PEDIGREE Foundation awards more than $1.24M in 2026 grants

PEDIGREE Foundation is distributing 79 grants worth more than $1.24 million across the U.S. and Canada to help shelters and rescues move more dogs into homes. The announcement comes as shelter intake-outcome gaps widen, and the foundation is also launching a matched fundraising campaign for 2027 grants.

Why it matters: - The 2026 grants will support shelter and rescue programs that help more than 106,000 dogs find homes. - The funding targets foster care, behavior support, transport and disaster response, all of which can increase adoption and reduce time in shelters. - Shelter Animals Count’s 2026 Mid-Year Report shows 38,000 more dogs entered shelters and rescues than left them in the U.S. through mid-year. - That gap is 64% larger than at the same point last year. - If that pace holds, 2026 is on track to end with more animals in shelters and rescues than when the year began.

What happened: - PEDIGREE Foundation announced 79 annual grants totaling more than $1.24 million for shelter and rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada. - The foundation said the grants are intended to help dogs in need find loving homes. - PEDIGREE Foundation also launched its 2027 fundraising effort through the SEASON OF GOOD DOG™ campaign. - The campaign runs through Dec. 31, 2026, and the first $15,000 raised will be matched by a donor and iHeartRadio. - Donors can give at the campaign page.

The details: - Since its founding in 2008, PEDIGREE Foundation has helped more than 1.1 million dogs. - The foundation has awarded more than $16.6 million through 6,500 grants. - DOGS RULE.® grants are $100,000 awards spread over two years for new initiatives that can serve as models for other shelters and rescues. - Gateway Pet Guardians in East St. Louis, Illinois, will use the second half of a 2025-2026 DOGS RULE.® grant for its Finder-to-Foster Program. - The Gateway program lets people who find stray dogs become temporary fosters, keeping dogs out of the shelter and reducing stress and euthanasia risk. - The grant also covers supplies, transportation and support while pets wait for reunion or adoption. - Oklahoma Humane Society in Oklahoma City will use the first half of a 2026-2027 DOGS RULE.® grant for Foster U: Behavior-Informed Foster Training Program. - The Oklahoma program is a structured, tiered foster training effort meant to improve caregiver readiness and outcomes for dogs with behavioral needs. - Program Development Grants total $484,000 this year and will go to 34 shelters and rescues. - Collaborative Grants total $420,000 this year, including Year Two of the Foster 50 Challenge Grants. - Disaster Relief Grants totaled $155,000 this year across seven awards. - Those disaster grants supported dogs affected by wildfires in Colorado and floods in Indiana, Hawaii and Central Texas. - Canadian grants include $100,000 CAD for 10 program development grants across 10 shelters. - Canada also received four grants totaling $15,000 CAD to cover adoption fees during Mars Global Adoption Weekend*. - Humane Canada received a $10,000 CAD Disaster Relief Grant to help speed responses for pets affected by wildfires across Canada.

Between the lines: - The grant mix shows PEDIGREE Foundation is not just funding adoptions, but also the upstream barriers that keep dogs from leaving shelters. - The emphasis on foster, behavior and transport points to a strategy focused on practical capacity, not just short-term relief. - The matched fundraising push suggests the foundation is trying to build momentum before setting 2027 grant levels. - PEDIGREE Foundation operates independently from Mars, and grants are awarded solely based on charitable objectives.

What's next: - PEDIGREE Foundation will use money raised through Dec. 31, 2026, to support its 2027 annual grants. - The foundation says a complete list of 2026 recipients is available on its website. - More information is available at PedigreeFoundation.org, where the organization also directs supporters to follow along on Facebook and Instagram. - More details about the campaign are available through PEDIGREE Foundation and the SEASON OF GOOD DOG™ campaign.