We’re Better Together: Celebrating Three Years of the Banfield Foundation

Three years ago, we started the Banfield Foundation with a belief that all pets deserve access to veterinary care, regardless of their circumstances—and, in the ensuing years, that belief has only grown stronger. As we continue to expand our impact, change the lives of pets for the better, and find ways to do more in communities across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico, our vision remains the same. To date, the foundation has impacted more than two million pets and awarded more than $6 million in grants to nearly 1,000 nonprofit organizations. But what I’m even more proud of is our growth. We increased the number of pets helped by more than 300 percent during our third year, and since we started, the foundation has awarded 660 grants.

I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the future, but it’s equally important to look back and reflect on how far we’ve come. One thing is for certain—we could not have made the kind of impact we have without everyone on the Banfield Foundation team, our donors, and the Banfield Pet Hospital associates who continue to volunteer their time and donate toward the causes that matter to all of us. Thanks to our ongoing partnership and combined efforts, I am happy to share that for the second consecutive year, Banfield Pet Hospital, including the work of the Banfield Foundation, was named among Points of Light’s “Civic 50,” which recognizes the 50 most community-minded organizations in the U.S.

We know we’re better together, and if we continue to use our collective resources and passion for helping pets, we will continue to succeed in doing so. It’s the reason we are able to fund increasingly larger grants and expand our work with new partners and organizations that need assistance. Although I could go on and on about the amazing work the foundation has done in our third year, I’ve selected a few highlights to share.

Expanding our Impact

Our footprint is certainly growing. This year we were able to make one of the biggest donations in our history, which will help ensure some of the most vulnerable pets receive the care they need and deserve. In August, we gifted $100,000 to the Dumb Friends League’s “Building a Better Way Home” campaign to help expand its veterinary hospital for the Quebec Street Shelter in Denver. An upgraded facility enables the team to provide veterinary care for complex medical conditions and help homeless pets find forever homes faster. The hospital will also enable rotations of veterinary students from Colorado State University to receive hands on training with shelter pets. 

Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) Team, a nonprofit organization in our own backyard of Portland, Oregon is another organization we’ve partnered with to enable much needed veterinary care. By partnering with Banfield Pet Hospitals and VCA Animal Hospitals to provide free or low-cost veterinary care, the foundation helps the PAW Team continue to fulfill its mission to save lives, alleviate suffering, and keep pets and people together by providing free veterinary care to the pets of people who are experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty. 

Increasing our Commitment

Not only do we believe all pets deserve access to veterinary care, we believe they deserve access to innovative and up-to-date equipment and technology when receiving that care. These upgrades make all the difference in providing quality care within veterinary medicine. Without the most up-to-date equipment and facilities, nonprofits are limited in the impacts they can make to provide high quality care for pets. That’s why one of our main areas of focus is increasing the amount of Veterinary Medical Equipment Grants we fund, and in our third year, we awarded these grants to 56 organizations for a total of $636,000 across 27 states. On top of that, our Veterinary Assistance Grants, which help with the high cost of urgent veterinary care, also made a significant impact. This year, 54 Veterinary Assistance Grants totaling more than $427,000 helped nearly 8,400 pets.

Aside from funding programs, we help support volunteer efforts. In partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, we fund 100 percent of the medical supplies needed for preventive care clinics where free veterinary care is provided to vulnerable pets in local communities. Services include routine examinations and vaccinations, heartworm testing and flea/tick prevention. I’m happy to report that 33 clinics funded this year helped 2,438 pets.

Doing More in Our Communities

The foundation continues to play a role in the development and operation of disaster response vehicles for pets, which have not only provided immediate support during recent natural disasters, but will also be available for deployment for years to come.

Earlier this year, we funded the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry’s latest project—a 54-kennel mobile pet shelter that enables the growing organization to provide shelter for large-scale rescue and response initiatives. And in partnership with PetSmart Charities?, we recently funded a project for the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine’s Disaster Response Team. The 44-foot trailer packs 12 fold-down bunks, a bathroom, shower and generator – enabling education, training, and most importantly, veterinary emergency responders to support and provide much-needed veterinary care in local communities for longer periods of time after a natural disaster. The University of Florida truck will be ready for deployment in early 2019.  

Disaster relief efforts have always been a top priority for me in my role at the foundation, and it’s equally important to continue to provide support after a disaster, given it’s a long road to recovery for many communities. You can read more about our past efforts to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricanes Maria, Harvey and Irma here and here.

A major takeaway from all of our disaster relief work to date was that many pet owners, even those living in regions at high risk for natural disaster, are unprepared. In fact, a 2018 survey by Banfield Pet Hospital found 91 percent of pet owners are not prepared for a disaster. With this in mind, we launched a disaster preparedness awareness campaign this year, designed to help families get ready before the start of hurricane season. One thousand pre-assembled pet disaster preparedness kits were donated to vulnerable pet owners in high-risk areas, including Texas, Louisiana, Florida and North Carolina. Kits included a waterproof bag filled with a blanket, treats, a collapsible water bowl, checklists and tips for owners. We  called on TV personality Sean Lowe, a supporter of relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey, to help us raise awareness of the preparedness call-to-action for pet owners beyond Banfield clients and associates through a Public Service Announcement (PSA).

During and after the most recent storms–Hurricane Florence and Michael–that destroyed homes and communities throughout the East Coast, the foundation was able to act quickly, and we have been working to fund grants for those affected. Our thoughts are with those still on the front lines caring for pets impacted by the devastation. These efforts are currently ongoing, and I hope to be able to share additional updates with you soon.

What’s Next for the Banfield Foundation

As we look ahead to our fourth year, we continue to strive to be a leader in helping vulnerable pets access quality veterinary care by supporting our nonprofit grantees to help expand their reach, increase services and have a meaningful impact for these at-risk pets. While we have always supported nonprofits to provide safe shelter for people and pets fleeing domestic violence through our Pet Advocacy Grants program, we have seen a growing need for this work hope to support this with a broader range of activity in the coming year.

Banfield’s national reach helps us make a bigger difference for pets, so I’m committed to continue putting resources in the hands of the right people, who can help make the biggest impact on the lives of pets and the people who love them. We are truly better together with the help of our donors and partners, helping those who can’t help themselves: pets. This means we need your help! There’s always something you can assist with, and we hope you will consider donating to help the foundation continue to bring to life its very important mission of caring for pets and the people who love them. www.banfieldfoundation.org/donate