Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation commits $250 million to expand veterinary care access

The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation has launched Big Bet for Pets, a 5-year, $250 million commitment aimed at reducing financial barriers to veterinary care for family pets across the United States.¹ The foundation describes it as one of the largest private philanthropic investments to date focused on expanding nonprofit community veterinary care.¹

The initiative is designed to close what the foundation estimates is a 50-million-pet access gap, driven largely by cost. "Pets are members of our families, and they need veterinary care to live long, healthy lives," Dave Duffield, co-founder of the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, said. "For too many families, that care is not easy to find or afford. Big Bet for Pets is our way of investing in a stronger, more accessible safety net for these special animals."¹

A decade-plus of animal welfare giving

Dave and Cheryl Duffield have funded companion-animal causes for more than 30 years, most notably through Maddie's Fund, which they built into one of the largest private foundations supporting shelters and companion-animal organizations.¹ The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation itself was established in 2016 and also backs programs pairing veterans with service dogs and supporting local public service organizations, alongside Maddie's Fund and Liberty Dogs.¹

Big Bet for Pets builds on PetSmart Charities' 2023 pledge of $100 million toward the same access-to-care problem.¹ Amy Duffield Zeifang, the foundation's co-president and a board member, traced the urgency back further: "Coming out of the pandemic, it became clear that the lack of access to affordable veterinary care was indeed the crisis of our times within animal welfare."²

Two grant programs open immediately

The foundation opened 2 funding opportunities alongside the announcement. Duffield Boost Grants make up a $2.5 million pool distributed as 250 unrestricted grants of $10,000 each to nonprofit community veterinary care providers nationwide, with applications accepted through the foundation's website.¹ Expanding Access Grants form a separate $10 million pool for multi-year awards to established nonprofit veterinary clinics positioned to scale up capacity; the application deadline is December 16.²

Amy Mills, the foundation's vice president of access to care, said the funding is meant to address both immediate need and a knowledge gap in the field. "The lack of access to affordable veterinary care is one of the most urgent and actionable challenges facing pets and the people who love them," Mills said. "Through Big Bet for Pets, we are investing in a future where every pet has access to the veterinary care they need and every family can care for the animals they love."¹ Mills also noted that solutions in this space remain understudied: "There is not a ton of research on what kinds of solutions work best for different populations to gain access to veterinary care."²

References

1. The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation Makes $250 Million Commitment to Expand Veterinary Care Services. News release. The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. September 17, 2026. Accessed September 17, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-dave--cheryl-duffield-foundation-makes-250-million-commitment-to-expand-veterinary-care-services-302881253.html
2. Di Mento M. Duffield Foundation's $250 million helps struggling families access veterinary care. Chronicle of Philanthropy. September 17, 2026. Accessed September 17, 2026. https://www.philanthropy.com/news/duffield-foundations-250-million-helps-struggling-families-access-veterinary-care/