Foster 50 Challenge awards $240K to shelters and rescues

PEDIGREE Foundation's Foster 50 coalition named 43 shelters and rescues on October 21st, 2026 to share $240,000 in grants. The bigger number came from the shelters, which reported a 28.5% drop in animals staying 60 days or more during the summer challenge.

More than 300 shelters and rescues signed up for the three-month push. Participating organizations also reported:

• More than 83,500 animals placed in foster homes, a 14% increase from the start of the challenge
• 108,200 animals adopted during the challenge period
• Nearly 19,000 new foster caregivers, more than double last year's challenge
• A 34% drop in long-stay animals among organizations with annual intake over 5,000

The coalition includes Maddie's Fund, Adopt a Pet, MuttNation Foundation, the ASPCA, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Mutual Rescue and Outcomes for Pets Consulting.

Foster homes free the kennel space shelters lack

The timing fits the shelter math. Shelter Animals Count's mid-year 2026 summary counted 3.7 million cats and dogs entering shelters and rescues in the first half of the year, up 2.0%. Some 213,000 more animals came in than left.

Mary Ippoliti-Smith of Maddie's Fund's executive leadership team pointed to research showing that "dogs are 14 times more likely to be adopted after a foster sleepover."

PetSmart Charities made a similar length-of-stay case this month. It aimed its adoption week at big dogs, which Hill's found spent 70% more time in shelters than small dogs in 2025.

Most of the money goes out in $5K and $7.5K grants

PEDIGREE Foundation and Maddie's Fund each gave $100,000, double what they put into the first year. Adopt a Pet and MuttNation Foundation each added $20,000 in four $5,000 grants. The Foster 50 program page lists the recipients:

• $10,000 each to Friends of Dallas Animal Services and Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter
• $7,500 each to 14 groups, including LifeLine Animal Project, Houston Humane Society and Pasadena Humane
• $5,000 each to 22 groups, including the eight Adopt a Pet and MuttNation grantees
• $1,000 each to five groups

Adopt a Pet's Senior Pet Data Grants pay recipients to collect data on fostering senior pets, which Adopt a Pet says it will share with other organizations. MuttNation's Love Harder Grants go to dogs that are harder to place, such as seniors, pit mixes, large breeds and dogs with disabilities.

PEDIGREE Foundation, which Mars Petcare established in 2008, says it has awarded more than 6,400 grants and over $15.3M to U.S. and Canadian shelters and rescues.

Long stays are the number that travels

Placements and sign-ups show effort. The long-stay drop speaks to kennel space, which is what shelters ran short of in the first half of 2026.

Source: Mars, Incorporated via PR Newswire