Disaster Response

2025 Disaster Grants

Cash grants are available to help organizations address the needs of pets affected by disasters. Grant funds may be used to offset costs for immediate needs, including shelter supplies, veterinary care for impacted pets, minor urgent facility or grounds repairs, as well as supplemental staff and volunteer expenses.

Eligible Timeframe:

Grant amounts are limited to expenses incurred within the first 30 to 45 days following an eligible disaster. In extraordinary circumstances, an organization may have the opportunity to receive additional funding to support costs for up to 60 days, pending approval. Grant requests must be submitted within 90 days of the disaster to be considered.

Eligible Animals:

Disaster Response grants are limited to response activities for shelter, foster, and owned companion animals (primarily dogs and cats) impacted by disasters. While eligibility guidelines apply equally to shelter pets and owned pets, priority may be given to applicants whose responses include the needs of owned animals, such as temporary boarding, food distribution, and other community outreach efforts aimed at keeping pets and people together.

Grant funds can be used for:

• Supplies and equipment purchased by the organization for sheltering and fostering animals (e.g., kennels, crates, carriers, food, waste management, bowls, leads/leashes)
• Supplies and equipment purchased by the organization for distribution in the community to owned pets (e.g., kennels, crates, carriers, food, waste management, bowls, leads/leashes)
• Veterinary care to treat disaster-related illnesses or injuries, plus necessary vaccinations and medications that protect the health of the broader pet population
  • Ineligible Expense: Spay/neuter, grooming, and other non-disaster-related medical issues are ineligible
• Urgent structural repairs that allow for the resumption or continuation of safe operations (e.g., temporary fence repairs, portable dog runs, and similar measures that address urgent structural needs)
  • Limited to short-term or temporary remedies for structural damage
  • Ineligible Expense: Permanent repairs and new construction are ineligible
• Supplemental staff and volunteer costs - includes overtime, lodging, meals, and transportation

Eligible organizations include:

• Animal welfare and human services organizations designated as authorized disaster responders by the emergency Agency Having Jurisdiction* providing support for evacuated pets and their people

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• Nonprofit pet shelters, nonprofit veterinary clinics, and human service organizations with pet-focused programming that a disaster has directly impacted

*The organization is designated as a responder by a province or territory.

Request Not Eligible for Consideration:

• Self-deploying organizations that have not been requested by the Agency Having Jurisdiction
• Organizations requesting support that are not in the impacted areas
• Requests for support more than 90 days since the disaster
• Requests to support equine, livestock, or wildlife
• Incidents affecting personally owned property (including pet foster homes)
• Individual pet parent requests for food or medical care support for their pets
• Emergency preparedness efforts or requests for infrastructure or vehicles
• Hoarding or animal cruelty seizures
• Request for support unrelated to a state and/or federally declared natural or mass care disaster (i.e., wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and related winter storms)