Funding will advance adoption-driving initiatives across shelters and rescues in the U.S. and Canada

BOLTON, ON, Nov. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, PEDIGREE Foundation is announcing the recipients of its 2026 annual grants across the U.S. and Canada. This year, 79 grants totaling more than USD $1.24 million will go to shelter and rescue organizations working to find loving homes for dogs in need – helping more than 106,000 dogs. The annual grants fund behaviour, foster and transport initiatives that are proven to increase adoption, as well as disaster relief support for animals in communities impacted by natural disasters.

Since its founding in 2008, the Foundation has helped more than 1.1 million dogs and awarded more than USD $16.6 million across 6,500 grants.

New research from Mars found that 58%ⁱ of Canadians say they would be likely to choose a shelter when getting a new pet. That interest represents an opportunity to help more shelter dogs find loving homes. Programs that connect dogs with prospective adopters and offer guidance throughout the adoption journey can help make that next step easier.

"Every grant is an opportunity to help shelters and rescues do more of what works, whether that's expanding foster programs, providing behaviour support or helping dogs reach communities where they have a better chance of being adopted," said Deb Fair, Executive Director, PEDIGREE Foundation. "Our grants give shelters and rescues more tools to meet dogs' needs, overcome barriers to adoption and ultimately connect more dogs with families. We're proud to continue investing in practical, proven solutions that create more pathways from shelters to loving homes."

2026 PEDIGREE Foundation Grant Categories and Recipients

Below are the 2026 recipients of this year's PEDIGREE Foundation Canadian Grant Program:

• Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society
• Montreal SPCA
• Niagara SPCA & Humane Society
• The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth
• Oakville & Milton Humane Society
• Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• The Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
• Save Our Scruff Rehome & Rescue
• The Winnipeg Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Prince Edward Island Humane Society

"We are incredibly grateful to PEDIGREE Foundation for recognizing the challenges that large dogs face in finding homes. At Save Our Scruff, we know that many wonderful dogs are overlooked because of their size. Our ability to rescue these dogs is limited by the number of foster volunteers who feel confident handling larger breeds," says Jenna Bye, Executive Director at Save Our Scruff Rehome & Rescue. "Through the Big Dog Initiative, we will provide 20 foster volunteers with specialized, one-on-one training to build their skills and confidence in caring for dogs over 25 kg. This investment goes beyond helping individual dogs; it builds a more capable foster network that will allow us to say yes to more large dogs in need. We're excited to put this support into action and give more of these dogs the opportunity to leave shelters behind and find the loving homes they deserve."

These grants support animal shelters and rescue organizations in Canada with implementing and strengthening their foster, behaviour and adoption matching, transport, remote community support and safety net programs.

• This year, $100,000 CAD was awarded through 10 program development grants given to 10 shelters across Canada, as well as four grants totaling $15,000 CAD covering adoption fees as part of Mars Global Adoption Weekend*.
• One Disaster Relief Grant of $10,000 CAD was given to Humane Canada to help enable quicker responses to support pets impacted by wildfires across Canada.

To learn more about PEDIGREE Foundation and the 2026 grant recipients visit PEDIGREEFoundation.org and follow PEDIGREE Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

*PEDIGREE Foundation operates independently from Mars, and grants are awarded solely in furtherance of the Foundation's mission. 

About PEDIGREE Foundation
We believe every dog deserves a loving, forever home. PEDIGREE Foundation is an independent U.S. 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization working to help end pet homelessness. Nearly 3 million dogs end up in shelters and rescues every year, and nearly half never find a home. The foundation was established in 2008 by Mars Petcare, maker of PEDIGREE® food for dogs, to help increase dog adoption rates. We've awarded more than 6,500 grants and over $16.6 million to U.S. and Canadian shelters and rescues that help dogs in need and have helped more than 1.1 million dogs through grants support. Since launching our Canadian grant program in 2022, we have provided more than $595,000 CAD to local shelters and rescues and Disaster Relief Grants across Canada. At PEDIGREE Foundation, we're working toward a day when all dogs are safe, welcomed, cared for, well fed and loved. See how you can help at PedigreeFoundation.org.

ⁱ _{The research was conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2000 general consumers aged 18+ in Canada. The data was collected between 16 July 2026 and 29 July 2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. Censuswide adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.}

SOURCE PEDIGREE Foundation