When natural disasters happen, every living thing needs help. Animals are especially at risk if their people cannot evacuate with them or save them in time. The American Humane organization coordinates animal rescue efforts annually, which is about to get a bit easier. Learn more about how the PEDIGREE Foundation is making that happen just in time for hurricane season.
What Is the PEDIGREE Foundation?
The PEDIGREE Foundation is a nonprofit organization that assists homeless dogs. It began in 2008 after the PEDIGREE brand launched the foundation to increase the number of dog adoptions each year. Now, it also gives annual grants to shelters and rescue organizations.
Savvy dog owners may recognize the PEDIGREE brand from the kibble bags in your local pet supply store. Every purchase goes toward saving homeless dogs and funding experts doing heroic work for animals in need throughout the country.
How big is America’s animal rescue problem?
Research shows that 3.2 million animals get adopted each year in the U.S. That number doesn’t include the animals still waiting to find their forever homes or the ones needing rescue after natural disasters.
In 2023, rescue groups and animal shelters housed 6.5 million animals who were left to fend for themselves. While that number includes animals needing help after weather events, other animals need rescuing after their families leave them behind for various reasons. In addition to financial insecurity and housing displacement, people have been abandoning their pets due to fears of zoonotic transmission of diseases.
What is American Humane?
American Humane is an animal-focused humane organization founded in 1877. It was America’s first group dedicated to the well-being, safety and welfare of animals. Today, the well-known organization strives to make the world a better place for animals through efforts like providing conservation certifications, giving grants, certifying farms and giving service animals to veterans.
American Humane efforts backed by PEDIGREE Foundation Award
The rescue team with American Humane monitors year-round weather reports for upcoming or current natural disasters. When one occurs, they send rescue vehicles to save animals in need. People often leave animals behind when they can’t evacuate or fit them in their vehicles while fleeing weather systems. Other disasters, like earthquakes, don’t leave people with enough time to leave the area with their pets.
The American Humane team jumps into action when disaster strikes to help animals who can’t survive on their own. The heroic act of so many people requires funding, which the PEDIGREE Foundation recently offered.
The foundation just provided American Humane with a $125,000 grant to support its rescue efforts. It already supported American Humane in previous years after natural disasters occurred, like Hurricane Ida and California’s wildfires in 2020. The $125,000 grant will proactively support the organization as it prepares for upcoming rescue deployments.
Rescue efforts that need funding to save animals
People often assume that animals only need rescuing after things like hurricanes and wildfires. While those natural disasters do claim the lives of lost pets every year, organizations like American Humane also save animals in other situations.
Experts save animals from medical testing facilities, shelters that close down and buildings that crumble after earthquakes. Whether rescuers help animals evacuate before a catastrophe or save them after disaster strikes, their efforts require funding to cover necessary expenditures like vehicles, gas, hotel fees, pet food and more.
Some animals also need support after getting abandoned. People leave their dogs tied up in front of shelters, which adds to the shelter’s financial responsibilities of feeding and housing an additional dog. That’s what shelters exist to do, but they can’t provide that kind of rescue support if they don’t have funding to cover those essential needs.
Ways you can support animals too
Anyone can help animals in need like the PEDIGREE Foundation and American Humane. See if any of your local shelters have donation pages on Amazon. Many rescue and adoption shelters raise funds through local Amazon purchases or AmazonSmile donations.
Even if none of your closest animal shelters work alongside Amazon to support their cause, you can call and ask how they need assistance. They might need people to volunteer time as support staff while they work in local disaster areas or foster animals to help them free up more kennels.
The supplies you get every month for your own pets could be another way to give back to animal rescue teams. Brands like PEDIGREE donate a portion of their profits to groups like American Humane. See if your preferred brands do the same thing or consider switching brands to more directly help animals in need. Changing your pet’s kibble or treat brands might not seem like a big effort, but it ensures you’re supporting four-legged friends throughout the country.
Animals are about to get more help
People will always need help with their animal rescue efforts. Grants provided by organizations like the PEDIGREE Foundation make that support possible. Everyone can join the fight to save animals by giving their time and resources too. Animals throughout the country will have better lives when funding and support teams are readily available.