Seattle Animal Foundation committed over $400,000 in grants in 2024.
Best Chance Program
Established in 2024, this program provides pets and pet owners with their best chance at health and wellness with free monthly clinics across Seattle. The clinics, with no reservation required, provide free veterinary exams, dog and cat vaccines, deworming, flea treatments, microchipping and pet licensing in addition to free pet food and supplies. Emphasis is placed on building relationships with historically harder to reach populations, especially different ethnic and language groups. In 2024, more than 1,300 pets from over 900 households were assisted by the program. In its first year, the program had an overwhelmingly positive impact on public heath and serves as a blueprint for animal welfare organizations looking to make similar strides in the community.
Foster Care Coordinator Grant
The Foster Care Coordinator Grant provides funds for a full-time Foster Coordinator and consultants instrumental to development of the program at the Seattle Animal Shelter. On any given day, on average 181 animals or 54-75% of SAS’ total animal population are in foster homes providing love, compassion, and a much needed break away from the shelter. Through the foster program, thousands of animals have been given a second chance and the program is critical to the shelter’s ability to adopt out as many as 3,000 animals each year.
Existing Programs Grant
SAF continues to fund programs and projects that provide owned-pet assistance, shelter animal support, staff and volunteer training, and outreach and engagement activities for the Seattle Animal Shelter. This grant provides assistance to families to better care for their pet and avoid having to relinquish them or risk being cited for insufficient or substandard care. Services include uniformed field outreach to pre-identified areas of need and a free bi-monthly Pet Food Bank staffed by volunteers.
Behavior Program Grant
Open admission shelters like SAS are seeing an increase in animals with behavioral needs entering the shelter system. The behavior program increases the likelihood that pets will be adopted and transition more smoothly into their new homes. The program also helps to better identify animals who might present a risk to staff, volunteers, fosters and adopters, and creates programs to mitigate those outcomes.