One of the most common reasons pets are surrendered to shelters is the lack of affordable pet wellness, training and education programs. Due to cost and other barriers, pets in under-resourced communities often do not have access to basic veterinary care such as spay/neuter services, vaccinations and other medical and preventative care.
With a $185,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the Humane Rescue Alliance aims to expand its Help Out, Partner, and Engage (HOPE) program, which provides accessible veterinary care to pet parents living with low incomes and in areas plagued by high unemployment and poverty rates, with the goal of serving an additional 3,000 pet clients.
The grant will also help facilitate a community engagement research project to determine a potential service model for expanding our ability to provide sustainable veterinary care for pets in the targeted under-resourced communities in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.
“Many people and families in our communities struggle to provide for their pets, and at the same time they rely on these animals for love and companionship. Through our HOPE program, we help to ease that burden by ensuring the families have support and their pets have food and routine medical care,” said Lisa LaFontaine, President and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance. “By supporting our most vulnerable community members, we help to fight inequity and put resources back in the pockets of people who need them most.”
“We are proud to support the Human Rescue Alliance in not only its community-based research that will provide a roadmap to future sustainability based specifically on community need, but also its work to make affordable veterinary services accessible to communities in need,” said Aimee Gilbreath, President, PetSmart Charities. “We know the pandemic has stretched many families already working with limited resources. By providing basic veterinary care this work ensures families, including people and their pets, can continue to thrive together in the face of uncertainty.”
Since 1994, through its partnership with nearly 4,000 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across North America, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 9.5 million pets to find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 1,650 PetSmart® stores. The leading funder of animal welfare has also donated more than $451 million, to positively impact communities, to connect people and pets, to help preserve families and to improve access to veterinary care through initiatives like this with HRA.
To learn more, visit humanerescuealliance.org.