PEDIGREE Foundation Opens its 2025 Grant Cycle

PEDIGREE Foundation is aiming to provide animal shelters and rescues with transport, foster and behavior programs up to $1 million in grants during the year

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PEDIGREE Foundation announced the opening of its grant cycle which may provide shelters and rescue organizations nationwide with up to $1 million in grant funding in 2025 to support foster, transport, behavior programs and collaborative initiatives across the country. The foundation remains dedicated to supporting dogs in finding loving homes as the animal welfare community continues to navigate an ongoing capacity crisis since the pandemic.

Since 2008, PEDIGREE Foundation has awarded 6,300 grants and over $14 million to U.S. shelters and rescues that help dogs in need. In 2024, PEDIGREE Foundation funded 96 animal shelters and rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada, helping more than 77,000 dogs for a lifetime total of nearly 900,000 dogs. The Shelter Animals Count 2024 Annual Report revealed that 2.8 million dogs entered shelters and rescues in the last year and dog adoptions have slightly declined. Of note, the report also indicated that the length of stay for dogs awaiting adoption in rescues and shelters has increased since 2019, for dogs of all sizes.

"The continued strain on the shelter system in the past year has contributed to fewer transports, longer stays in shelters and ultimately resulted in declining dog adoptions," said Deb Fair, Executive Director of PEDIGREE Foundation. "As part of our grant funding this year, we're shining a spotlight on foster programs with the goal of reducing the length of stay and helping dogs acclimate to a home environment, all while improving their social, emotional and mental wellbeing."

PEDIGREE Foundation intends to focus on several program categories for its 2025 annual grants, which are helping to increase adoption rates across the animal welfare community:

• Foster programs that place dogs in temporary, loving homes while awaiting adoption, where foster caregivers or families offer care, advocacy, and socialization to prepare them for permanent homes, with an emphasis on initiatives that facilitate adoptions directly from foster care.
• Transport programs that help organizations move dogs from overpopulated areas to regions with better adoption opportunities, with a particular focus on transporting them directly into foster and adoption programs.
• Behavior programs that focus on socialization, training, and stress relief to help dogs overcome behaviors that may prevent them from being adopted into loving, forever homes. This includes both in-shelter and post-adoption behavior support programs.

The 2025 PEDIGREE Foundation grants program includes two types of grants which shelters and rescues can apply for now. 

• DOGS RULE.™ Grant ($100,000) – This two-year grant ($50,000 per year) may be awarded to one applicant in 2025 to fund new, creative and innovative initiatives that not only help their own organizations but also could serve as best-practice models for other shelters and rescues to help increase dog adoption rates.
• Program Development Grants ($10,000 – $15,000) – These grants are designed to support activities that enhance the programming capabilities of shelters or rescues, with the goal of improving dog adoption rates. This may involve the expansion of current programs or the creation of new ones.

Organizations interested in applying for a 2025 grant are invited to join a webinar on Tuesday, March 4 at 1:00 PM CST where representatives from PEDIGREE Foundation explain the grant cycle and share tips on how to write a successful submission. All applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax designation status with shelters or rescues operating in the U.S. to submit an application. Government and municipal shelters that hold a "Friends of 501(c)(3) designation" are also eligible. You can register for the webinar here and registrants may access the recording on PEDIGREEFoundation.org after March 4.  This year's applications are open starting today through Sunday, April 13, 2025, and can be submitted here.

Additionally, Disaster Relief Grants are available year-round for those impacted by natural disasters. A separate application process can be found here.

To learn more about PEDIGREE Foundation or donate to help find loving homes for dogs in need, please visit PEDIGREEFoundation.org and follow PEDIGREE Foundation on social media (Facebook and Instagram).

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, as well as $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.

Contact:
Jonathan E. Bayless
PEDIGREE Foundation
(704) 241-6021
[email protected] 

Madeleine Cramer
Weber Shandwick
(952) 346-6061
[email protected]  

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SOURCE Mars Petcare US