Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) has awarded $470,000 across 24 local nonprofits providing animal and pet support.
Programs funded include those that recognize pets and animals enhance the health and quality of life of individuals, families, and communities, as well as those that improve pet ownership in under-resourced communities and manage populations of wild, stray, and feral animals.
“This latest round of grant funding supports the lives of animals, pets, and the people who interact with them, from service animals and companion pets to wildlife,” said Galen Smith, CFT’s director of community philanthropy.
CFT’s Animals Community Grant Cycle prioritized funding local nonprofits that address one or more of the areas below.
- Health and Emotional Support/Therapy: Programs that facilitate animal-human interaction to support health, well-being, and overall therapeutic benefit for people, including physical, mental, emotional, and trauma-related therapy through the use of animals as part of the program.
- Assistance Animals and Facilitation of Learning/Skill Building: Programs that facilitate and/or provide companion animal training and/or interactions between animals and people that facilitate learning, skill-building, rehabilitation, or assistance with disabilities.
- Happy and Healthy Pet Ownership: Programs that promote successful pet adoption and/or pet ownership in under-resourced communities or populations, including seniors and people experiencing financial and health challenges.
- Management of Wild, Stray, or Feral Animals: Programs that focus on the management and reduction of wild, stray, and/or feral animals, including improving their welfare through rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, or relocation to safe and suitable habitats.
The 24 nonprofits that received funding are: Canine Companions, Dallas Pets Alive, Denison Animal Welfare Group, Dogs Matter, Don’t Forget To Feed Me Pet Food Bank, Equest, Faithful Friend, Humane Society of North Texas, Mazie’s Mission, Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County, Operation Kindness, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs, Paws for Reflection Ranch, Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation, Seniors’ Pet Assistance Network (SPAN), SPAN / Meals on Wheels of Denton County, Spay Neuter Network, SPCA of Texas, Texas Pawprints Cat and Kitten Rescue, Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation, The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, The Family Place, The Saving Hope Foundation, and Victory Therapy Center.
Learn more about each of the nonprofits that received the funding and what the grants will support below:
| Name of Organization Supported | Grant Amount Awarded | What’s Being Funded |
| Canine Companions | $30,000 | Training for service dogs that will be paired with individuals with disabilities
During a two-week Team Training class, participants will learn how to care for and communicate with their dogs. Graduates then receive ongoing support and training as needed. |
| Dallas Pets Alive | $20,000 | The Dallas Pets Alive PASS program, which helps North Texas families keep their pets in their homes and out of shelters
PASS provides medical care, training, temporary boarding, and other resources to residents in need. |
| Denison Animal Welfare Group | $20,000 | Low-cost services to support pet owners who are seniors
Denison Animal Welfare Group provides free spay/neuter services, vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm testing and treatment, and pet food to residents in Denison County. |
| Dogs Matter | $20,000 | A 12-month aftercare program that helps individuals recovering from addiction reunite with their dogs
Individuals also receive support from certified recovery support peer specialists and licensed substance abuse counselors. Dogs Matter’s aftercare program includes workshops and a support group to help clients with recovery and life skills. |
| Don’t Forget To Feed Me Pet Food Bank | $10,000 | The collection and distribution of donated pet food
Don’t Forget to Feed Me’s ‘Stay… or Go’ program works with 13 distribution partners and provides over 25,000 lbs. of free pet food monthly. Its ‘Home, Not Alone’ program partners with 16 area senior centers and communities to provide free pet food to pet owners in need. |
| Equest | $20,000 | The Equest Counseling program, which aims to expand and provide mental health counseling services to more clients
Equest focuses on client strengths and the power of the human-horse connection to facilitate healing processes. |
| Faithful Friend | $20,000 | Faithful Friend’s service dog training program for veterans who are disabled and civilians in need of assistance
The program includes veteran outreach and supports clients throughout the application process. Faithful Friend is committed to ensuring successful service dog placement and provides ongoing support after clients receive their service dogs. |
| Humane Society of North Texas | $20,000 | The Rae of Hope program, which provides vaccinations, microchips, flea and tick prevention, and heartworm tests for pets of older adults
The program aims to remove financial hardship for older adults who struggle to provide for their pets due to limited income. Funding will support clinics at senior centers in the community. |
| Mazie’s Mission | $20,000 | Building Mazie’s Mission’s new hospital for animals in Plano, Texas
Mazie’s Mission provides discounted medical care to pets brought in by partner rescue organizations, fosters, and municipal shelters. The new hospital will offer more space, unlimited veterinary care, access to trainers and behaviorists, and an adoption center. |
| Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County | $10,000 | The Companion Pet Program, which assists clients who are living at or below the poverty line with their pets
The program provides pet food, low-cost preventative care and veterinary services, and grooming services. |
| Operation Kindness | $20,000 | The Community Pet Food Pantry, which provides assistance to families in need of feeding their pets
The pantry offers food, litter, and other supplies for up to three pets a month. Its goal is to help families keep pets in their homes instead of surrendering them to shelters. |
| Patriot PAWS Service Dogs | $30,000 | The Patriot PAWS program, which trains service dogs for families and individuals with disabilities, including veterans
Patriot PAWS’ Veteran Outreach Program supports veterans throughout the application process and beyond. Additionally, its Team Training Program supports veterans in handling their service dogs, providing information on dog health care, nutrition, traveling, and ADA laws. |
| Paws for Reflection Ranch | $30,000 | Animal-assisted therapies and counseling that supports clients mentally and physically
Paws for Reflection Ranch offers various types of counseling and therapy modalities, including telehealth therapy, traditional counseling, Christian counseling, and others, as well as educational programs such as field trips, The Paws for Fun – After School Program, and summer day camps focusing on animal care, stewardship, nature, and the environment. |
| Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation | $30,000 | Medical care and rehabilitation for injured, ill, and poisoned birds
Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation provides treatment for various injuries and illnesses. It also raises baby birds and juveniles that have been found out of their nests or abandoned. |
| Seniors’ Pet Assistance Network (SPAN) | $10,000 | Support for low-income seniors in Dallas County with companion animals
SPAN provides pet food and basic veterinary care, helping keep pets at home with their owners and ensuring their well-being. |
| SPAN / Meals on Wheels of Denton County | $10,000 | The Senior Paws Veterinary Assistance Program (VAP), which provides free basic veterinary services to pet-owning Meals on Wheels clients and Span Transit riders
The program provides heartworm and flea treatments, vaccinations, and annual wellness visits. |
| Spay Neuter Network | $20,000 | Mobile clinics providing essential pet care services, including spay/neuter surgeries, to pet owners experiencing homelessness
Spay Neuter Network also helps keep people and pets together by ensuring pets are healthy and up-to-date on vaccinations. |
| SPCA of Texas | $40,000 | The Community Impact Program (CIP), which provides low-cost veterinary care and free vaccines for pets
The CIP also provides financial assistance for housing transitions, food pantry drive-throughs, and longer-term fostering of pets when owners need support. The SPCA of Texas supports pet families, maintaining the human-animal bond and reducing the number of animals who have to enter shelters. |
| Texas Pawprints Cat and Kitten Rescue | $10,000 | The rescue, fostering, and adoption of cats within the community
Texas Pawprints Cat and Kitten Rescue provides medical care for sick and injured pets, helps pets find loving homes, and offers no-cost pet vaccinations and microchips for families in need. |
| Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation | $20,000 | The Lending Economic Assistance for Pets (LEAP) program, which provides essential veterinary care for animals belonging to homebound, disabled, or elderly community members |
| The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center | $10,000 | Support for pets in The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center’s shelter
The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center allows pets to accompany their owners inside. Guests’ pets can receive medical services such as vaccinations, flea and tick treatments, and spaying/neutering surgeries. The Happy Tails – Happy Home program provides pet food, kennel maintenance, medical care, grooming supplies, collars and leashes, and Happy Home Kits to clients upon securing sustainable housing. |
| The Family Place | $10,000 | A kennel for pets of clients living in the emergency shelter
The Family Place collaborates with the SPCA to provide veterinary services including wellness exams, vaccines, and dewormers. |
| The Saving Hope Foundation | $20,000 | The Snip, Snip, Hooray! campaign working to reduce the number of stray animals by providing low-cost or free veterinary care to rescue organizations and low-income families
The initiative also includes education programs for elementary-aged students in Fort Worth, Texas. |
| Victory Therapy Center | $20,000 | Therapeutic riding and physical therapy services
Victory Therapy Center’s equine assisted services address a variety of physical, developmental, and mental health needs in riders aged 3 to 85+ years. Victory Therapy Center also provides fulfilling, new lives for displaced horses. |
At CFT, we believe that a thriving community is one in which all people feel cared for, invested in, nourished and valued, and have an equitable opportunity to contribute to the well-being and growth of themselves, their families and their communities.
