Annual grants will help increase adoption rates for the 39,000 dogs currently in shelters across Canada
BOLTON, ON, Dec. 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, PEDIGREE Foundation announced the recipients of its 2024 grant programs in Canada and the U.S. The grant programs are designed to support animal shelters and rescue organizations across North America with vital funds and resources that increase adoption rates for dogs and help them find forever, loving homes. In Canada, $100,000 CAD in funding will be awarded amongst 10 animal shelters and will help provide care and support for more than 5,400 dogs in need.
There are approximately 39,000 dogs in shelters and rescues across Canada, according to the State of Pet Homelessness Index. This year's grants were awarded to 10 shelter and rescue organization programs in Canada and 36 within in the U.S., with the ultimate goal of helping dogs in need find loving homes.
"This year we are seeing the length of stay continue to increase for many dogs in shelters across the country," said Lisa Campbell, President of the Board of Directors for PEDIGREE Foundation. "Our grants fund critical programs like fostering, behavioral training, transport and safety net initiatives that help reduce the length of stay and increase adoption overall, allowing shelters and rescues to create the program changes needed to help more homeless dogs in their communities."
Since its inception in 2008, PEDIGREE Foundation has awarded over $14 million and helped nearly 900,000 dogs through its annual grant program and additional funding initiatives to cement its support of the animal welfare community across North America.
Recipients of the 2024 PEDIGREE Foundation Canadian Grants
- Northwest Territories Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth
- The Guelph Humane Society Incorporated
- The Winnipeg Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- The Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
- Montreal SPCA
- Victoria Humane Society
- Oakville & Milton Humane Society
- Cochrane & Area Humane Society
- Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) of Alberta
Grant recipients were selected based on need and individual impact, including contributions their organization makes in promoting responsible dog ownership and increasing dog adoptions.
For the 2024 grant cycle, PEDIGREE Foundation focused on supporting four types of programs that increase dog adoption rates, including:
- Matching and behaviour programs that increase the likelihood that shelter dogs will bond with their adopters. This could include behaviour training or programs that help find the best fit for dogs and potential adopters.
- Transport programs that help move dogs from areas of overpopulation or to areas where they are more likely to be adopted, and/or driving transport-to-foster programming, increasing fosters to support in shelter relief.
- Support in remote communities to provide needed medical care including spay/neuter programs to help reduce overpopulation of homeless dogs.
- Safety net programs designed to provide resources and options for people and their pets, to help ensure they can stay together.
"This grant will help us greatly in terms of our mission of keeping people and pets together," said Kathryn Ladano, Senior Development Officer, The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth. "It will support programs such as Pet Pantry, which provides free pet food to those in need, Veterinary Outreach, which provides free veterinary care to those in need, and for dog training scholarships, which will reduce the incidence of dogs being returned to our centres due to behavioural issues. Our goal is to keep pets in loving homes, and support from PEDIGREE Foundation will help us get there!"
In 2023, PEDIGREE Foundation helped 4,832 dogs in Canada with a total of $120,000 CAD in grants given to Canadian organizations, including Disaster Relief.
PEDIGREE Foundation continues to make a significant impact for pets in Canada. However, the impact feels even stronger when you know who these initiatives are supporting. It's pets like Bowser (pictured above), a 2-year-old large breed mix who loves a good scratch, that benefit from these programs and find their fur-ever families. Bowser is currently available for adoption at the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth.
To learn more about the 2024 grant recipients and how they're utilizing their grants to help end pet homelessness, and for information about how you can make a difference with PEDIGREE Foundation, please visit www.pedigreefoundation.org/canada-en/.
About PEDIGREE Foundation
We believe every dog deserves a loving, forever home. PEDIGREE Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to help end pet homelessness. Nearly 3.1 million dogs end up in shelters and rescues every year, and nearly half never find a home. The foundation was established in 2008 by Mars Petcare, maker of PEDIGREE® food for dogs, to help increase dog adoption rates. We've awarded more than 6,300 grants and over $14 million to U.S. shelters and rescues that help dogs in need. Since launching our Canadian grant program in 2022, we have provided $345k CAD to local shelters and rescues in need across Canada, including $20k CAD in Disaster Relief. At PEDIGREE Foundation, we're working toward a day when all dogs are safe, secure, cared for, fed well and loved. See how you can help at PedigreeFoundation.org.
SOURCE PEDIGREE Foundation
Samantha Rose, PEDIGREE Foundation, [email protected]
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