Based on Purina’s belief that people and pets are better together, the company’s 2024 contributions focused on bringing and keeping pets and people together, funding academic and educational programs to advance the future of pet health and supporting the communities where Purina employees live, work and play.
Bringing and Keeping People and Pets Together
In 2024, Purina donated more than $14 million worth of nutritious pet food and cat litter to nonprofit partners that not only care for adoptable pets but also support pet owners who struggle to make ends meet. In addition to providing critical nutrition to shelters and pet owners in need, the company contributed more than $14.6 million in grants to organizations that bring people and pets together and those that support the human-animal bond in times of crisis.
- Supporting Domestic Abuse Survivors and Pets: Through the Purple Leash Project, a partnership between Purina and nonprofit RedRover to create safe spaces for domestic abuse survivors and their pets, Purina has provided more than 55 grants to help domestic violence shelters across the country become pet friendly so that survivors don’t have to make an impossible choice between their safety and the safety of their pets. Last year’s Purple Leash Project grants totaled more than $365,000 and added pet-friendly housing at domestic violence shelters in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York and Oklahoma.
- Connecting Veterans with Service Dogs: Through Purina Dog Chow’s Service Dog Salute, the company is working to ensure that every Veteran in need can obtain a PTSD service dog. Since 2018, Dog Chow has donated more than $1.4 million and 50,000 pounds of Purina Dog Chow to support both the training and care of more service dogs for US military veterans struggling with severe post-traumatic stress. In 2024, Purina spotlighted this important issue with the first-ever “Service Dog Salute” category at the NY Dog Film Festival. Purina donated $5 for every view of the documentary, generating a total of $75,000 for the Association of Service Dog Providers. In addition, Purina gave more than $65,000 in grants to a variety of service dog organizations nationwide.
- Helping People and Pets During Natural Disasters: In the wake of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, flood or wildfire, Purina works with Greater Good Charities, a global nonprofit, to support to people and pets in need. Last year, Purina granted nearly $150,000 to fund emergency relief efforts, providing food, medical supplies and hygiene kits to displaced individuals and helping to transport shelter pets to safety. In addition to monetary donations, Purina worked with several of its US-based manufacturing facilities to ship thousands of pounds of Purina pet food and cat litter to pet shelters and owners in impacted communities.
- Leveraging the Healing Power of Pets: With reports that 7 out of 10 teens in the US struggle with their mental health, Purina is harnessing the healing power of pets to help match therapy dogs with youth, which can help lower blood pressure, increase self-confidence and help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. In 2024, Purina provided dozens of grants to schools, pediatric hospitals and service dog organizations to support this mission. At Children’s Hospital Colorado Purina provided a $100,000 grant to enable the expansion of the Medical Dog Team, adding a trained service dog and handler to the hospital’s pediatric behavior health unit.
Investing in the Future of Pet Health
Last year alone, Purina contributed more than $6 million to veterinary universities and pet health-focused organizations, including the AKC Canine Health Foundation, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and the American Animal Hospital Association. These partnerships aim to improve pet health and wellbeing and provide opportunities for the next generation of veterinarians.
Purina’s investments also extend to further research at key veterinary universities.
- The Purina Cornell Canine Healthy Aging and Mobility Program (CHAMP) at Cornell University’s School of Veterinary Medicine focuses on advancing science and innovation in the areas of nutrition, healthy aging, rehabilitation and mobility in dogs.
- The Purina Distinguished Program in Gastrointestinal Health and Wellness at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine is a five-year program to further research and discover solutions for gastrointestinal conditions, one of the most common health issues in pets.
- The Purina Young Investigators Award Program at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is an endowment funding up to 12 annual grants in perpetuity to students and their faculty mentors to investigate and share scientific advancements.
“Veterinarians play such a pivotal role in caring for our pets,” said Purina Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Kurt R. Venator. “These investments build on Purina’s decades-long history of supporting veterinary schools and students and our promise to offer exciting scientific and nutritional advances to help our pets live long, healthy lives.”
In 2024, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets launched the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission to help veterinarians fulfill their call to care by removing barriers they often face in practice. As its first act, the mission donated $1 million to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) REACH program, which offers grants to veterinarians so they can provide immediate pet care when owners are experiencing financial hardship.
Building Healthy Communities
With a presence in more than 25 cities across the United States, Purina works to enhance the communities where its employees live and work through nonprofit partnership and community engagement. In 2024, Purina invested more than $5 million into its local communities, supporting pet welfare initiatives, community development projects, youth organizations and more.
Purina’s 11,000 US-based associates also volunteered a collective 5,000 hours last year in support of nonprofits that care for pets, people and the planet. The company celebrated its 23rd annual Purina Cares Day of service in May, when associates at its St. Louis, MO headquarters, all 24 manufacturing facilities and seven regional sales offices took the day off work to complete a variety of service projects, including cleaning up local parks, bringing therapy dogs to schools during final exam periods, distributing food to people and pets in need, renovating local pet shelters and much more.
“Purina Cares Day is a great example of our values and commitment to being a good neighbor in the communities where we live and work,” said Director Community Affairs Kimberly Beardslee. “Our associates look forward to volunteering their time and talents to help make a positive difference in the lives of both pets and people in need.”
Additionally, Purina invested more than $1 million in capital and capacity-building projects through the Nestlé Purina Charitable Trust, which was established by Purina founder William H. Danforth to provide critical support to important causes in Purina communities. Projects ranged from helping Jefferson High School’s Agriculture Department in Jefferson, Wisconsin, provide training equipment for its Companion Animal, Animal Science and Veterinary Science courses.
For more information about Nestlé Purina PetCare Company’s initiatives and partnerships, please visit Purina.