Maddie's Fund

10/14/2026

At Berkeley Humane’s Champions for Pet Health clinic, community members had access to essential veterinary services, including vaccines, microchips and more. These events help meet people where they are and connect families with the resources they need to care for their pets. That’s the power of community partnership!

A huge thank-you to all the organizations, veterinary professionals and volunteers who made our September Champions for Pet Health weekend possible.

10/13/2026

We stopped by Muttville Senior Dog Rescue during Champions for Pet Health to hear from CEO Laurie Routhier about the impact of the weekend. 🐶

We're grateful to Muttville and all our Champions partners for making accessible veterinary care possible for pets and the people who love them.

10/12/2026

We hope to see you on the next Community Conversation on Wednesday, October 14 at 11 am PT for "Increasing Owner Compliance," a discussion with Free Dog Trainers Founder and Director, Devan Amundsen, CPDT-KA CBCC-KA.

Join us as Devan dives into daily practices that increase compliance and result in more satisfied dog owners and dog handlers. Attendees will:
- Recognize active listening and open-ended questions frequently used in establishing training goals with clients.
- Identify specific places in their own outcome process where motivational interviewing strategies can be applied.
- Recognize how their behavior and language is one of the biggest influences on the success of behavior and training plans.

Register for the call today: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2026

Don't forget that you are now eligible for grants up to $10,000 for viewing live or on-demand!

10/07/2026

We stopped by San Francisco SPCA (SFSPCA) during their Champions clinic to talk about how important access to care is for pets 🐾 Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes videos from the weekend 👀

We’re so grateful to the partners who made this weekend possible: La Russa Rescue Champions Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation BISSELL Pet Foundation ❤️

10/06/2026

On September 25-27, 11 organizations across the Bay Area teamed up to provide free veterinary care for 1,880 animals (including 988 spay/neuter surgeries) and helped 1,036 families. We’ll be sharing videos this week from 3 of the shelters we visited, so stay tuned!

HUGE thank you to the 11 organizations that opened their doors and hearts. 💙

Grateful for the partners who made this weekend possible:

10/05/2026

We hope to see you on the next Community Conversation on Wednesday, October 7 at 11 am PT for "Creating Clarity: How RACI and Canto Helped Tree House Work Smarter," a discussion with Katie Jordan and Samantha Alspaugh from Tree House Humane Society.

The presentation focuses on how Tree House uses RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) models and Canto's digital asset management system to improve collaboration, streamline workflows, reduce duplication, and make it easier to find, organize, and share on-brand photos, videos, graphics, and other assets for marketing, fundraising and outreach.

🔗 Link in bio to register for the call.

Don't forget that you are now eligible for grants up to $10,000 for viewing live or on-demand!

09/29/2026

The animal well-being community lost a true visionary on September 20, 2026. Rich Avanzino, affectionately and widely known as the father of the ‘no-kill’ movement, passed away peacefully at the age of 84. While we mourn the loss of a remarkable leader, we also celebrate a remarkable life dedicated to transforming the animal well-being industry into a more collaborative, inclusive, and hopeful space and that forever changed the destiny of countless companion animals and the people who love them.

Learn more about Rich Avanzino's legacy: https://maddies.fund/4hRIaxb

09/28/2026

We hope to see you on the next Community Conversation on Wednesday, September 30 at 11 am PT for "Accessible Pet Care Wrap-Around Services for Underserved Populations" a discussion with Terryl Daluz and Andrea Carter from Loving Paws, Inc.

Access to pet care is a community health issue. Learn how community-based, wrap-around pet services can keep families and their pets together. Discover how collaboration between veterinary providers, social services and local nonprofits is the key to essential pet care.

Register for the call today: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2026

Don't forget that you are now eligible for grants up to $10,000 for viewing live or on-demand!

09/21/2026

We hope to see you on the next Community Conversation on Wednesday, September 23 at 11 am PT for "Feline Low Stress Handling® in a Shelter Environment," with Dr. Christine Calder from the Veterinary Information Network.

This special 1-hour RACE CE approved session offers practical, in-the-moment applications of Low Stress Handling® of cats for shelter veterinary
exams.

Register for the call today: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2026

09/17/2026

BIG news from our sibling organization, the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation! Starting today, they are offering grant funding through a series of open calls to nonprofit community- based veterinary clinics providing affordable veterinary care. The first two open calls launch today!

- Duffield Boost Grants: one-time, unrestricted $10,000 grants designed to provide quick funding “boosts” to nonprofit veterinary clinics providing low-cost and free care for family pets in need. https://www.duffieldfoundation.org/bigbetforpets/boostgrants
- Expanding Access Grants: substantial, single or multi-year grants for established nonprofit veterinary clinics ready to increase their capacity or services to reach more family pets. https://www.duffieldfoundation.org/bigbetforpets/expandingaccessgrants

Today, we are thrilled to launch our Big Bet for Pets, a $250 million, five-year philanthropic commitment to expand access to veterinary care for underserved family pets!

We estimate that more than 50 million dogs and cats in the United States lack access to routine, preventive, and lifesaving veterinary care. We also believe this is one of the most urgent (and solvable) challenges that many pet owners face today.

Across the country, nonprofit low-cost veterinary clinics are building a stronger safety net for pets and the people who love them. Through the Big Bet for Pets, we will provide ongoing grants to community-based clinics, with a special focus on rural communities. We will also support innovation and research aimed at identifying and removing barriers to care.

Our first two Big Bet grant opportunities open today: Duffield Boost Grants and Duffield Expanding Access Grants. Learn more and apply at DuffieldFoundation.org.

Follow our progress as we work to create a future where every family can access the veterinary care their beloved pets need.