PetSmart Charities Expands Focus to Address Barriers to Affordable Veterinary Care for 50 Million Pets in the US

Today, 50 million pets in the US lack access to veterinary care, especially those in under-represented communities. As PetSmart Charities — the nation’s top funder of animal welfare — marks a $500 million milestone in giving more than 28 years, the organization is launching new grant opportunities to meet needs at both ends of the leash.

Ushering in a new year with an updated direction, PetSmart Charities is opening broader funding to help improve access to affordable veterinary care for all, alleviate pet food insecurity and support disaster response. Robust support for adoptions will continue to serve the five million pets entering shelters each year.

“Today, we celebrate the significant impact we’ve made improving animal welfare, together with PetSmart customers, donors and partners,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president at PetSmart Charities. “The advances in public awareness around the ‘adopt, don’t shop’ movement helped millions of animals find loving homes. But we’re also beginning a new chapter, investing in the improved health and welfare of pets and the people caring for them. We’re forming new alliances in the human services sector to support the integration of serving pets alongside people in need. We believe people from all walks of life should enjoy the benefits of adding a pet to the family. And when pet parents face crises, we know it’s in their best interests to address the needs of the entire family.”

To date PetSmart Charities has:

• Funded more than $500 million in grants to support adoption, co-lodging for people with pets experiencing homelessness and domestic violence, advanced veterinary education, Animal-Assisted Therapy in children’s hospitals across the country, disaster response and much more.
• Helped more than 5 millionanimals find loving homes through in-store adoptions with local partners – placing up to 600,000 shelter pets each year.
• Aligned with more than 2,500local animal welfare organization (AWO) partners.
• Donated more than $10 million in pet food (more than 16 million pounds) to local Feeding America affiliates in 2021 to ensure no one has to choose between feeding their pet or feeding themselves.

A new look for a new direction

PetSmart Charities is marking the new shift in direction with a new look. “Our original logo was well-known for its whimsical spirit. The new logo reflects our journey, featuring bold blue and red colors and a modern font. It’s still playful, just more mature,” said Celeste Calderon, director of customer experience at PetSmart Charities. “And the tagline says it all in just a few words: For Pets. For People. For Good.”

A history of corporate citizenship

In 1994, PetSmart, the leading specialty pet retailer made a bold decision to refrain from selling cats and dogs as the growing population of homeless pets called for massive support. PetSmart Charities was launched that year to fund local shelters across the country. Over the years, the organization has created a network of support for more than 2,500 local shelters. Independent from PetSmart, PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has earned the coveted Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the past 18 years in a row. PetSmart customers have been largely responsible for the generation of robust donations. Other gifts are made via estate planning and individual giving from donors who love pets and want to make a meaningful impact in animal welfare.