California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative (CAWFC)—a unique model of funders from leading Animal Welfare organizations including the Annenberg Foundation with support from Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, Best Friends Animal Society, California for All Animals, Maddie’s Fund®, and Michelson Found Animals Foundation that have been working together for four years—recently awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to 24 deserving locally based organizations. The grants were given out in an effort to make the largest possible impact in helping to keep people and their pets together —despite growing barriers.
This year, the group of leaders in the California animal welfare space focused on awarding organizations who demonstrated a desire to preserve the human-animal bond. These organizations either launched or improved upon initiatives to help keep pets and people together. While some families do look for their lost pets at the shelter, not everyone does, or they might look within the wrong shelter. As a result, once a dog enters a shelter, there’s only a 25% chance of reuniting a pet with their family. Programs that help reunite dogs with their families in the field will help free up space within state shelters for those who need it.
“According to Best Friends recently released data, California remains the number 2 state with the most dogs and cats killed in shelters for the third year in a row,” said Kaylee Hawkins, Pacific Regional Director, Best Friends Animal Society. “One way we are trying to rectify this is by working together with like-minded animal welfare organizations to help fund local shelters and rescue groups so we can continue moving in the right direction to take California no-kill so innocent animals are not killed simply due to lack of space.”
“The Annenberg Foundation and Wallis Annenberg PetSpace are honored to be a part of the California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative,“ said Gabrielle Amster, Director, Wallis Annenberg PetSpace. “By working together, we can help more animals and pet owners, and reach further into areas of need in our communities.”
The funding cycle kicked off earlier in July and will end in June 2024.
“It’s really inspiring to come together with other funding organizations in support of pets and their people,” said Shelly Thompson, Maddie’s Fund’s Director of Operations. “Maddie’s Fund is proud to be part of this impactful collaboration.”
A total of $35,000 in grants were given to Southern California organizations, including:
· $10,000 to Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control for resources to support their pet retention programming
· $10,000 to Chula Vista Animal Services for Vaccine Clinics and spay/neuter for owned pets
· $5,000 to City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Services for resources to support their Pet Food Pantry
· $5,000 to Heaven on Earth Society for Animals to launch their Kitty Behavior Bootcamp
· $2,500 to Rancho Coastal Humane Society for for resources to support their Doggie Day Out programming
· $2,500 to San Gabriel Valley Humane Society for resources to support their dog and cat enrichment program
“We are incredibly proud and honored to continue to work together with this collaborative and provide support to these hard-working, compassionate, and essential animal welfare organizations, said Brett Yates, CEO, Michelson Found Animals. “Every dollar makes a huge difference for them and will keep more pets and their families together in California.”
About Annenberg Foundation and Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation focused on addressing the critical issues of our time through innovation, community, compassion, and communications for more than 30 years. Since 1989, it has funded programs in education and youth development; civic and community life; equity and social justice; health and human services; animal services and the environment; and arts, culture, and humanities. To learn more about the Annenberg Foundation and its various initiatives, click here.
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace is a unique community destination featuring pet adoptions, a humane education center, and a leadership institute focused on the origins and science of the relationship between people and their pets. Learn more at AnnenbergPetSpace.org.
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 378,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,300 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.
About California For All Animals
California for All Animals (CA4AA) launched in February 2022 as a five-year, $50M initiative to reduce euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals in shelters throughout the state. Proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom and administered by the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, CA4AA is a comprehensive program designed to identify and address the root problems that lead to unnecessary shelter intake, replace broken cycles with safety-net programs that keep pets in their community, and support shelter leaders with the resources and training needed to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place, to achieve the right outcome for animals. For more information, visit https://www.
About Maddie’s Fund
Maddie’s Fund® is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy for over ten years and continues to inspire them today.
The Foundation has awarded over $275.7 million in grants toward increased community collaborations and live outcomes, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S.
Maddie’s Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions. The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie
About Michelson Found Animals Foundation
Michelson Found Animals Foundation is a leading animal welfare non-profit that believes people and pets are better together. Funded by Dr. Gary Michelson and Alya Michelson, Found Animals operates a range of programs including community partnerships, catalytic grants, impact investments, and education and advocacy initiatives that share a common goal: to champion pets at every point they intersect with our society. Found Animals has helped more than 8 million pets since it was founded in 2005. Learn more at foundanimals.org
