A loyal companion and so much more
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.
with their families, and that's three times more than the number who enter animal shelters every year
living in poverty with their families have never seen a veterinarian
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.
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Points for Pets with Kayla McBride, WNBA guard for the Minnesota Lynx
Kayla McBride is teaming up with the More Than a Pet campaign to help increase equity in access to pet care and support people and pets with essential resources such as pet food.
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 three-pointer she makes, an additional 1,000 meals will be donated.
Follow our Points for Pets Season Tracker and tune in to Minnesota Lynx games all season long to watch Kayla score BIG for pets!
Community Hero
We are thrilled to announce the 2026 More Than a Pet Community Hero, Chantal Wadsworth, who made exceptional contributions to advancing equity in access to pet care and resources within her community. This honor not only highlights her outstanding efforts but also awards her community organization, Partnership With Native Americans, with a $10,000 grant to provide essential support services for people and pets. Thank you to everyone who participated and voted!
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.
Lauren Justice/AP Images for Humane World for Animals
Our partners and staff distributed 17,308 pounds of pet food, providing 121,800 meals and supporting 300+ people and pets.
Nicole Rosenberg
Our work to expand access to pet care and support families in need.
Left and Middle: Nicholas Grieves; Right: Vernan Kee
Three heroes demonstrate the impact one person can have on the lives of countless people and pets.
Keith Getter/Getty Images
People are really struggling to afford their pets right now. Here’s what you can do.
Lisa Michel-Weis/Wisconsin Humane Society
Congratulations to the 2025 More Than a Pet Community Hero, Demonte Moore.
David Welker/AP Images for Humane World for Animals
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
Every point scored by LaMelo Ball during the 2025 NBA regular season will support pets in underserved communities.
Kylee Wallentine/Wichita Animal Action League; Steve McVeigh/Humane World for Animals; Lisa Michel-Weis/Wisconsin Humane Society
More Than a Pet campaign honors heroes improving access to pet care.
Ezra Millstein/The HSUS
New research on Pets for Life shows how meaningful the program is—helping pets, their owners and the environment.
Bryan Mitchell/AP Images for The HSUS
Learn about the amazing work and impact of the More Than a Pet campaign.
Meredith Lee/The HSUS
Partners and staff distributed 14,000 pounds of pet food and supplies to the community at no cost to families.
Carolina Palancade/Humane World for Animals
Congratulations to the 2024 More Than a Pet Community Hero, Julie Cassadore.
Partners
A special thanks to our incredible partners for their unwavering support of the More Than a Pet campaign.
Partner with us
Humane World for Animals is the world’s most effective animal protection organization. Together, we can do so much more.
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