More Than a Pet

Tens of millions of pets are loved by families experiencing poverty—three times the number entering shelters, often due to lack of access to care. That’s why we launched the More Than a Pet campaign: to raise awareness and support of expanding access to affordable veterinary care, pet food and pet-inclusive housing.

Millions of pet owners face barriers to pet care—transportation, language, time, finances and trust. This is a national crisis, rooted in broader issues of poverty and inequality. Just as everyone deserves access to health care, food and housing, they also deserve the chance to care for and keep their pets.

Together, we can make a difference. Through programs like Pets for Life and Rural Area Veterinary Services, we have provided no-cost veterinary care to over 570,000 pets, distributed more than $113 million in pet food supplies and given out over $20 million annually in grants.

20M+

pets experience poverty

with their families, and that's three times more than the number who enter animal shelters every year

70%

of pets

living in poverty with their families have never seen a veterinarian

42%

increase in cost of veterinary care

since 2019 puts equitable pet ownership out of reach for many families

Action meets impact

Explore the latest activations where our mission comes to life—through community champions, bold partnerships and meaningful impact for people and pets.

Community Hero Award

Thanks to your votes, we are thrilled to announce the 2025 More Than a Pet Community Hero, Demonte Moore, who has made exceptional contributions to advancing equity in access to pet care and resources within his community. This honor not only highlights his outstanding efforts but also awards his community organization, Wisconsin Humane Society, with a $10,000 grant to provide essential support services for people and pets. Thank you to everyone who participated and voted.

Points for Pets

Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard and devoted owner of five dogs, LaMelo Ball, teamed up with the More Than a Pet campaign to increase equity in access to pet care and support people and pets with resources such as pet food. For every point he scored during the regular season, 250 meals will be donated to pets and their families in underserved communities. The final results are in—LaMelo scored big with 1,184 points and 296,000 meals for pets!

Discover more

Our work is transforming the lives of pets and the people who love them. See how real change happens when compassion turns into action.

Keith Getter/Getty Images

Pet care increasingly unaffordable

People are really struggling to afford their pets right now. Here’s what you can do.

More Than a Pet 2025 Community Hero Award Winner Demonte Moore

Lisa Michel-Weis/Wisconsin Humane Society

Demonte and Piper

2025 Community Hero Award Winner

Congratulations to the 2025 More Than a Pet Community Hero, Demonte Moore.

David Welker/AP Images for Humane World for Animals

LaMelo Ball scores big

NBA All-Star LaMelo Ball scores big with Points for Pets, helping to provide 296,000 meals to pets in underserved communities.

Eric Reed/AP Images for The HSUS

Points for Pets

Every point scored by LaMelo Ball during the 2025 NBA regular season will support pets in underserved communities.

2025 More than a Pet Community hero finalists Maria Teresa Montoya, Demonte Moore, and Lersi Feliciano

Kylee Wallentine/Wichita Animal Action League; Steve McVeigh/Humane World for Animals; Lisa Michel-Weis/Wisconsin Humane Society

2025 Community Hero Finalists

More Than a Pet campaign honors heroes improving access to pet care.

Ezra Millstein/The HSUS

Tomika holds her dog, Champagne, during a Pets for Life community outreach event. A dedicated team administered vaccinations, trimmed nails and distributed pet food. Pets for Life addresses a critical need for accessible, affordable pet care.

One Health research

New research on Pets for Life shows how meaningful the program is—helping pets, their owners and the environment.