FEBRUARY 5, 2020—BURLINGTON, ON— As the definition of family changes, what remains constant is the role pets play in enriching our lives. Pets are family members and PetSmart Charities of Canada is long-known for its commitment to helping pets find forever homes. Recently, the charitable organization expanded its grant offerings with the Preserving Families Grant, which has already provided grants to 21 organizations across Canada, totaling over $500,000. The grant category was created to support programs aimed at keeping pets and people together when they are faced with challenges such as homelessness, domestic abuse, health problems, or other life transitions.
“The Preserving Families Grant is designed to support creative solutions to keep people and pets together no matter what life transition the individual may be going through,” said Dani LaGiglia, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities of Canada. “Finding pet-friendly facilities during this time can add an extra layer of complexity, but with all 21 programs we hope to bridge that gap and give pet parents resources to give them peace of mind.”
From Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia, grants have been distributed to animal welfare organizations as well as social services agencies for people fleeing domestic abuse, precariously housed people, and LGBTQ+ youth facing housing instability. Grant funds will continue to support an array of programs from emergency pet boarding, pet foster family training and placement, the building of pet friendly accommodations, senior’s programs and more. Below is a summary of some of the organizations who have received grants to help prevent pet relinquishment or separation.
- Friends of Ruby (formerly Egale Youth Services) provides programs and counselling services to support the well-being of vulnerable LGBTQI2S youth. They will utilize their grant of over $52,000 to create a pet-friendly environment at its new transitional housing facility. The facility, set to open later this year, will be the first pet-friendly home dedicated to serving LGBTQI2S youth ages 16 to 29 in Canada.
- Fred Victor will use their $50,000 grant to continue to foster long-lasting and positive change in the lives of homeless and low-income people in Toronto. Funds will support the Pets and Families – Furever Home Program, expanding Fred Victor’s pet-friendly services across its citywide housing and shelters, and helping to find homes for people and their pets.
- Dans La Rue, a Montreal based organization aimed at helping homeless and at-risk youth, aims to use its $21,300 grant to serve an estimated 100 street-involved youth and their pets at a pivotal point of transition in their life.
- Anova, will use its $22,000 to help keep more women-identified people, who are experiencing gender based violence, and their pets together by offering spaces at their Clarke Rd. shelter and through a fostering program.
- Calgary Seniors’ Resource Society, received $30,000 for its Pet Assist program to preserve the bond between pets and their seniors by creatively engaging community volunteers to assist with pet care needs, such as exercise, grooming and clean up. This enables the pet and senior to stay together as long as possible.
Additional grants were provided to the following organizations: Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force Society, the Canine Action Project, Guelph Humane Society, Huron Women’s Shelter, Lincoln County Humane Society, New Hope Dog Rescue, North Bay and District SPCA, Nova Scotia SPCA, SafePet Ottawa, SPCA St. John’s, The Humane Society of Kitchener-Waterloo and Stratford Perth, The Women’s Centre Grey and Bruce, Toronto Humane Society, Xolhemet Society and Zachary’s Paws for Healing.
PetSmart Charities of Canada is committed to strengthening the human-animal bond and is looking to support organizations providing solutions to keeping people and their pets together during pivotal transitions including, but not limited to, domestic abuse, hospitalization, addiction treatment, incarceration, deployment and more. This grant will be open from April 1 to April 29, 2020. To learn more about the grants PetSmart Charities of Canada offers please visit: https://petsmartcharities.ca/pro/grants
-30-
About PetSmart Charities® of Canada
PetSmart® Charities of Canada is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Each year, more than 500,000 generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities of Canada efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, granting more than $19 million since its inception in 1999. PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity, a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from the PetSmart business in Canada. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.ca
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Canada & PetSmart Charities of Canada on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PetSmartCanada
Follow PetSmart Canada & PetSmart Charities of Canada on Instagram: www.instagram.com/PetSmartCanada
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc
Contact
Stephan Petar
Golin for PetSmart Charities of Canada
647.475.4497
spetar@golin.com
