Kayla McBride is among the top five 3-point shooters in the history of the WNBA. She is also a five-time WNBA All-Star player.
When Kayla, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx, leaves the court and heads home, her attention turns from basketball to her 9-year-old pup. As soon as she walks through the door, Tucker has her full attention.
Kayla has had Tucker since he was a puppy. The connection began the moment they met. It's the kind of connection so many of us can relate to and understand.
When we asked Kayla if she was interested in joining our Points for Pets initiative, it was Tucker who inspired her to say yes.
For every point Kayla scores during the 2026 WNBA regular season, 250 meals will be donated to pets and their families in underserved communities, and for every 3-pointer she makes, an additional 1,000 meals will be donated.
Keeping pets healthy, happy and with the families who love them helps to take pressure off families already experiencing hardship. And in the U.S., approximately 20 million pets live with families experiencing poverty.
For years, our Pets for Life and Rural Area Veterinary Services programs have helped bridge the gap by connecting people and pets in underserved areas with the support they need. Through these programs, we provide a range of veterinary services including preventive and sick care, spay/neuter as well as grooming services, behavior training, pet supplies and more, all at no cost.
Thanks to Pets for Life and Rural Area Veterinary Services, over $130 million worth of pet food and supplies have been distributed to pet families, serving over 859,000 pets with over 43 million pounds of pet food and 12,800 pallets of pet supplies.
We started our More Than a Pet campaign to increase public attention to this national crisis while expanding access to pet care and essential resources.
As I write this, Kayla has already scored 433 points and 61 three-pointers, resulting in 169,250 meals for pets. You can visit our Points for Pets Tracker to follow Kayla’s progress throughout the season.
You can be a star for people and their pets
Kayla McBride is a star, and we’re so grateful to have her on our team. You don’t have to be a basketball star to help with this issue, though. What is so inspiring about access to care as a cause is that everyone can help in small ways create a kinder world. Here are some ideas for how you can get involved:
- Offer support to your neighbors and your community. For example, some people may need a temporary home for their pet while they get back on their feet. Others may benefit from a neighbor offering to go to the pet store to get supplies for them.
- Support animal rescues and shelters by asking how you can get involved and by donating funds or time to programs that provide veterinary care to pets in your community.
- Volunteer if you’re a veterinary professional or student; please visit our RAVS resource page for information about how to volunteer or join Humane Veterinary Medical Alliance to engage in our training and advocacy efforts.
- Support state and local public policy efforts that support people in your community who have companion animals.
- Celebrate the human-animal bond by participating in our More Than a Pet campaign.
- Add your name in support of pet equity.
Kitty Block is president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. Follow Kitty Block.
