PetSmart Charities

What PetSmart Charities does

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, operating as an independent legal entity affiliated with the PetSmart retailer (EIN 93-1140967). The organization funds and facilitates four primary mission areas: pet adoption, access to veterinary care, pet hunger relief, and disaster response. Its core delivery mechanism is the Everyday Adoption Center program, which places partner shelters and rescues inside 1,600+ PetSmart stores across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, with more than 2,500 shelter and rescue partners participating and an adoption occurring every 38 seconds.

The revenue model is donation-based, comprising individual giving (one-time and Champions for Good monthly recurring), corporate partnerships, and grants. Since 1994 the organization reports having granted over $600 million to nonprofits and government entities and facilitated more than 11 million pet adoptions. In 2023 it committed $100 million over five years to expand veterinary care access, with $61 million deployed across 51 nonprofit clinics, affordability research, and a new Community Medicine Fellowship Program with five veterinary universities by 2026. Flagship partnerships include the American Red Cross ($2.8M, three-year pet-inclusive disaster services grant), Meals on Wheels America (20 million pet meals delivered to homebound seniors), Hill's Pet Nutrition (National Adoption Week sponsorship), and Gallup (State of Pet Care Study).

The organization is governed by an independent board with representation from veterinary medicine and private equity (Apollo), and operates with a lean staff of 11–50 employees, maintaining a stated program efficiency of more than 90 cents of every dollar directed to pets in need. It does not develop proprietary technology products, and its digital footprint is limited to a website (petsmartcharities.org), social channels, and email fundraising operations.

Name

PetSmart Charities

Legal name

PetSmart Charities, Inc.

Website

https://petsmartcharities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization operating Everyday Adoption Centers in 1,600+ PetSmart stores and granting funds to expand veterinary care access, disaster response, and pet hunger relief across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC), Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Animal welfare grants
• Pet adoption services
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Veterinary care access
• Disaster response grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: PetSmart Charities raises funds through direct donations from individuals, including one-time gifts and monthly recurring donations through its Champions for Good monthly giving program. The organization states that more than 90 cents of every dollar helps pets in need.
2. Corporate Grants and Partnerships: PetSmart Charities receives grant funding and sponsorships from corporate partners. Since 1994, the organization has supported nonprofits and government entities with over $600 million in grant funds. Major initiatives include disaster response grants, veterinary care access programs, and adoption support.
3. Grant Programs: PetSmart Charities deploys grant funding to animal welfare organizations, shelters, rescues, and community partners. The organization has made a $100 million, five-year commitment to expand veterinary care access, having deployed $61 million over three years across affordable care delivery, affordability research, and veterinary education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization that operates in-store adoption centers within PetSmart retail stores, deploys grant funding to shelters, rescues, and nonprofit veterinary clinics, and partners with organizations like the American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels America to expand access to adoption, veterinary care, disaster response, and pet hunger relief. Since 1994, it has facilitated more than 11 million pet adoptions and granted over $600 million to animal welfare partners across North America.

Product overview

PetSmart Charities is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that operates as a platform of programs focused on pet adoption, veterinary care access, disaster response, and pet hunger relief. The core offering includes Everyday Adoption Centers in PetSmart stores facilitating over 400,000 adoptions annually, supplemented by grant programs supporting nonprofit veterinary clinics, community medicine training, and disaster preparedness. Key products include the Accelerator Grant Program for low-cost veterinary clinics, the Community Medicine Fellowship Program with veterinary universities, Adoption Prep Grants for shelter support, the Pet Meals Program with Meals on Wheels America, and the Disaster Response Program with the American Red Cross. The organization has granted over $600 million since 1994 and facilitated more than 11 million pet adoptions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Everyday Adoption Centers

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 million+ pets adopted to forever homes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• American Red CrossflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Three-year, $2.8 million grant to expand pet-inclusive disaster services across the U.S. Funding supports five key areas: disaster sheltering with pet supplies, financial services for families with pets, pet preparedness education, staffing and disaster training, and improvements to Red Cross data systems. Initial commitment facilitated 14,000+ overnight pet stays in Red Cross shelters and trained 14 pet liaisons for disaster deployment.
• Meals on Wheels AmericaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Six-year partnership delivering pet meals to homebound seniors and their animal companions. Reached milestone of 20 million pet meals delivered (33% increase from 2025) during Pet Appreciation Week June 7-13, 2026. Program also provides access to veterinary care, grooming, emergency boarding, and dog walking services. Aims to eliminate the impossible choice seniors face between feeding themselves or their pets.
• Community Veterinary OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026$200,000 grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada to expand Community Leaders Program across the country over two years. Program was piloted successfully in Ottawa and Toronto, providing training for veterinary teams to help vulnerable pet owners and address barriers to housing. Grant supports at least 68 annual Pop-up One Health clinic events offering human health and social services alongside preventive veterinary care.
• FureelzminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 May 2026Social media platform partnership to support animal welfare causes. Fureelz is a new social media platform (launched April 9, 2026) that only shares animal videos. The Maine-based company has grown 40% since launch and expanded to 76 countries, partnering with Best Friends Animal Society and PetSmart Charities to support animal welfare.
• Underdog Pet Rescue and Vet ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026$150,000 grant to help families access more affordable veterinary care in Wisconsin. Enables organization to increase spay/neuter surgeries, add lifesaving surgical care, and offer urgent care walk-in hours. Follows $40,000 award received in March 2026.
• Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh and Animal FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Grants to expand veterinary care services in Pittsburgh region. Funding enables both organizations to hire additional staff and increase appointment availability to serve more families with affordable veterinary services. Veterinary care costs have risen approximately 60% over the past decade.
• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Partnership on the 'State of Pet Care Study' examining financial barriers to veterinary care. The study found that 94% of veterinarians say clients' financial constraints often or sometimes prevent recommended treatment, and 52% of pet owners skipped needed veterinary care in the past year. Research supports PetSmart Charities' advocacy for expanded veterinary access.
• Five Leading Veterinary UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Partnership with five leading veterinary universities to launch Community Medicine Fellowship Program in Spring 2026. Part of $100 million, five-year commitment to expand veterinary care access, supporting veterinary education and training alongside affordable care delivery and affordability research.
• Jim Wells County, TexascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026$600,000 grant to establish three rotating veterinary clinics improving access to veterinary services for up to 1,300 animals. Clinics rotate through communities such as Ben Bolt, Palito Blanco, and Rancho Alegre, addressing the region's low veterinary care access and financial barriers.
• Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2026Founding support for NAVC's Human Animal Bond Certification program in partnership with HABRI, with founding support from AVMA and sponsors including Zoetis, Petco, and PetSmart Charities. HABRI survey shows 74% of pet owners report mental health improvements from pet ownership.
• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026PetSmart Charities-Gallup survey of 933 U.S. veterinarians found that 94% say clients' financial constraints often or sometimes prevent recommended veterinary treatment. Reveals gap between what veterinarians report offering—alternative treatment plans (81%) and payment options (41%)—and what pet owners experience, as 73% of owners who declined care due to cost said they were not offered a lower-priced alternative.
• K9s For WarriorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025$125,000 donation to help rescue dogs become life-saving service animals for military veterans. More than $100,000 came directly from PetSmart Treats Rewards members who donated their points. Partnership with PetSmart and Treats Rewards members transforms shelter dogs into service heroes for veterans with PTSD, TBI, or military sexual trauma.
• Hill's Pet NutritioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 October 2025Sponsor role supporting shelter animals during National Adoption Week events. Partnership facilitates adoption events across PetSmart stores in U.S. and Puerto Rico, helping alleviate shelter overcrowding while connecting pets with families.
• RedRoverminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2025Funding support for RedRover's $557,087 in grants to support pet-inclusive programs across domestic violence, animal, and homeless shelters in Q1 2025. Grants develop pet-friendly facilities, veterinary care, and foster programs to keep pets and survivors together.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): Petco Love is the animal welfare nonprofit of Petco, directly mirroring PetSmart Charities' in-store adoption partnership model. Both nonprofits leverage a major pet retailer's footprint to host adoption events and fund veterinary care, making them the closest direct comparables.
• Pedigree Foundation: Pedigree Foundation funds shelter adoption and dog welfare programs through corporate-affiliated grantmaking. It is comparable to PetSmart Charities in mission focus (adoption) and funding model (corporate-affiliated donor base), though at a smaller scale.
• Banfield Foundation: Banfield Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Banfield Pet Hospital, focused on veterinary care access and disaster relief for pets. It mirrors PetSmart Charities' veterinary access commitment and corporate-affiliated structure with a major pet industry brand.
• Best Friends Animal Society: Best Friends operates the largest no-kill sanctuary network and runs a national adoption program. It is comparable as an animal welfare nonprofit with major grantmaking capacity and a similar focus on reducing euthanasia through shelter partnerships and adoption.
• Maddie's Fund: Maddie's Fund is a major family foundation focused on achieving no-kill status through grants to shelters, rescue groups, and veterinary programs. It is comparable as a large animal welfare grantmaker investing in adoption and veterinary access infrastructure.

Others

• PetSmart: PetSmart is the corporate parent-affiliate and primary distribution partner hosting the Everyday Adoption Centers. It is comparable as the strategic operational partner whose 1,600+ store footprint is the key channel for PetSmart Charities' adoption programs.
• American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is a flagship disaster-response partner of PetSmart Charities (3-year $2.8M grant). It is relevant as a comparable large nonprofit operating major humanitarian programs and as a partner in pet-inclusive disaster services.
• Meals on Wheels America: Meals on Wheels America is PetSmart Charities' six-year partner in delivering 20M pet meals to homebound seniors. It is comparable as a large national nonprofit operating a hybrid direct-service and grant-funded model targeting vulnerable populations.

Broad incumbents

• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): HSUS is a leading national animal welfare organization focused on advocacy, rescue, and shelter support grants. It overlaps directly with PetSmart Charities' mission in adoption and veterinary access and competes for the same large institutional donor pool.
• ASPCA: The ASPCA is one of the largest U.S. animal welfare nonprofits, providing national advocacy, rescue, and grantmaking. It is comparable to PetSmart Charities in scale, mission scope (adoption, anti-cruelty, veterinary access), and donor base, but operates without a single large retail partner's footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PetSmartChariTs
• Facebookfacebook.com/PetSmartCharities

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments28 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PetSmart Charities