Pet Equity / Keeping Pets for Life

Keeping Pets for Life

Pets for Life is transforming the lives of dogs and cats by closing the service gap that exists for people and pets in underserved areas and bringing awareness in a new way to larger systemic inequities and injustices.

More than 20

million

pets live in poverty with their families in the United States

88%

of pets

in underserved communities are unaltered (not spayed or neutered)

250,000

pets

served through the Pets for Life program

Inside the issue

We're fighting to enable people to keep their pets for life.

Two women standing in front of their car trunk full of pet food donations

Carmen Alvarez /The HSUS

Working to end extreme lack of access

Extreme lack of access to pet resources is a national crisis overlooked by most.Poverty and structural inequality create obstacles to affordable veterinary and pet wellness services similar to the challenges and barriers to accessing healthy food, education, jobs, health care and housing. Tens of millions of pets live with families in poverty. That is at least triple the number of dogs and cats entering shelters.

Fighting unjust policies

Serving communities and their animals. Everyone’s lives can be enhanced by a pet and those who choose to should have the opportunity to experience the unconditional love and meaningful relationship a pet brings. At its core, Pets for Life challenges the institutions that create and perpetuate divisiveness, unjust policies and a stark imbalance in resource accessibility.

A RAVS volunteer holds sits next to an adult black lab holding one of her puppies as she gets ready to perform a free exam at a RAVS clinic

Lance Murphey/AP Images for The HSUS

Keeping pets and families together

We deliver pet services to people experiencing poverty and living in underserved areas through our Pets for Life program. Our Rural Area Veterinary Services program helps to fill gaps in veterinary care in Indigenous communities.

Thankful for support, 4 years later

Billy and his beloved dog, Copperhead, were both experiencing homelessness for about a year and a half. Copperhead had sustained serious injuries from an attack, and we covered the cost for surgery, food and resources. See the touching moment that Billy showed up at our office to greet Robert Sotelo, from our Pets for Life program, after 4 long years.

Bridging the gap between animal service providers and millions of people and pets living in poverty requires a collaborative effort, and the movement is always growing. Explore the map below to see where Pets for Life programs are currently making an impact all across the country and to learn about each of our dedicated partners.

Lisa Phillips/

Help keep people and pets together

Many wonderful pet owners in the United States face immense financial and geographic barriers in accessing veterinary and pet care services. Your support honors the common love of, and connection to, animals that transcends socio-economic, racial, ethnic and geographic boundaries.

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